A new GSK campaign stresses that the flu vaccine is not just for seniors and children but is necessary for keeping the entire family protected.
In the “Flu is a Family Affair” campaign, the U.K. Big Pharma and flu vaccine maker is encouraging people who are the “health decision-makers of their family” to get an annual flu vaccination to minimize the risk of serious illness and possible hospitalization.
Addressing the “chief health officer” of the family, GSK will be releasing facts and statistics from campaign partners on Instagram to empower family decision-makers.
“Knowing that many moms are the health decision-makers of their families and like to receive information from trusted and familiar sources on social media, we strategically used mom influencers on Instagram and Facebook to share and personalize our campaign messaging with other moms,” a GSK spokesperson told Fierce Pharma Marketing.
One factor differentiating this GSK flu campaign from others is the chosen influencers, which include three pregnant women.
Over the course of the winter, influencers’ Instagram posts, reels and stories will continue to trickle out on Facebook to help encourage flu awareness and vaccination for those who may not be vaccinated yet, as the flu typically peaks in February.
“Where communications activities may have previously lived with media and corporate social posts, we are now reaching our target consumer where they already are on social media and from trusted voices that they already follow,” the spokesperson said.
“We strategically work with relevant influencers and co-create content to ensure consumers receive our messages as authentically as possible. This means that the moms that we work with tailor their messages to the people who already follow them so that the messages are authentic and resonate with their already established audiences.”
Some of the flu facts on the GSK website include information on historically lower flu vaccination rates among certain racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
Specifically looking at flu vaccination rates among adults during the 2021-22 flu season, 56% of the non-Hispanic white population and 55% of the Asian population reported getting vaccinated.
However, the numbers were lower for other racial and ethnic groups: 39% Hispanic or Latino, 40% non-Hispanic Black and 42% American Indian or Alaska Native people received flu shots, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the 2022-23 flu season, GSK and IQVIA’s Vaccine Track shows that the current flu vaccine uptake is trending lower this year compared to last year, even as the U.S. experiences a resurgence of respiratory viruses.
Specifically, about 18.7 million flu vaccine doses have been administered to adults in pharmacies as of the week ending Oct. 15, 2022, compared with 19.9 million at the same time in 2021, based on CDC data.
Moving forward with the flu campaign, GSK will continue to publish consumer-facing media articles in English and Spanish via a national satellite media tour and social media platforms. Plus, the pharma company will continue to work alongside Angie Wehrkamp, a member of the advocacy group Families Fighting Flu, who lost her two-year-old daughter to the flu.
“As a company, we’re committed to meeting people where they get their information and co-creating content with individuals and organizations who align to our strategic goals and target consumers,” the spokesperson added.
“Social media continues to grow as a trusted information source, which is why we continue to think innovatively about the best channels and spokespeople to meet our audience.”