This Shot Matters
How do you break down barriers to save lives?
To combat rising COVID-19 hospitalizations among at-risk demographics, VCU Health partnered with BPD to create a bold, gutsy campaign aimed at overcoming vaccine hesitancy.
THE IMPACT
507K+
Total TikTok impressions, with 111,532 total reach and 5,822 clicks for a 1.15% click-through rate
10K+
Web page views within the first 3 months of the campaign
27%
Increase in system awareness
10%
Decline in reported vaccine hesitancy
THE CHALLENGE
Vaccine hesitancy was higher in some groups, and so was the price paid.
Through targeted research and deep data analysis, BPD identified key subgroups — Black, Hispanic, rural, women and younger Virginians — who were less likely to get vaccinated. Lower vaccination rates compounded existing inequities, contributing to disproportionately high COVID-19 infections and severe outcomes.
OUR APPROACH
Make the choice matter.
Evidence demonstrated that vaccines were the surest way out of this pandemic. While many healthcare organizations hesitated during the pandemic, VCU Health embraced a data-driven strategy: Launch a fearless, high-impact campaign designed to dismantle apathy and accelerate vaccinations across the region, in particular among the most at-risk groups.
We gained trust by elevating community voices.
The campaign cut through the noise with relatable messaging that elevated the voices of real people to reframe the vaccine conversation as one from top-down, expert advice to one of neighbor-to-neighbor chats.
We also created two-way conversations.
Dovetailing with the digital and creative work, the media and communications teams worked together to place VCU Health providers on local TV segments to answer vaccine questions from the community. We also developed extensive internal communications work to get buy-in from staff and prepare for any internal or external pushback once the campaign went live.
We made the reasons to get vaccinated personal and relevant. And compelling.
Diverse community members shared their reasons for getting the shot, drawing from the trust already in people’s own social circles. Leveraging media placements, paid social, digital out-of-home and more, the campaign emphasized the importance of vaccination in reclaiming cherished experiences.
Creative activations
Our work works.
