Distributing Pro-Seatbelt Use Messages Through Social Media Among Young Arab Men
Summary:
The lack of seatbelt use in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) is a rising problem, especially in the Middle East. Low seatbelt use can be attributed to beliefs (e.g. wrinkling the user's clothes), masculinity, individuality, fatalism, and sensation-seeking (Author cite). In this study, we report the distribution phase of a SBCC campaign focused on encouraging seatbelt use in young Arab men (aged 18 - 24) (Author cite). Social media has been utilized for message distribution as internet and smartphone penetration and social media usage are high in the target population (Dennis et al, 2018). The A Belt A Drive Keeps You Alive campaign encourages interaction with the campaign messages on established (Instagram, Twitter) and emerging (TikTok) social media platforms to foster online engagement and potentially initiate behavioral change. We are using an iterative approach, employing online trends to disseminate campaign messages and adjusting the posts as the campaign unfolds to capitalize on effective messages. Engagement on TikTok has been the highest, supporting the notion that trending social media platforms are more likely to result in higher outreach among young populations. At its core, this study suggests that engagement among youth not only requires using trending platforms but also the adoption of an iterative design, guided by theory and grounded in the literature, that constantly jumps on trends.
Background/Objectives:
Social networking sites are constantly evolving in our extremely fast-paced digitally networked world, where trendiness determines virality and outreach, particularly among youth. A Belt A Drive Keeps You Alive, a health-related social media campaign, capitalizes on this situation by redefining, adapting, and innovating SBCC methods to potentially change behaviors around seat-belt use in young Arab men. Our study location is Qatar, where MVCs and lack of seatbelt use are significant issues (Author cite). In this presentation, we report the distribution phase of a SBCC campaign focused on encouraging seatbelt use in young Arab men.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Guided by the Laughs Model (Lister et al., 2015) and the Integrative Model of Behavioral Change (Yzer, 2012), we are distributing a previously tested, short persuasive film (author cite), in a broader project including memes, polls, TikTok clips, stories, highlights, and tags all focused around seatbelt use, in both Arabic and English. The campaign messages encourage 2-way communication and audience engagement. The research team consists of social media savvy students aged 18 to 23, from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds (10 different countries) and a faculty advisor. The initial stage of the project involved identifying trends, creating memes, testing translations, designing Instagram filters, reaching out to influencers, and creating foundational graphics (e.g. the logo). Messages have been posted, and we are now using social media analytics to understand engagement to then adapt the messages iteratively and repost, on the same and different platforms.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The social media campaign is currently ongoing on Instagram (@seatbeltcampaignqatar), Twitter (@seatbeltqatar), and TikTok (@seatbeltcampaignqatar). TikTok is currently our leading platform, with 17,624 total video views, 179 profile views, and 89 followers (33.7% female and 66.3% male). The Instagram account has 123 followers, and our main video post on IG TV reached 318 views, the vast majority of which are between 18 and 24 years of age 25 % are women and 75% are men. The Twitter account has 74 followers. Video content views reached 260, while the retweets and likes are low and range between 3 to 8. As our framework is iterative, we are in the process of gathering data, evaluating the performance of successful posts, and trying to repost them cross platforms, while also using them as guides for future posts.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
Our initial results suggest that using emerging platforms, such as TikTok, is important for successfully disseminating health information. TikTok appears to initiate more engagement and interaction, particularly for the youth-targeted population. Classic social media outlets, often used for SBCC campaigns (e,g. Twitter), might seem formal and unappealing to youth. SBCC campaigns should use a test the waters approach, by trying out different platforms, making use of their features, both old and new, and constantly adapting the strategies as the campaign runs, to successfully engage their targeted population in the campaign messages and goals.
Abstract submitted by:
Hatim Rachdi - Northwestern University
Susan Dun - Northwestern University
The lack of seatbelt use in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) is a rising problem, especially in the Middle East. Low seatbelt use can be attributed to beliefs (e.g. wrinkling the user's clothes), masculinity, individuality, fatalism, and sensation-seeking (Author cite). In this study, we report the distribution phase of a SBCC campaign focused on encouraging seatbelt use in young Arab men (aged 18 - 24) (Author cite). Social media has been utilized for message distribution as internet and smartphone penetration and social media usage are high in the target population (Dennis et al, 2018). The A Belt A Drive Keeps You Alive campaign encourages interaction with the campaign messages on established (Instagram, Twitter) and emerging (TikTok) social media platforms to foster online engagement and potentially initiate behavioral change. We are using an iterative approach, employing online trends to disseminate campaign messages and adjusting the posts as the campaign unfolds to capitalize on effective messages. Engagement on TikTok has been the highest, supporting the notion that trending social media platforms are more likely to result in higher outreach among young populations. At its core, this study suggests that engagement among youth not only requires using trending platforms but also the adoption of an iterative design, guided by theory and grounded in the literature, that constantly jumps on trends.
Background/Objectives:
Social networking sites are constantly evolving in our extremely fast-paced digitally networked world, where trendiness determines virality and outreach, particularly among youth. A Belt A Drive Keeps You Alive, a health-related social media campaign, capitalizes on this situation by redefining, adapting, and innovating SBCC methods to potentially change behaviors around seat-belt use in young Arab men. Our study location is Qatar, where MVCs and lack of seatbelt use are significant issues (Author cite). In this presentation, we report the distribution phase of a SBCC campaign focused on encouraging seatbelt use in young Arab men.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
Guided by the Laughs Model (Lister et al., 2015) and the Integrative Model of Behavioral Change (Yzer, 2012), we are distributing a previously tested, short persuasive film (author cite), in a broader project including memes, polls, TikTok clips, stories, highlights, and tags all focused around seatbelt use, in both Arabic and English. The campaign messages encourage 2-way communication and audience engagement. The research team consists of social media savvy students aged 18 to 23, from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds (10 different countries) and a faculty advisor. The initial stage of the project involved identifying trends, creating memes, testing translations, designing Instagram filters, reaching out to influencers, and creating foundational graphics (e.g. the logo). Messages have been posted, and we are now using social media analytics to understand engagement to then adapt the messages iteratively and repost, on the same and different platforms.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The social media campaign is currently ongoing on Instagram (@seatbeltcampaignqatar), Twitter (@seatbeltqatar), and TikTok (@seatbeltcampaignqatar). TikTok is currently our leading platform, with 17,624 total video views, 179 profile views, and 89 followers (33.7% female and 66.3% male). The Instagram account has 123 followers, and our main video post on IG TV reached 318 views, the vast majority of which are between 18 and 24 years of age 25 % are women and 75% are men. The Twitter account has 74 followers. Video content views reached 260, while the retweets and likes are low and range between 3 to 8. As our framework is iterative, we are in the process of gathering data, evaluating the performance of successful posts, and trying to repost them cross platforms, while also using them as guides for future posts.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
Our initial results suggest that using emerging platforms, such as TikTok, is important for successfully disseminating health information. TikTok appears to initiate more engagement and interaction, particularly for the youth-targeted population. Classic social media outlets, often used for SBCC campaigns (e,g. Twitter), might seem formal and unappealing to youth. SBCC campaigns should use a test the waters approach, by trying out different platforms, making use of their features, both old and new, and constantly adapting the strategies as the campaign runs, to successfully engage their targeted population in the campaign messages and goals.
Abstract submitted by:
Hatim Rachdi - Northwestern University
Susan Dun - Northwestern University
Source
Approved abstract for the postponed 2020 SBCC Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. Provided by the International Steering Committee for the Summit. Image credit: Seatbelt Campaign Qatar via Twitter