Public Health Campaigns in the Digital Age: Targeting and Tailoring Using Digital and Social Media

Public health campaigns are how public health agencies and practitioners disseminate behaviorally focused information and resources to large audiences in an effort to promote healthy behaviors and prevent illness. Often, public health agencies have limited funding and resources; thus, maximizing impact through strategic campaigns is a priority. To encourage preventive behaviors, targeting specific audiences and tailoring strategies are employed to try to achieve maximum results. Chan L. Thai describes a course she teaches on designing a very particular form of advertising—public health campaigns—and details her lesson on tailoring messaging based on psychological states and targeting channels using evidence about social media usage.