Strategies to Promote COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States. A Content Analysis of the „We Can Do This” Campaign Videos

Abstract

In response to COVID-19 vaccine resistance, U.S. states implemented numerous incentives to increase vaccination rates. In addition to financial and non-cash prizes, COVID-19 vaccinations were also promoted through education campaigns. The aim of this article is to analyse the persuasive strategies used in the “We Can Do This” campaign videos to encourage vaccination uptake and examine whether these techniques were effective considering the research on COVID-19 vaccine messaging. The paper analysed 70 campaign videos from 2021 using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The study found that the videos employed a range of effective persuasion strategies to promote COVID-19 vaccines. Differences and similarities between the most and least viewed spots were also explored.