Vaccine opponents are reachable
Research: target groups and videos most effective
What is to be done to convince vaccine opponents in the middle of the 4th wave of the pandemic? A scientific article and a recent study from Germany and the US refer to two substantial conclusions:
- It pays off to use a target group specific approach. According to these findings even people change their mind who don´t want to support any governmental Covid-19-measures if – and this is key – if they are approached in their roles as parents explicitly. Particularly fathers tend to adapt their mindset regarding vaccination, masks and minimum distance after they have been confronted with the negative consequences of a potential Covid-19-illness for their kids.
The scientists therefore recommend to approach people strategically more via their role in various relationships that matter to them – as parents, as partners, as co-workers, as teachers, as neighbors. Then pro-vaccine arguments can prevail against partisan based resistance.
- Story telling via videos score against pure numbers graveyards and science talk. Previous Covid-19-sceptics who have turned to vaccine acceptants convince best: telling their stories – how did it come that I changed my mind and got my sting – in short videos is much more credible then standard governmental communication campaigning.
Zeng, “A relational identity-based solution to Group Polarization – Can Priming Parental Identity Reduce the Partisan Gap in Attitudes Toward the COVID-19 Pandemic”, in “Science Communication”, August 16, 2021.
Dan/Dixon, “Fighting the Infodemic on Two Fronts: Reducing False Beliefs without increasing Polarization”, in “Science Communication”, June 2, 2021.
From the practice:
It is stone age communication knowledge: not the watering can principle but the target group specific approach is crucial to any communication success. So I do support the idea of approaching specifically parents and of using ex-vaccine-opponents as testimonials strongly. Referring to the same strategy some weeks ago the Austrian Minister of Health has promoted Covid-19-vaccination also in Turkish, Roumanian and BKS – 18 months after the first lock down in a country with 17% population not born in Austria a very late move, but a relevant one. Target group specific communication means going one step closer towards the interlocutor and facilitating the reception and acceptance of messages and content. This requires empathy, structure and training. We cannot succeed otherwise in the long run, though.