Health Communication Health Communication StrategiesStrategies

Charles Atkin, Michigan State UniversityCharles Atkin, Michigan State University

►CHANNELS AND AUDIENCESCHANNELS AND AUDIENCES

►BC/E TOPICS IN COM CHANNELSBC/E TOPICS IN COM CHANNELS

►CAMPAIGN SPONSORS AND CAMPAIGN SPONSORS AND MESSENGERSMESSENGERS

►PERSUASIVE APPEALSPERSUASIVE APPEALS

► INFORMATION PRESENTATIONINFORMATION PRESENTATION

Channels: Channels: Comprehensive ArrayComprehensive Array

Television:Television: ► PSA spots PSA spots ► Paid ads Paid ads ► News coverage News coverage ► Feature stories Feature stories ► Talk/magazine showsTalk/magazine shows► Entertainment insertsEntertainment inserts

ChannelsChannels

RadioRadio::

► PSAs PSAs ► Paid spots Paid spots ► News coverageNews coverage► Talk/call in Talk/call in

ChannelsChannels

NewspaperNewspaper: : ► News & features News & features

► Editorial comment & letters Editorial comment & letters

Magazine: Magazine: ► Feature storiesFeature stories► Ads Ads

ChannelsChannels

► Internet Web pagesInternet Web pages

►Billboards/PostersBillboards/Posters

► Tape/slide showsTape/slide shows

► Pamphlets/BookletsPamphlets/Booklets

►Direct mail/email materialsDirect mail/email materials

ChannelsChannels

Interpersonal:Interpersonal:

►Informal Informal family… friends family… friends

►Internet chat roomInternet chat room

►Professional Professional doctor… teacher doctor… teacher

Direct vs. Indirect ImpactDirect vs. Indirect Impact

Message Message Target audience Target audience

Message Message InfluentialsInfluentials Target Target audienceaudience

Message Message PolicymakersPolicymakers Target Target audienceaudience

Pertinent Communication Pertinent Communication TopicsTopics

►Breast CancerBreast Cancer►Environmental risksEnvironmental risks►Both BC & EnvironBoth BC & Environ

►SmokingSmoking►NutritionNutrition►ExerciseExercise

BC Env BC/E Smoke BC Env BC/E Smoke DietDietNewsNews

MagMag itemsitems

PSAsPSAs

WebWeb

BookletsBooklets

TV adsTV ads

EntertaiEntertainn

News Media ContentNews Media Content

►What’s inaccurate?What’s inaccurate?

►What’s sensationalized?What’s sensationalized?

►What’s underplayed?What’s underplayed?

►Optimum role for media advocacy?Optimum role for media advocacy?

Health Message Health Message SourcesSources

SPONSOR SPONSOR

Creates and disseminates messagesCreates and disseminates messages

MESSENGER MESSENGER Models who are featured in messagesModels who are featured in messages

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONSPONSORING ORGANIZATION

►Government agenciesGovernment agencies

► Associations and foundationsAssociations and foundations►Medical and educational institutionsMedical and educational institutions► CorporationsCorporations

High vs. low visibilityHigh vs. low visibility

High vs. low credibilityHigh vs. low credibility

National vs. localizedNational vs. localized

Economic vs. political vs. creative resourcesEconomic vs. political vs. creative resources

Source MessengerSource Messenger

►Expert specialistExpert specialist doctor… doctor… researcher researcher

►Specially experienced personSpecially experienced person

victim… survivor… successful role victim… survivor… successful role model model

►Public officialPublic official gov leader… agency director gov leader… agency director

Source MessengerSource Messenger

►CelebrityCelebrity athlete… entertainer athlete… entertainer

►Average personAverage person typical girl… typical girl…

mothermother

►Professional performerProfessional performer

►Unique characterUnique character

Messenger = PersonalizationMessenger = Personalization

► Credibility: Credibility: Expertise, Trust Expertise, Trust

► Relevance:Relevance: Identification Identification

► Attractiveness:Attractiveness: Attention-getting Attention-getting

► Clarity:Clarity: Understandable Understandable

Persuasive AppealsPersuasive Appeals

► Physical health incentivesPhysical health incentives

-- general vs. breast cancer-- general vs. breast cancer

-- immediate vs. remote-- immediate vs. remote

► Economic: Economic: easy… cheapeasy… cheap

► Psychological: Psychological: security… rationalsecurity… rational

► Social: Social: normative… cool normative… cool

Persuasive appealsPersuasive appeals

Positive promise vs. Negative threat Positive promise vs. Negative threat

Expectancy vs. ValueExpectancy vs. Value

Negative:Negative: Susceptibility vs. Severity Susceptibility vs. Severity

Self Efficacy vs. Response EfficacySelf Efficacy vs. Response Efficacy

Packaging informationPackaging information

►Rational vs. emotional styleRational vs. emotional style

►Serious vs. light toneSerious vs. light tone

►Content organization: NavagabilityContent organization: Navagability

►Adjusting to literacy and numeracyAdjusting to literacy and numeracy

►Production qualitiesProduction qualities

How much information?How much information?

►Evidence vs. source authorityEvidence vs. source authority

Narrative stories vs. statistical dataNarrative stories vs. statistical data

►Detailed translation vs. implicitDetailed translation vs. implicit

►Full explanation vs. bottom lineFull explanation vs. bottom line

►Specific stressors vs. relative priorities Specific stressors vs. relative priorities