This post is part of a blog series focusing on successful health marketing campaigns using multiple communications disciplines and media channels. If you have a campaign we should highlight, let us know.
During his career, the popular musician Bruce Springsteen has sung many profound lyrics, but he was wrong when he sang these: “57 Channels and Nothing On.” With the expansion of the edutainment industry in recent years, there really is something on the old boob tube – something we can learn from. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long recognized and embraced edutainment as a health marketing strategy.
According to a report from Nielsen, Americans are watching more television than ever. The average American watches close to five hours of television a day at home! Television is a source of socialization and it shapes viewers’ perceptions of the world. The CDC has reported that 88-percent of Americans learn about health issues from television. This is why CDC partnered with University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center of Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) to include health messages in television programming. Together they focused on embedding appropriate and accurate health messages into popular prime time and day time television shows.
In one of my health communication courses, I had the pleasure of listening to Jennie Greene share about her experiences working in television and later in health communications at the Harvard School of Public Health. Jennie discussed how her work as a development producer on a global health series for NOVA/PBS and on the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw prepared her to work as the National Cancer Institute Project Manager for Hollywood, Health & Society.
As a student of public health, Jennie’s career path serves as an inspiring example of interdisciplinary health marketing at work.
While television remains important, the rapid rise of internet and mobile television viewership provides additional opportunities to teach large audiences about healthy habits and behaviors.
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