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A new approach to audience segmentation for vaccination messaging: applying the anger activism model

Youjin Jang, Monique Mitchell Turner, Ruth Jinhee Heo, Rachel Barry

Journal of Social Marketing

ISSN: 2042-6763

Article publication date: 3 August 2021

Issue publication date: 23 November 2021

559

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to use the anger activism model as an audience segmentation tool in the context of the anti-vaccination movement.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a national purposive sample (N = 438).

Findings

The group with high anger, strong efficacy (i.e. “activists”) was found to be more likely to engage in information seeking and was more accurate and defense-motivated when examining information about anti-vaxxers compared to other groups. Importantly, activists were more likely to engage in both low and high commitment behaviors to change vaccine policy.

Originality/value

As anti-vaxxers have proven to be difficult to change attitudinally, future campaigns are more likely to succeed if they leverage pro-vaccine audiences to fight for change. However, the understanding of the various segments within the pro-vaccination audience is limited. The data are discussed regarding leveraging high anger, strong efficacy audiences as change agents in future persuasive campaigns.

Keywords

Citation

Jang, Y., Turner, M.M., Heo, R.J. and Barry, R. (2021), "A new approach to audience segmentation for vaccination messaging: applying the anger activism model", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 424-452. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-10-2020-0206

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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