Essay Doctorate 640 words

Behavioral inoculation and marketing tactics in health campaigns for younger audiences

Last reviewed: July 3, 2013 ~4 min read

Behavioral Inoculation and Health Status

Describe an example of behavioral inoculation that is being used currently in the media to bring about change in health status (health behavior). Do you think it will work? Explain.

There are a myriad of behavioral inoculation initiatives and strategies in place today, each highly targeted to a given demographic and psychographic segment of consumers. Of the many in process, the most compelling are those of AIDS prevention and the need for having safe sex. What is particularly effective about these behavioral inoculation programs is the social and cultural context cues they use to create a more effective motivation for behavioral change (Maibach, Parrott, 1995). One of the most powerful aspects of these AIDS public service announcements is the implication of how devastated friends and especially immediate family would be with an unexpected illness and death. Sexually transmitted diseases with lethal consequences (like AIDS) underscore how precious life is, and can immediately change behavioral cues when used as part of an inoculation program to show the grief and pain one can inflict on loved ones without completely knowing it (Lee, Davie, 1997). This aspect of showing the side of AIDS from the friends, parents, sisters, brothers and those who depend on the person gambling with their health are very effective in also breaking through communications clutter and noise as well (Pfau, 1995). Just as behavioral inoculation works exceptionally well when the outcomes of adolescent smoking are shown in a future tense not just for the person's health but for the entire social ecosystem they are members of (Pfau, Bockern, Kang, 1992). The inoculation message is successful in both the AIDS campaigns and anti-smoking for adolescents in that they define the threat very graphically followed by refutational preemptive of a cure (Maibach, Parrott, 1995). This creates a highly effective strategy for deterrence and long-term behavioral inoculation.

What tactics do advertisers and marketers use with younger audiences? Could developers of health campaigns focusing on younger audiences learn from the marketing campaigns of commercial products? Explain.

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References

4 sources cited in this paper

Lee, J. S., & Davie, W. R. (1997). Audience recall of AIDS PSAs among US and international college students. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(1), 7-22.
Maibach, Edward and Roxanne l. Parrott. (1995). Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practices.
Pfau, M. (1995). Designing messages for behavioral inoculation. Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practice, 99-113.
Pfau, M., Bockern, S. V., & Kang, J. G. (1992). Use of inoculation to promote resistance to smoking initiation among adolescents. Communications Monographs, 59(3), 213-230.

Lee, J. S., & Davie, W. R. (1997). Audience recall of AIDS PSAs among US and international college students. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(1), 7-22.
Maibach, Edward and Roxanne l. Parrott. (1995). Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practices.
Pfau, M. (1995). Designing messages for behavioral inoculation. Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practice, 99-113.
Pfau, M., Bockern, S. V., & Kang, J. G. (1992). Use of inoculation to promote resistance to smoking initiation among adolescents. Communications Monographs, 59(3), 213-230.

Lee, J. S., & Davie, W. R. (1997). Audience recall of AIDS PSAs among US and international college students. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(1), 7-22.
Maibach, Edward and Roxanne l. Parrott. (1995). Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practices.
Pfau, M. (1995). Designing messages for behavioral inoculation. Designing health messages: Approaches from communication theory and public health practice, 99-113.
Pfau, M., Bockern, S. V., & Kang, J. G. (1992). Use of inoculation to promote resistance to smoking initiation among adolescents. Communications Monographs, 59(3), 213-230.