Brands Turn Vaccination Awareness Campaign into Zero-Party Data Event

Rich: This week we ask, how are marketers approaching vaccination awareness campaigns? Stay tuned. I'm vaccinated.

Tim: Well, I am only half vaccinated.

Rich: Well, we're on the road for vaccination.

Tim: Fair.

Rich: But there's many people out there in society that, well, less hesitant or don't plan to get vaccine at all. And it is super, super important, obviously, for as many of those people to be persuaded to be vaccinated as possible if we're ever going to reach any kind of herd immunity.

Tim: Ooh, persuasion.

Rich: One of my favorite words. So last week, Budweiser became the latest brand to offer a giveaway to those who get vaccinated. The beer company joins major brands like Krispy Kreme and Sam Adams in encouraging people to get vaccinated by offering a free products. Donuts for Krispy Kreme, beer for Sam Adams and Budweiser.

Tim: Well, it sounds very American. We're giving away beer and donuts to get our healthcare system going. Okay.

Rich: If it works, it works.

Tim: Well, look, Rich, as you know, I'm pleased to announce that Budweiser, AB InBev, is a Cheetah Experiences customer. And in fact, what you're about to reference and show is actually the Cheetah Experiences platform and work. And it's part of their My Cooler Loyalty Program. So if you're going to participate in this, you actually have to join the loyalty membership.

Rich: So go do ti.

Tim: And you got to be 21 or older.

Yep. But it's a simple engaging campaign that Budweiser is doing. You can upload a picture of your, I got Vaccinated sticker. You can upload a picture of your band-aid, inaudible. Or upload a selfie showing you've been vaccinated, e. g., at a vaccination location, collect a bit of data, submit, and you're going to get a free beer on AB InBev.

Tim: Wow. All right.

Rich: So love the campaign, love what they're doing, love what brands leading into this issue and helping out. But there's an article in Digiday, which covers this, which I think is pretty interesting. I want to borrow a couple of quotes from there. Because as for local and national campaigns, instead of simply telling someone to go get their shot, which is an approach used in previous immunization campaign efforts, market is this time round, and the agency execs, are taking more care with the language and strategy of campaigns due to the polarization of the vaccine issue itself.

Tim: Yep. No, I get it. I get it. And look, herd immunity depends on getting a decent chunk and a good proportion of the people in the country that don't want a vaccine over the line to actually get one. And Rich, there's actually an interesting quote in there I want to share. The chief strategy officer at mechanism said," Rather than telling people what to do, finding ways to reach people and speak to their concerns about the vaccine, as well as educate them about what has gone into its creation, has been and continues to be crucial." And I agree with that. Information exchange.

Rich: 100%. Now the agency mechanism, I think are interesting. Because they recently worked on the Made to Save COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which essentially aims to improve trust in the vaccine, particularly for communities of color. And what I actually really like about the Made to Save campaign is that they're actually working with old school influences, which is-

Tim: The OGs.

Rich: The OGs. We're talking pastors, city council members, community activists. So it's really a grassroots campaign to media versus getting a Kardashian to vaccinate a live on air. I like that because ultimately that local trust is going to be the thing that moves, I think, a community over the edge to the numbers that we need to get that herd immunity. In fact, it's taking a localized effort to vaccine campaigns is crucial according to Chris Berman, who's the Executive Creative Director at Hanson Dodge. And the agency found that people that were hesitant to get vaccinated responded better to ads featuring other members of their Milwaukee community rather than celebrities. So the Kardashian point holds true according to Hanson Dodge.

Tim: And I totally get it. And if my pastor knocks on my door, I'm probably going to get vaccinated. But there's another quote in the article from Budweiser. And this is what they had to say. The VP of Marketing at Budweiser said," Like everyone else, we're ready for bars and restaurants to open. And for families and friends to gather. The only way to do this is for as many people, who are able, to get the vaccine. By helping to raise awareness of the ability and necessity for COVID- 19 vaccines." Budweiser is helping bring consumers safely back into bars and restaurants, industries that, you and I know, Rich, because we used to hang out at them, were hit incredibly hard by this pandemic.

Rich: Well, as soon as you get your second vaccine, maybe we'll be able to go back.

Tim: Finley's, we're back.

Rich: Well, look, there is a serious point is why we wanted to do it on Thinking Caps. And that is to sort of ask the community at large, marketers with their creativity, their strategic thinking, we're going to play a very important part if this campaign, this societal campaign, to get enough people vaccinated to achieve herd community is going to be successful or not. So really, let's all see what we can do. If you need ideas, reach out to us at Thinking Caps. We're full of creative ideas. Not always great ones, but we'll certainly help where we can. Love to see as many brands and marketers leaning into this campaign and helping out trying to raise as much awareness as we can to get as many people vaccinated over the next three, four, five months as we possibly can.

Tim: Yep. And, we have some great other charity and other goodwill events and campaigns that have been run by brands and other organizations on the Cheetah Experience platform. And they're available at cheetahdigital. com if you want a little inspiration on your own.

Rich: Yeah. So good luck and let us know how you get on.