Motivating Seasonal Influenza Vaccination and Cross-Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination: An Audience Segmentation Study among University Students

In the response to the coronavirus pandemic, much attention has been invested in promoting COVID-19 vaccination. However, the impact of seasonal influenza should not be neglected, particularly during the winter influenza surge. Currently, most influenza vaccination campaigns target at healthcare workers or high-risk population groups, while COVID-19 vaccination programmes are targeting the whole population as a single homogeneous group. There is limited research on the promotion of influenza vaccination for university students who study, live, and socialise in close contact with a large variety of people on campus, resulting in a low vaccination rate among this underserved group. Thus, a vaccination programme tailored for university students should be developed to increase protection against influenza-like illnesses and complications, and to help achieve herd immunity across populations who spread viruses. WHO has advocated the potential value of social marketing in vaccination campaigns and highlighted the need for audience segmentation as a major prerequisite component of intervention design. This study aims to identify distinct and homogeneous groups of university students based on sociodemographic, psychographic, and behavioural attributes to inform interventions. Two-step cluster analysis was applied in a sample size of 530 university students and revealed four segments that demonstrate statistically significant differences in their attitudes, behaviours, intentions, and responses to promotion messages about seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccination. The findings provide a detailed understanding of segment characteristics among university students that can be applied to develop an effective social marketing campaign that can motivate influenza vaccination and cross-promote uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Managing Demand-Side Water Conservation in the United States: An Audience Segmentation Approach

The availability of fresh water affects public health and living standards around the globe, yet water resources are being rapidly depleted by unsustainable human activities. Strained freshwater resources will perpetuate unless the public is made aware of the severity of water scarcity issues. Audience segmentation, used frequently by environmental communicators to target unreached groups, is a social marketing strategy that segments audiences with shared characteristics to inform the development of effective communication messages. The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics of audience segments based on their level of water conservation behaviors. An online survey of the United States general public captured levels of water conservation behaviors based on how consumers prepare to vote on policy and intent to engage in water conservation behaviors. Cluster analysis resulted in two audience segments: lower water conservation and higher water conservation. Further analysis indicated significant demographic differences between the segments. The lower water segment presented less education, more moderate or conservative political beliefs, and lower family income levels than the higher water segment. Communication messages for the lower water segment should align with these characteristics, including using less scientific verbiage, linking moderate and conservative perspectives with water conservation, and emphasizing economic gain/loss.

A new approach to audience segmentation for vaccination messaging: applying the anger activism model

Purpose This study aims to use the anger activism model as an audience segmentation tool in the context of the anti-vaccination movement. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a national purposive sample (N = 438). Findings The group with high anger, strong efficacy (i.e. “activists”) was found to be more likely to engage in information seeking and was more accurate and defense-motivated when examining information about anti-vaxxers compared to other groups. Importantly, activists were more likely to engage in both low and high commitment behaviors to change vaccine policy. Originality/value As anti-vaxxers have proven to be difficult to change attitudinally, future campaigns are more likely to succeed if they leverage pro-vaccine audiences to fight for change. However, the understanding of the various segments within the pro-vaccination audience is limited. The data are discussed regarding leveraging high anger, strong efficacy audiences as change agents in future persuasive campaigns.

Communication Strategy of Relationship Chat Account Manager in Managing the Follower

Each social media account created by users has its own purpose and meaning,. That is to attract the sympathy of the audience, Just like in real world, humans cannot live without socializing and interacting each other. This research was designed to find out the communication strategy of social media account managers in managing followers. This study used an interactional communication strategy with qualitative descriptive method. The results showed that the communication strategy used to manage the "chat relationship" account is the interactional communication strategy. This model had been used because followers have different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, and cultures that affect each person in interpreting message. There are many factors as key success to running an online-based business through social media "relationships chat" account in order to increase followers loyalty in accordance with the strategy adopted by the account managers. Several management strategies had been applied such as a presentation to the audience, audience segmentation, consistency in providing entertainment to the audience, consistency of the characteristics and features needed, constantly looking for the latest entertainment innovations, communicating directly with consumers to support activities, and creating cooperation between account managers are being the key success to gain sympathy and loyalty from followers.

Chileans, climate change and the natural environment: An audience segmentation study

Hasta la fecha, en América Latina, las investigaciones sobre las dimensiones humanas del cambio climático son aún escasas. Para aportar a este campo, se realizó un estudio de segmentación de audiencia en Chile, que buscó explorar distintas perspectivas sobre este tema, utilizando datos de una Encuesta Nacional (n = 2170). Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los chilenos expresan altos niveles de preocupación y están de acuerdo en que el cambio climático está sucediendo y es causado principalmente por acciones humanas. Por otro lado, se encontraron diferencias en cosmovisiones, comportamientos, y percepciones de control, entre otros factores, permitiendo la identificación de tres grupos: pragmáticos, neoliberales y ambientalistas. Estos resultados pueden contribuir a diseñar estrategias de comunicación más efectivas para aumentar la concienciación y la acción climática.