Give It Your Best Shot: Vaccine Marketing Tips

Vaccine hesitancy: A global health crisis

Diseases we’ve already eradicated may once again become our greatest threats.

The World Health Organization listed vaccine hesitancy — “the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines” — as one of the top threats to global health. And that was in 2019.

A lot has changed since then. Today, more people work from home, mask up in crowded places, and cover their coughs. (Thank goodness.) But COVID-19 also caused a dangerous ripple effect: a shift in public perception about vaccines.

Vaccine hesitancy has become its own epidemic. The best tool to address it? Education … in the form of vaccination campaigns.

Are vaccine ad campaigns effective?

Vaccination is a polarizing topic. Can a Facebook ad really cut through the discourse and persuade someone to register themselves (or their children) for a shot?

Ask the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to a benefit-cost study of its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, We Can Do This, the public health campaign:

• Encouraged 22.3 million people to complete the first round of COVID-19 vaccination
• Prevented nearly 2.6 million SARS-CoV-2 infections
• Resulted in an estimated $731.9 billion in societal benefits due to averted illness and related costs

7 tips for your vaccine marketing strategy

1. Shift your perspective

To reach your audience, you need to understand their perspective. Especially when you don’t share that point of view.

With the heated debate around vaccination, it’s easy to see people who oppose vaccines as “the enemy.” You might wonder:

• Don’t they know how dangerous these illnesses are?
• Don’t they want to protect the health of our most vulnerable populations?
• Don’t they want to keep their children healthy?

Often, the answer is “yes” — they do care about these things. People who choose not to vaccinate are not malicious. Their decision likely stems from misinformation and concern.

Internalize this framework, and communication with this audience becomes easier.

2. Answer vaccine-related questions

Fear is rooted in uncertainty. Combat fear of the unknown by answering common questions about immunization in your vaccine ad campaign.

Create content that answers questions like:

• Am I still safe if I was already vaccinated for this?
• Can the vaccine make me sick or otherwise cause injury?
• Is the vaccine worth it, if this illness is “nothing more than a cold”?
• Why do my kids need to be vaccinated — shouldn’t it be my choice?
• How effective is the vaccine? Can I still get sick?
• If almost everyone I know was vaccinated, are we really vulnerable? Isn’t it just the unvaccinated who are at risk?

3. Debunk myths about vaccination

Another effective vaccination marketing strategy is addressing common myths that stem from misinformation.

See how The Public Good Projects and Hispanic Communications Network applied this flu vaccine campaign idea in engaging social graphics.

4. Make information easy to understand

Statistics without context are just numbers. Stories without emotional appeal are just events.

People only care about statistics and stories showing the efficacy of vaccines if they’re delivered the right way: in plain language. That means:

• Keep content short: Write concisely (here’s how) and use short video clips to get the point across.
• Format for understanding: Use bulleted lists, bolding, and headings to highlight important info.
• Avoid jargon: Writing without medical jargon promotes understanding and trust.
• Translate the numbers: Choose statistics that tell a story. Deliver them with context or examples so they mean something to readers.
• Focus on your readers: Why should someone care about vaccinating against an illness that hasn’t impacted anyone they know? Address your readers’ objections and the benefits of vaccination.

5. Focus vaccine campaign messaging on the benefits

Healthcare marketing requires you to deliver the right message. Know what your audience wants:

• People don’t want to schedule an appointment with their doctor — they want to take care of their health.
• People don’t want to get a colonoscopy — they want to screen for and prevent colon cancer.
• People don’t want to bring their child to the doctor’s office for a shot — they want to never have to worry about their child getting measles.

Focus your vaccine ad campaigns on the benefits that matter to your audience. For example, The City College of New York (CUNY) targeted college students with a benefits-focused COVID-19 vaccine ad on social media.

6. Don’t underestimate the power of influencers

People listen to other people, not brands. Pull real people into your vaccination campaign — especially ones who carry influence.

In 1956, health officials faced the challenge of encouraging teens and young adults to get the polio vaccine. They recruited the biggest star in the country for the job: Elvis Presley.

Elvis received the vaccine on camera during The Ed Sullivan Show. After this viral (or should we say, anti-viral?) moment, vaccination rates among young Americans “shot up” from 0.6% to 80% in just 6 months.

Note: Your pro-vaccination spokespeople don’t have to be famous. Sometimes, people prefer to listen to someone they can identify with. This was the premise behind New York’s “Roll Up Your Sleeves” COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

7. Prioritize at-risk populations

Certain demographics are at a greater risk of contracting preventable illnesses or experiencing more severe symptoms or complications:

• Seniors
• Children
• Immunocompromised people
• People with existing medical conditions
• People with disabilities
• Marginalized groups with limited access to care
• People living in high-density areas

Target these specific populations in your vaccine marketing. The Risk Less. Do More. vaccine campaign from HHS focuses on people at highest risk for serious illness from the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This includes seniors.

Vaccine ad caption: “75+? Or 60+ with health conditions like heart disease or diabetes? An RSV vaccine can protect you from serious illness so you can keep stirring things up.”

Create an effective vaccination campaign

Do you need help communicating about the importance of vaccines to your audience? We can help you build a vaccine marketing strategy that makes a difference.

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