COVID-19 Messaging Provides Lessons in Communicating Effectively
Over the past several months, there has been a drumbeat from health authorities about what behaviors are needed to stem the pandemic — social distancing, washing your hands, wearing masks.
And yet, a portion of the population is not following this advice. It’s easy to blame Trump since he publicly undermines those messages, but there is something more happening here. And it provides lessons about how to communicate effectively.
Let’s take a look at the problems, what could have been done differently, and what you can do to craft persuasive messages that get people to take action.
PROBLEM 1: Generalized messages don’t resonate with individuals
Messages about social distancing have been so basic and generalized, they don’t take into account the differences in people’s lifestyles. Do those guidelines really apply equally to people in South Dakota as they do to those in New York City? It’s easy to see why some people would ignore these messages.
LESSON: Tailor your message to people’s situations
It’s important to address your audience as a group of individuals, not as a homogenous mass. Tailor your message to people’s situations. If you show an understanding of people’s particular needs, they will be more willing to trust what you have to say.
PROBLEM 2: Don’t mislead people
Don’t fool or mislead people. Originally, people were instructed not to wear masks in order to not create a shortage of masks for healthcare workers, not because of the lack of effectiveness of the masks. The public was later advised to wear masks to keep them safe. It’s a challenge to ask people to reverse course when you have misled them in the first place. Pandering to the audience is a sign of disrespect for your audience, and it’s difficult to regain trust once it is lost.
LESSON: Tell the truth
People appreciate being told the truth, even if it is hard to hear. The message should have been, “Masks do protect against the virus but they are scarce, so please support those on the front lines by providing them with masks, not buying them for yourself.” The lesson is simple — tell the truth.
PROBLEM 3: People don’t trust you
A certain segment of the population doesn’t trust medical authorities or the government. From problem #2, it’s not hard to see why, although the issue runs much deeper. When something that scientists say turns out not to be true, some people use that as a justification to void all of science. In fact, the concept of staying six feet apart is somewhat arbitrary. Aerosols can travel much farther, particularly indoors, so people don’t consider this “scientific” advice. Having advice coming from a scientist, therefore, will not resonate.
One health studies professor’s advice to the public was, “My first recommendation is to follow your government guidelines, so whatever your governor suggests, that’s what I would recommend.” It’s a double whammy — listen to the scientist telling you to listen to the government — so it’s not hard to imagine why this message would fall on deaf ears.
LESSON: Have someone else deliver the message
Ask if you are the right person to deliver the message and, if not, identify the appropriate credible messenger for the people you’re addressing. This can be anyone from local community members to national celebrities, but it has to be someone whom your audience trusts. Typically this is someone who has commonalities with your audience — core values or an outlook on life, shared experiences or sacrifices, or someone your audience looks up to.
PROBLEM 4: Your message is not relevant
Scientists are by definition, part of the elite class — well educated, in white-collar jobs. They are detached from the experiences of most Americans, half of whom earn less than $50,000 per year, and a quarter of whom earn $25,000 or less. In short, they are removed from the realities of how many people live their lives. Urging social distancing to “flatten the curve” to people who need to go to their jobs to pay their bills comes across as insensitive — “make a sacrifice for the sake of the country — do what’s good for us, not what’s good for you.”
LESSON: Connect with your audience
Recognize your own perspectives and biases, and learn about your audiences. Show that you understand the needs of the person you are communicating with and have their interests in mind. Express empathy, and provide context. For example, acknowledge how difficult or impossible it might be for certain people to follow the recommendations, and emphasize practical steps that people can take to minimize risks while maintaining their livelihoods.
Problem 5: Telling people what to do
It’s pretty clear that people don’t like being told what to do. And yet, that is exactly what the scientists are telling us. Here’s Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, “We really want to be clear all the time that social distancing is absolutely critical. And if you can’t social distance and you’re outside, you must wear a mask.”
Not, “here’s how a mask can keep you safe,” just, “you must wear a mask.” Asked about reports of Memorial Day weekend crowds, Birx replied that she is “very concerned when people go out and don’t maintain social distancing.” Again, she didn’t say that “people should be concerned about catching COVID-19,” just that she is concerned about it.
LESSON: Ask people to act in their own best interest
If you can clearly communicate the benefit to a person, they will want to take the action that is in their best interest. The scientists dropped the ball here, but you don’t have to. In creating communications, make sure that the benefits are very clear, and lead with those.
Problem 6: One message for all
“Listen to us and stay home, so we can limit the deaths.” One message has been constantly pounded out with no recognition that it’s a diverse country. People with different values are all getting the same message. This has given rise to the counter-message — freedom — defy those orders and liberate our states. What if scientists started with the premise that some people’s concept of America was not that the government is here to protect us, but that the government is the enemy? (Reagan called it the problem, and Trump elevated it to enemy status.)
Lesson: Craft different messages for different audiences
If you acknowledge your audiences have different values, world views, and perspectives, it would be wise to create separate messages that appeal to these different perspectives. Each group would get a different reason that jibed with its values. The top six American values are: individual freedom, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition, the American Dream, and hard work. In fact, none of those themes is implicit in the current message, which emphasizes the value of sacrifice. The message needs to connect with people’s values, and tell them what’s in it for them. For example, a message of, “It’s your choice to stay healthy,” would resonate with some more than being told they have to stay at home.
Problem 7: Showing the outliers, not conformists
This one is more on the media than the scientists. By giving broadcast airtime to the small rallies against the stay-at-home orders, they gave visibility and credence to a very small fringe group. This fueled the flames and allowed this movement to grow.
LESSON: Emphasize social norms
If the media had instead shown a chart of the number of people protesting and the number of people following stay-at-home orders, the former wouldn’t even register on the chart. To ensure compliance, it’s best to show how the vast majority is doing so, which sets the social norm for the minority to adhere to. Scientists could employ social norms consistently in their messaging as well — reinforcing how most Americans are choosing to adhere to the recommendations.
