Optimal’s new audience segments have been shown to increase intent to get vaccinated by 38%
With nearly 600,000 deaths, 114,000 schools closed, record unemployment, and an economy continuing to struggle, it’s safe to say the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have wreaked havoc on American society.
Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine remains the best way to stop the spread, reduce mortality, and get our communities and economy back on track. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board.
Whether you call them “vaccine rejectors,” “vaccine nevers,” or even just “vaccine hesitant,” too many Americans admit they’re dubious about getting vaccinated. According to the Optimal / Dynata COVID-19 Tracker, nearly half of US adults remain uncertain about getting the shot.
Identifying the “Reasonable Reluctants”
Fortunately, through our research and modeling, Optimal has identified specific audiences and messages that, when put together, have a considerable persuasive effect on vaccine hesitant adults. We call these audiences the “Reasonable Reluctants” on account of their willingness to change their mind about vaccination after exposure to the messages we tested.
After exposure to fact-based messages, those who initially expressed concerns became less reluctant about getting vaccinated. All told, over 25% of adults that initially identified as uncertain or unwilling to get the vaccine changed their minds after being exposed to vaccine messaging.
Among those who initially said they were “somewhat likely” or “somewhat unlikely” to get the vaccine, fully 38% of them changed their minds after exposure to Optimal’s tested messages.
Reaching the “Reasonable Reluctants”
By modeling the findings from our study in the Optimal Health Cloud, we are now able to help businesses, state and local governments, and public health organizations identify, reach and persuade “Reasonable Reluctants” on Facebook, on connected TVs, and across the web.
Working hand in hand with our clients, Optimal can further refine each audience segment to match the specific demographic and geographic profiles that best align with the individuals they hope to persuade. Together we can increase vaccination rates and help make the pandemic a thing of the past.
