REDUCE THE RISK
How do we educate people in hard-to-reach communities about COVID-19?
Services Provided:
Qualitative Research (Focus Groups)
Public Outreach
Public Relations
Identity Design
Social Media Management
Photo/Video/Radio Production
Media Buying
Sensitive to the unique needs of our community, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, in partnership with El Paso County, turned to Barracuda Public Relations to create a cross-platform, bilingual outreach strategy focused on hard to reach areas within El Paso County but outside El Paso City Limits. The Reduce the Risk campaign aimed to address the health challenges faced by these vulnerable, underserved and hard-to-reach populations.
GOALS & CHALLENGES
Barracuda PR developed a comprehensive outreach strategy that went beyond amplifying the CDC’s best health practices. It sought to fill the gaps in health messaging by providing information that spoke directly to El Paso families living in multigenerational homes and working as essential workers in greater numbers than other Americans. The campaign aimed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and the challenges associated with it such
as housing insecurity, and mental health issues. Challenges included addressing the diverse and bilingual needs of the community, reaching hard-to-access areas, and overcoming barriers such as vaccine hesitancy, privacy concerns, transportation, childcare, and immigration status.
APPROACH
Barracuda PR worked with a behavioral scientist to develop bilingual focus groups and utilized our research outcomes to identify and address gaps in health messaging. Barracuda developed a bilingual, cross-platform outreach strategy that included social media management, media buying, public relations, and the creation of compelling, meaningful collateral and messages. The superstars of the campaign were our Community Health Workers, known as promotores de salud, who played a crucial role in the campaign’s success. After being trained by Barracuda, these promotores carried key messages deep into hard-to-reach communities by providing information about resources, cloth face masks, and hand sanitizers directly to colonias in East and West El Paso County.
RESULTS
From inception, promotores de salud outreach for the Reduce the Risk campaign reached people in hard to reach communities within El Paso County, Doña Ana County, Hudspeth County, and Moore County in the Texas panhandle. Through these efforts, the campaign successfully addressed health messaging gaps and barriers, ultimately enhancing the overall health and well-being of vulnerable communities by providing essential information and resources.
