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Photo: NCHM Director Jay Bernhardt


Health Marketing Musings
from Jay M. Bernhardt, PhD, MPH

 

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One of the mainstays of health marketing is to designate a day (or week or month) to a public health issue and use that day and the time leading up to it to raise awareness and promote health messages. Unfortunately, this strategy has become so commonplace that nearly every week has one, if not several, worthwhile observances associated with it, thereby reducing the likelihood of getting attention among the many competing stories appearing in the media. Nonetheless, some "days" are particularly important and well worth our attention and efforts.

June 27, 2007 was such a day. It was the 15th annual National HIV Testing Day, an initiative organized by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) to raise awareness of the need for testing, leading to counseling, diagnosis and treatment, if necessary, for people at risk for HIV. HIV/AIDS continues to be a global epidemic, and until a cure is found, testing is one of the most important strategies to slow its spread. Of the more than one million Americans currently estimated to be living with HIV, one quarter of them are not aware that they are infected. In the US, the disease disproportionately affects African Americans, Latinos, and those of low socio-economic status. National HIV Testing Day hopes to reach those most in need of diagnosis and treatment.

Using new media, health communicators and marketers now have unprecedented opportunities to provide support to these annual observances by disseminating information to the media and public through higher impact yet affordable channels such as webinars, blogs, streaming media, and social networks. Making our messages interactive, participatory, and highly relevant makes it much more likely they will be heard above the din.

Partnerships and collaborations are critical for promoting observance days. For National HIV Testing Day, NAPWA has had support from a number of partners, including CDC and other federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and national media and entertainment outlets. Network and cable television have featured programming promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, and local and national non-profit organizations have led efforts to develop and implement grassroots campaigns. These partnerships increase the reach and relevance of our messages to diverse audiences. For example, outside partners like the Kaiser Family Foundation are directly credited for increasing website visits to www.hivtest.org by 30% from 2006 to 2007.

Last fall, CDC recommended that voluntary HIV testing become a standard part of medical care for everyone aged 13-64, regardless of risk. Please encourage your co-workers, friends, and family to test. By talking and writing about your testing experience, you can raise awareness and help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The theme of the National HIV Testing Day campaign was "Take the test. Take control." These words remind all Americans to seek out testing, learn their HIV status and start taking the necessary steps to protect their health and that of their partners.

Posted by Jay on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at 11:00am ETCommentSubmit a comment


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