BIN, Ad Council Promote Vaccinations
• iHeartMedia’s BIN: Black Information Network has joined forces with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative to help kick off their “It’s Up To You” COVID-19 vaccine education initiative.
Despite the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color there are extremely high rates of vaccine hesitancy among these communities, rooted in a deep history of health inequities, mistrust and skepticism. To reach its audiences with messages that will resonate, BIN has adapted the Ad Council’s “It’s Up To You” COVID-19 vaccine education campaign and created a week-long schedule of programming designed to reaffirm the legitimacy of having questions about the vaccines, while at the same time answering questions and addressing concerns their audiences may have. “Based on research, the Black community is the least likely group to be receptive to taking a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Tony Coles, President of BIN. “Our goal is to present the most accurate news and information to help curb the future impact of COVID-19 on the communities we serve, by both answering questions around vaccination and providing resources for the public to get informed.”
Beginning today and running through next week, BIN’s “It’s Up To You” Vaccine Education Week will feature hundreds of custom audio PSAs encouraging listeners to get the facts so that they can make an informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccines; hourly news coverage providing the most up-to-date information around the vaccine rollout; and a Sunday morning public affairs show dedicated to an open discussion about the vaccines and mistrust within the Black community. iHeartMedia has also released more than 20 English and Spanish custom audio spots across its more than 860+ radio stations, driving listeners to GetVaccineAnswers.org (DeTiDepende.org in Spanish), a website developed by the Ad Council in partnership with COVID Collaborative, which provides the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines, with the ultimate goal of helping the public feel confident and prepared to get vaccinated once they are able to.
“The work that BIN is doing is critical to ensuring millions of people are getting the information they need to make informed decisions about the COVID-19 vaccines — especially those hit hardest by the pandemic where we are seeing the highest rates of hesitancy,” said Lisa Sherman, President & CEO of the Ad Council. “We are honored to partner with iHeartMedia, BIN and their incredible collaborators on this crucial week of action that will help educate audiences, inspire confidence in the vaccines and turn the tide of the pandemic.”
