Have I missed something?

I haven’t seen any marketing around the COVID-19 vaccination. Instead, the public is creating their reasons why or why not they will get vaccinated. Whether these reasons are based on fact or not, doesn’t matter. Herd immunity? How about herd opinion.

Facebook is taking measures to ban misinformation. In fact, half of Americans under 65 are hesitant to get the vaccine. If that’s not enough, 60% of nursing home staff declined the vaccine.

And trying to position your product when the public has already positioned it for you is an uphill battle.

I would think by now, the CDC and local authorities would have flooded us with vaccination messages. Instead, I hear more about the Trump impeachment than vaccination.

Where is the marketing education around this? I see this as a missed opportunity to help us learn about the vaccine and put our fears at ease.

I did view the vaccination videos created by Pfizer and other medical organizations. I’m only aware of them—not from TV or YouTube ads—from reading a marketing blog. The videos are emotional. They involve actual people. However, there is no call to action. I have tears in my eyes, but what do I do next?

I started thinking. If this was my product, how would I take this to market?

Goal

With any product launch, I start with the goal. The purpose of this communication would be two-fold: first: education, then vaccination.  

With that in mind, I would outline the product launch as follows:

Product information:

• Official name and how the product will be referred to in messaging.

• How does it work?

• What are the unanswered questions, such as the effects on the new strands of the virus?

• Research that has been completed.

 

Audience:

• Define each audience segment. Simplistically, I see the audiences as those against the vaccine, those on the fence, and those who are anxiously waiting.

• Develop personas for each audience so that messaging will meet them where they are in their mind.

Positioning

I believe narrative design would be a great place to start. The vaccine is brand new, and this is a company’s opportunity to build the future. This is the time to claim this space.

(For more information on narrative design: https://productmarketingalliance.com/why-narrative-design-will-replace-product-positioning-in-2020/ )

Messaging:

• What are the reasons to believe? (research data)

• Key features?

• Benefits and pillars under each?

• Questions to ask each audience segment:

a.       Where are they in the buyer’s journey?

b.       What are their emotions around the vaccine currently?

c.       What are their concerns?

d.       Why should they care?

e.       What do they need? (assurance?)

f.        What is their motivation?

g.       What if they do nothing?

h.       What does success look like?

i.         How will it make their lives better?

 Messaging Techniques:

• Empathy: Start where your audiences are in their head. You must get your audience to understand and agree with you before you can promote change/action.

• FOMO

• What is the future if nothing happens?

• Social proof

• What is the bonus outside of vaccination? (e.g., travel?)

• Testimonials

Regardless of the technique used, remember messaging is all about the audience. The messaging should not be about Pfzier or other medical companies. The customer is always the hero of your message.

What is the call to action?

Where do we want people to go? What should they do?

Go to Market Strategy:

Where are your audiences?

 Possible Channels:

• Social media

• Paid ads on Google? Retargeting CDC site?

• PR

• Partnerships with CVS/Walgreens/Grocery stores?

• Medical Sales reps training/collateral for local doctor offices

Measure Success:

Compare before/after surveys.

Rate of vaccinations by determined by population/by area.

This is obviously a simple skeleton plan. To market a pharmaceutical product, there would be mountains of legal approvals to run through. Things also get murky with the variance of state laws.

That said, lack of exposure of when, where, and what is a missed opportunity to assure the public and promote greater action toward vaccination. 

 

(Note: there may be actual reasons one doesn’t get vaccinated—such as allergic reaction. The intent of this article intent is not to argue for vaccination. The intent is to demonstrate a lost marketing opportunity to control the messaging and positioning.)