Use of Social Media for Societal Advocacy

Social media has been a valuable resource for societal activism. Many organizations are involved in facilitating social activism and uniting their community to promote the greater good. Organizations have been able to use social media as a tool to rally their communities around a campaign or issue. They have been able to make their stances on issues clear and consistent and share how they are taking action (Newberry & Reid, 2022). Social activism is effective when it remains purposeful and productive within online communities. “Online communities have become powerful catalysts for societal change. By leveraging the power of collective action, they offer unique opportunities for collaboration, awareness building and mobilization on a global scale” (Duffy, n.d.).

Online communities “have become an important tool for societal change, enabling people to connect, organize and advocate for change in ways that were not possible before” (Duffy, n.d.). Community members have been empowered to make a positive change in the world and can come together over a specific cause and take action. Shared views and opinions on issues allow others to gain insight as different perspectives are presented. Changes in attitudes and opinions and exercising empathy are catalysts for change.

The unity of online communities has made it easier for campaigns to form, gain awareness and ignite positive change. As a member of Generation Z, I have witnessed the start of many activist movements formed through online communities. The evolution of the digital world has made it possible for these powerful and impactful movements. Growing up with social media, I have become accustomed to using it as a resource for information and news. I am aware of hashtag use for campaigns and have followed a few that I grew passionate about. Social media has and will continue to make impactful societal changes for the greater good of the world.

What is UNICEF?

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, is a humanitarian aid organization that was originally founded on December 11, 1946. It is an agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children around the world. This organization works worldwide, currently working in over 190 countries and territories. UNICEF strives to “save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence” (UNICEF, n.d.).

UNICEF’s #VaccinesWork Campaign

UNICEF has launched many significant campaigns over the years surrounding children’s health. In 2019, one of UNICEF’s most notable social media campaigns, #VaccinesWork, was created to inspire support for vaccines. This campaign used social media as a means of generating awareness and “to show that most parents trust vaccines to protect their children” (UNICEF, 2019). It used the unifying hashtag #VaccinesWork, as it “has long been used to bring together immunization advocates online” (UNICEF, 2019). Every year, vaccines protect and save children from highly infectious diseases, such as measles, pneumonia, cholera and diphtheria. This campaign became a priority as there were a growing number of outbreaks of these vaccine-preventable diseases.

The #VaccinesWork campaign was launched on April 24, 2019, to “emphasize the power and safety of vaccines among parents and wider social media users” (UNICEF, 2019). The campaign ran during World Immunization Week to spread the message that vaccines can protect everyone. UNICEF partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to increase their reach by spreading the message to each of their audiences to make a greater impact (UNICEF, 2019).

The hashtag #VaccinesWork was used on each of its posts relating to the campaign promoting vaccines. UNICEF used a variety of social media platforms for this campaign to reach a broad online audience. It was active on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter (X) and Instagram to increase awareness of vaccine safety for children. Every time a social media post using the hashtag was liked or shared, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $1 to the fund to vaccinate children.

Many children have died of vaccine-preventable diseases due to a lack of access to vaccines and skepticism about their benefits and safety. A driving factor of this is the “uncertainty about vaccines on digital and social media platforms” (UNICEF, 2019). UNICEF found social media to be a powerful source of spreading information; therefore, it used it as a tool for its campaign. Its goal was to gain parent’s trust so they would vaccinate and protect their children from potentially deadly diseases. The organization wanted #VaccinesWork to go viral, reaching parents worldwide.

The centerpiece of the #VaccinesWork campaign was a 60-second animated film posted on the UNICEF YouTube channel. The film, “Dangers,” was “based on the relatable insight that kids, by their very nature, are little daredevils who are constantly putting themselves in danger” (UNICEF, 2019). The film serves as a message to parents that although they cannot prevent everything, they do have some power. They can allow their kids to receive vaccinations that will prevent the dangerous diseases that can harm their children.

In addition to the short film, multiple UNICEF experts shared their knowledge throughout the campaign. They all supported the campaign with knowledgeable insight, “answering questions about vaccination, including how vaccines work, how they are tested, why children should receive vaccines, as well as the risks of not vaccinating children in a timely manner” (UNICEF, 2019). This campaign was extremely relevant as vaccine hesitancy was ranked one of the top 10 health threats at the time.

Individuals worldwide are engaging with social media and digital technology. It has become a major source of news and information, which has led social media to be a powerful catalyst of societal change. Those united over a certain campaign, issue or cause can come together and make a difference in the world. Using social media, communities for change can form and work to make the world a better place.

