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How social media influencers helped the NYC public health system raise awareness of COVID-19 testing among historically disadvantaged populations
Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing,
9
(3),
198-204
(2021)
Abstract
In August of 2020, NYC Health + Hospitals launched an awareness raising campaign with the primary call-to-action to get New Yorkers tested for COVID-19 often. With the primary goal of targeting women, LGBTQ+, some ethnic minorities and other historically disadvantaged populations, a culturally competent campaign was developed. The campaign required the health system to partner with four 360 marketing agencies certified as Minority and Womenowned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). Barriers to the success of this campaign included high advertising costs due to competing with election advertising, changes in the TikTok algorithms and preconceived ideas and/or hesitancy towards testing. Through creative influencer-focused marketing, NYC Health + Hospitals was able to successfully implement a multimedia and multiplatform campaign harnessing media personalities, influencers and celebrities with over 12 million combined followers and the effect that they have on like-populations.
Keywords: influencers; public health campaign; COVID-19; New York City; minority populations; behavioural change communications; Test & Trace
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Carmen Boon was, at the time of the campaigns that are the subject of this article, the Senior Director for Strategic Communications at NYC Health + Hospitals where she led strategic communications for programmes and initiatives connected to COVID-19 response including workforce support, testing, tracing and vaccination and the foundational strategic communications plan and award winning public awareness campaign for NYC Care, the largest municipal program in the US to provide health care access to people not eligible or unable to afford health insurance. Carmen arrived in NYC from her native Venezuela as a Fulbright scholar to pursue a Master of Arts in Media Studies with a concentration on digital media at New School University. With a communications and marketing portfolio in areas ranging from affordable housing and social services to workers, human and immigrant rights and public health care, Carmen’s 15-year career in the NYC government was distinguished for an “always-on” proactive outreach and public information strategy that greatly helped increase awareness on public sector programmes as avenues for communities citywide to get life-changing help and support. Her citywide public awareness campaigns earned her teams Shorty, MarComm, PR Week Purpose and AVA Digital nominations and awards, among other recognitions. She is currently a Vice President for External Affairs at the largest hunger relief organization in NYC, Food Bank For NYC and a Vice President for the NYC Chapter of the National Hispanic Public Relations Association.
Emily Golloub , MPH is Assistant Director of Communications at NYC Health + Hospitals. There, she helped execute the second phase of the Test & Trace Corps campaign alongside Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs). Currently, she leads the communications strategy for NYC Care — a free healthcare access programme for New York City residents who cannot obtain or afford health insurance. Prior to working at NYC Health + Hospitals, she managed nation wide communications as Field Communications Manager at Autism Speaks. During that time, she also completed her Masters of Public Health at the Milken School of Public Health at George Washington University. In 2018, Emily received Distinguished Public Relations Alumni Honor through her undergraduate alma mater, Montclair State University, College of the Arts, School of Communications & Media. Since this campaign was completed, Emily has moved to London.
