Supporting the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines

17 Jan 2021

The race to roll out vaccines across the world has begun. Its progress will define the speed at which lockdowns ease and lives and economies across the world return to normal, and communications is critical to success.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), achieving herd immunity through vaccination will require a substantial proportion of the world's 7.8 billion people to be vaccinated. Broad awareness and education is needed to build public confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, to encourage widespread uptake and to save lives. It’s for this reason that the work of our creative, media, healthcare and PR agencies is so crucial.

Here are just a few examples of how we are working with organisations around the world to inform and educate people on the importance of vaccination:

Ogilvy Consulting: WHO and UNICEF

The Ogilvy Consulting team has been advising WHO and UNICEF in the US on the behavioural science of health communications. The focus has been on vaccine hesitancy and the importance of customised messages which take into account specific worldviews and cultural filters.

H+K, Ogilvy, GCI Health and Finsbury Glover Hering: Walgreens and Boots

The newly appointed team of WPP PR experts have been supporting Walgreens and Boots in communicating the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine. This includes proactive communication to reach relevant audiences and build confidence in vaccine administration, issues management and communications specifically focused on addressing vaccine hesitancy in communities of colour.

MediaCom: Ontario Government’s Ministry of Health

The MediaCom team in Canada is managing all media planning and buying services for the Ontario Government’s Ministry of Health to provide detailed public health and safety recommendations and direction to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives through awareness and education campaigns.

DAVID Miami: Budweiser

Budweiser made the decision to reallocate its spending on Super Bowl – the Big Game – to support the Ad Council’s coronavirus vaccine public education campaign instead. DAVID Miami worked with the brand to support the move with a touching digital ad named The Bigger Picture.

NGOs, governments and businesses from all corners of the globe are counting on our industry’s creativity, our expertise in media, and our understanding of how people think and feel, to help them craft communications and experiences that motivate the public, influence their behaviour and bring the pandemic to an end. The role of communications has rarely been more important.