Coronavirus: How the Red Cross is using TikTok to keep Gen-Z safe ✋ 💧

By Dante Licona

We know the most talked about topic of 2020 is by far coronavirus/COVID-19. And for a good reason. It is a public health emergency of international concern. Our global IFRC network is working non-stop around the world to help keep people safe. Here’s what the operations on the ground look like 👇

This is what the response of National Societies looks like around the world

On the communications front we have different target audiences. To connect with the Gen-Z, we use TikTok. We want to inspire our followers to be the next generation of volunteers. The Red Cross family was an early adopter of the platform — we posted our first video 10 months ago.

So when the novel coronavirus took worldwide prominence, we started creating. This first attempt posted on 22 January was based on the World Health Organization’s advice at that moment 👇

IFRC — How to reduce your risk of coronavirus transmission

And then our network started to create, and create more content. So far across all our Red Cross channels we have posted 30 videos, in different languages, accumulating over 230 million views. In the IFRC account, we are listening closely to the concerns of the audience, reading thousands of comments and answering as many comments as we possibly can, in the order of several hundreds. Take a look to some of our TikTok videos!

IFRC — What is a coronavirus?

Austrian Red Cross — Reduce your risk of coronavirus

British Red Cross — how long to wash your hands

Netherlands Red Cross —coronavirus myth busting (jump, jump!)

Italian Red Cross — Recommendations

American Red Cross — Remember to wash your hands

And of course we had to join the #HandWashingMove challenge — Thanks John Oliver!

Cruz Roja Bizkaia (Local Branch of Spanish Red Cross) on hand washing!

Cruz Roja Madrid (Local Branch of Spanish Red Cross)

British Red Cross — What our global response looks like