Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation has suggested social pressure from friends and family is an effective way to persuade others to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The “Find the Words” campaign from Baylor Scott & White Health, which won the Best in Show Award in the 2022 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards, aimed to equip Texans with the right tools when talking about the importance of the vaccine with loved ones.
In summer 2021, the death toll from COVID-19 was continuing to rise. But the majority of Texans weren't fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, putting them at greater risk for more serious illness. As the largest nonprofit health system in Texas, the 51-hospital, Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White was well positioned to respond.
The 60-day campaign crafted by the Dallas-based Launch Agency focused on three families who had lost someone to the disease. Print ads, social media posts and video content—including spots aired during Dallas Cowboys games—prompted vaccinated Texans to go to the “Find the Words” website. There, they’d find detailed advice from a psychologist, such as leading with compassion, arming oneself with facts, and coming from a position of curiosity rather than confrontation.
Gold award for integrated campaign Baylor Scott & White Health
According to representatives from the health system, the campaign reached an estimated 8.6 million Texans, with most of the people who watched the ads on streaming television or via social media finishing the videos. Baylor Scott & White reported that 260,000 users visited the website to learn how to have a difficult conversation with their unvaccinated loved ones.
Throughout the campaign, Baylor Scott & White stood out as a source of expertise for vaccinated individuals who needed support in having hard dialogues about becoming immunized against COVID-19.
Brenda Richardson is a freelance award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Forbes, the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and other media outlets.