Social Media Specifics

This campaign employed engaging content across multiple social media platforms. Although #VaccinesWork was a hashtag frequently used by UNICEF before the campaign, the campaign officially launched on April 24, 2019. The centerpiece of the campaign, “Dangers,” was posted on YouTube the day before the campaign began. This minute-long animated video received 156 likes. It promoted #VaccinesWork and sparked awareness of their upcoming mission. This video was posted on each of UNICEF’s social media channels after the campaign launched.

The first post made on the UNICEF Facebook page announced the start of World Immunization Week and its campaign’s mission. This post received 1,300 likes, 62 comments and 359 shares. Another post made later that day featured a short animated video about the campaign, generating more awareness. Five posts were shared on UNICEF’s main Facebook on April 24 alone. The last post made was on the last day of World Immunization Week, featuring a woman who made sure each of her children was vaccinated.

The #VaccinesWork campaign was also promoted across each of its country-specific Facebook pages. The first post made on the UNICEF USA Facebook page announced the start of the campaign with an animated video stating, “Protect one child, protect them all. #VaccinesWork” (UNICEF USA, n.d.). This post received 34 likes, one comment and 15 shares. Another post made later that day received even greater interaction, demonstrating the campaign was already ramping up and gaining engagement.

The campaign was launched on Twitter, rebranded as X, on April 24, 2019, with the “Dangers” video. This post received 24,000 likes, 1,000 comments, 22,000 reposts and 108 saves. Many posts were made throughout the day, generating awareness of the campaign and tugging on the world’s heartstrings. The #VaccinesWork campaign was also promoted on the organization’s Instagram. Engagement on each post contributed to the money raised to vaccinate children worldwide.

Results of the Campaign

Posters were distributed in April 2019 to generate awareness before World Immunization Week. During World Immunization Week, animated versions of these posters were posted across UNICEF’s social media platforms. On Twitter, “the animated film and the ‘Astronaut’ animated poster were UNICEF’s #1 and #2 most engaged with pieces of content, with the film garnering nearly 60K engagements and the poster nearly 20K” (#VaccinesWork, n.d.). During the campaign, the video generated about 1.6 million views across all social media channels.

The #VaccinesWork campaign was an overwhelming success on social media. UNICEF effectively advocated for child health and vaccination, gaining attention worldwide. UNICEF reached 1 million likes, shares and comments using the hashtag. Achieving its goal, “the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributes $1 million (its maximum) to UNICEF,” which went toward helping vaccinate children worldwide (#VaccinesWork, n.d.).

Although I was not aware of this campaign at the time, I understand what made this campaign so successful. It used engaging, educational content to promote its cause and was consistent throughout its campaign. As someone who appreciates frequent engagement, I would’ve been looking forward to each of its posts throughout the campaign. Employing engaging content and partnerships with influencers, aligned with social media trends and allowed UNICEF to effectively advocate for child health and vaccination (Engaj Media, 2023).

In Summary

Social media has provided a platform for many organizations, such as UNICEF, to create a community around a campaign or issue. These platforms allow for societal advocacy to draw awareness to issues around the world. By leveraging the reach and influence of social media, individuals and organizations can promote positive societal change. As the digital world continues to evolve, there will be more opportunities for social activism through online communities. Social media has and will continue to allow people worldwide to unite in pursuit of the greater good.

References

#VaccinesWork — UNICEF. (n.d.). Shorty Awards. https://shortyawards.com/4th-socialgood/unicef-campaign

Duffy, M. (n.d.). How online communities can be empowered to bring societal change. University of Florida. https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/615450d8d98941cb99f5926a38d88f411d

Engaj Media. (2023, October 4). The power of social media for social good: Impacting lives and communities. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-social-media-good-impacting-lives-communities-engajmedia/

Newberry, C., & Reid, A. (2022, September 26). Social media activism in 2023: How to go beyond the hashtag. Hootsuite Blog. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-activism/

UNICEF USA. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/UNICEF-USA

UNICEF. (2019, April 17). UNICEF launches #VaccinesWork campaign to inspire support for vaccines. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-launches-vaccineswork-campaign-inspire-support-vaccines

UNICEF. (n.d.). What we do. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/what-we-do

UNICEF. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/unicef/

UNICEF. (n.d.). Home [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/@UNICEF

UNICEF. [@unicef]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://www.instagram.com/unicef/?hl=en

UNICEF. [@unicef]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://twitter.com/UNICEF