I think Michael Che may be on to something.

 

As someone who studies consumer behavior for a living, I have spent the past year trying to understand what's really driving anti-vaxxers.

 

Research tells us that all decisions are emotional.  So when people mention vaccines being made too fast and side effects that are shared on their Facebook feeds they are simply looking for a rational excuse for an emotional reaction.

 

There's no doubt that fear is the underlying factor for anti-vaxxers, although that fear includes everything from fear of needles - which appears to be the case for 30% of Americans, to fear of side effects that rarely happen.

 

But in his "Shame The Devil" Netflix show Michael Che mentioned another possibility.  He offered up the opinion that the problem was that the vaccines were free; and hypothesized that if they were expensive then everyone would be lining up to get them.

 

It's an interesting idea.

 

We have discovered that as the saying goes - "There's no such thing as a free lunch." The item may be free, but not the shipping.  The discount may be real, but so are imploring emails that arrive daily after you use it.  So perhaps offering free vaccines sets off alarm bells among those already skeptical of the government.

 

On the other hand, research also tells us that we want what we can't have.  It's the principle of scarcity and the reason why every email pitch you get these days features a call to action like - "Hurry! Only three left in stock."

 

We can't go back in time and change what has already happened.  But it's worth thinking about as we move forward.  Covid is far from over.  And people will do what people do.

 

 

Anti-vaxxers come in lots of different flavors.

 

As of today, 61% of Americans age 18+ are fully vaccinated.  Based on the 80/20 rule, we can anticipate that 20% of Americans will continue to resist all efforts to persuade them to vaccinate.  

 

But that still leaves 19% who could be persuaded to vaccinate if we address them properly.

What does that mean?

It means first acknowledging the fact that they are not a coherent group.  Then defining the different segments that are resisting and based on that information identifying messages, media and influencers who they might respond to.  Basically the same thing marketers do all the time.

 

Sarah Smarsh of The New York Times has given us the place to start by identifying several anti-vaxxer segments.  They are:

1. Liberal men who fear losing a day of work due to side effects

2. Conservative men under the influence of disinformation

3. Liberal men and women who fear the for-profit-healthcare industry  (Smarsh, 2021)

Based on my own observations I would add:

4. Young women who have been misinformed about potential effects on fertility, pregnancy and breast-feeding. 

 

Of course it's hard to understand why a woman would rather pass along the virus in her breast milk than the vaccine.  (And research shows that neither happens.)  But that's the point.  None of their reasons make sense because all decisions are emotional. 

The bottom line is that anti-vaxxers are afraid.

That's why we need to understand who they are, where they get their information from and who their influencers are.  I'm not just talking about Instagram influencers.  I also mean politicians, doctors, teachers, pharmacists, coaches, clergy and even hairdressers - who were highly effective in increasing the rate of mammograms among African-American women.

At this point we are replacing the carrot (free metro cards) with the stick (no entry without proof of vaccination.)  But can either really overcome fear?  Probably not.

That's why we need to get a better handle on the different segments and come up with plans that are effective for each.  This is not a one-size fits all situation.  It will require tailored solutions for each segment.  But it can be done.  

And we are highly motivated.

 

Smarsh, S. (2021, August 8)  What to Do With Our Covid Rage.  nytimes.com.  Retrieved August 11, 2021, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/07/opinion/sunday/covid-unvaccinated-anger.html

 

Experience the joy of post-Covid firsts

 

It's been a rough year.  But now we all get to enjoy a silver lining - the joy of firsts.

 

When you are young, life is full of firsts - the first step, the first snow, the first plane trip.  But once you get older, not so much.

 

Covid was of course a first for most of us.  But while it ushered in many changes we didn't want to experience for the first time, it's end is providing the opportunity to do just the opposite.

 

Who ever thought I'd get this excited to ride the NYC subway? 

 

Ok.  I was pretty excited about the opening of the Q line.  But it was nothing compared to the joy I felt when I exchanged my expired Metrocard and headed out to the Greenmarket early Saturday morning.  I really missed that.

 

It is interesting to note that when people talk about what they want to do post-Covid their wishes seem rather mundane - "go to a movie and eat popcorn" and "get my hair cut" are two of the most frequent responses.   But of course first on everyone's list is hugging a loved one.

 

And while the joy of post-Covid firsts is undoubtedly being felt by everyone, I have a feeling Boomers are the most excited.  Just check out this video from Saturday Night Live...

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hekDuCBxCc