The application of persuasion strategies in awareness communication campaigns in light of the repercussions of the Corona epidemic (Covid-19): an analytical study on a sample of public campaigns for the Saudi Ministry of Health website.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the persuasive strategies applied in awareness communication campaigns about the risks of the emerging corona epidemic for the public health institution represented in the Saudi Ministry of Health, which was invested with the aim of educating citizens to maintain national health security, by employing the three basic types of persuasion strategies in communication campaigns: rational, emotional, and moral. On this basis, we chose from the website of the Saudi Ministry of Health (11) general campaigns between guides and videos, that is, an average of (24) blogs under analysis, which are available on the site (Health Awareness Corner). The results of our study showed how the public campaigns of the Ministry of Health depend on a set of persuasive strategies in the awareness communication process, so that rational strategies are often used compared to emotional and moral strategies, based on the nature of the campaign topic on the one hand, as well as the nature of the context represented by the health crisis, in addition To the nature of the campaigns themselves as public awareness campaigns aimed at awareness, rationalization and knowledge, while the image of the institution cannot be separated in presenting its service identity as a public institution that has a direct responsibility in preserving the health of the citizen.