Society WebinarsThe Power of Paid Media to Help Change Health BehaviorsSponsored and presented by:
The media landscape continues to rapidly evolve and communicating health messages to the right audiences at the right time and in the right way is more important than ever before. Paid media approaches (ads, sponsorships, boosted content) offer highly effective ways to segment and reach specific audiences, including people who are medically underserved, with important, lifesaving health messages. Speakers
Shelly Spöeth has more than 25 years of strategic communication and social marketing experience tackling complex health and social issues. Shelly has implemented, evaluated, and managed dozens of health communication campaigns, many that have dedicated significant budget to paid media execution including CDC campaigns Take Charge. Take the Test. to encourage HIV testing; and HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention to increase HPV vaccination of children ages 11-13. Currently, Shelly is a Principal Associate at Abt Associates, a global research and evaluation firm where she leads communication activities on behalf of a variety of government clients. Prior to that, she led strategic marketing and communication planning at the American Cancer Society; served as a senior vice president at Porter Novelli, leading the Health & Social Impact practice; and Vice President at Hager Sharp. She has served as the Member at Large for the Society of Health Communication for the past three years.
Molly Rose Walker is a Vice President for the Unified Partnerships division at iHeartMedia. An experienced leader in health and social impact communication and advertising, Molly partners with ad agencies and consultancies to reach the audiences they need to engage with effectively. Molly provides RFP consulting, comprehensive data and research, multi-platform media planning, and delivery services with an emphasis on state and federal campaigns and integrated marketing efforts. She has led advertising initiatives with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and National Science Foundation (NSF), among others. She is on the Advisory Board for the Society for Health Communication, a member-driven organization bridging the gap between public health, healthcare, digital health, academia, and research.
Elevating Women in the Workplace: Tackling the Exclusion and Underrepresentation of Women in CommunicationsSponsored and presented by:
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In this webinar, female professionals and leaders from advertising and media agencies, discussed gender-based inequalities and the challenges facing women in advertising, media, and technology. The panel examined intersectionality, building inclusive workplaces, career paths, and how to better, support women in pursuit of their professional goals. Panelists also shared their unique perspectives related to their personal and professional journeys.
The Golden Age of TV is Over: Developing Effective Youth Public Education Campaigns in the Digital EraSponsored and presented by:
![]() Watch the recordingThe media landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade. When broadcast television was king in the 2000s, traditional mass media was a proven tactic for youth public education efforts designed to reduce tobacco initiation. However, the rise of digital media and mobile devices have led to permanent shifts in the ways that people consume and engage with media and brands. Today’s youth have traded traditional media like cable television for their personally curated digital experiences where they can follow influencers for fashion tips on social media or watch concerts in their favorite video games. As a result, teens are harder to find in this fragmented and crowded media landscape. Meanwhile, growing calls for privacy regulation are leading to imminent changes for the marketing industry. What does this all mean for public education efforts targeting youth audiences? In this webinar, health communicators and digital marketers from the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products and their partner advertising and media agencies for The Real Cost campaign, discuss youth tobacco public education programs with this backdrop. Watch to learn how FDA and others are addressing the challenges presented by the digital media landscape, including how to use media to find teens and capture their attention long enough to deliver public education messages. Speakers included Gem Benoza, Director, Division of Public Health & Education with the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products; Benjamin D'Agostino, Media Strategy Director with Initiative; Suzanne Santiago, EVP, Director of Business Leadership with FCB New York; and Merrybelle Guo, Health Communications Specialist at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. The free webinar was held on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 from 12:00 to 1:10 pm Eastern Time.
Communicating on COVID-19 Vaccination – Past, Present, and FutureSponsored and presented by:
![]() Watch the RecordingThis free member webinar was held on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021. The push for COVID-19 vaccination in the US represents one of the largest and most consequential public health interventions in the nation’s history. For the past eight months, a diverse array of health communicators have been leading comms and social marketing programs at the local, state, and national levels designed to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake, with an aim of improving vaccine confidence among the ‘wait-and-see’ while mitigating the effects of disinformation being spread about the vaccines. What have we learned? What do we now need to prioritize? How should we plan for new contingencies or challenges that the future may hold? And how might all these learnings be applied to health comms initiatives outside the realm of COVID? In this webinar, panelists from the Ad Council will share their insights and experiences addressing these questions, with an eye to providing pragmatic, real-world recommendations, and allowing substantial time for Q&A with attendees. Panelists include Charysse Nunez, Insights Lead on the Ad Council’s vaccination education initiative; and Tony Foleno & Catherine Chao, SVP & VP for Strategy & Evaluation at the Ad Council. Communicating About Disparities to Achieve Health EquitySponsored and presented by:
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This free member webinar was held on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.
Related ResourcesThe panelists discussed the following resources during the webinar. Language Stock photos
COVID resources Tools
About the WebinarCommunicating about health can be a challenge, especially to those populations disproportionately impacted by disease. Access to care, social injustice, and health disparities further complicate how health communicators ensure that health messages are accurate, accessible, timely, and culturally sensitive. The Society is pleased to present this conversation about the critical role health communication plays in improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities. Panelists will explore practical approaches to developing and delivering health information that raises awareness, changes behavior, and helps achieve health equity. Panelists include
Meet the PanelistsBelinda Gaston, Principal Associate, Westat, Moderator Belinda is a strategic communications expert with nearly 20 years of experience leading public health programs. She works with federal agencies, state and local health departments, and nonprofits, providing expertise in strategic planning, partnerships, community engagement, and training and technical assistance. Belinda has a BA in English from Emory University and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Kim Blessing, Vice President, Kauffman & Associates (KAI) Kim is KAI’s vice president for communications and has more than 13 years of experience developing communication programs related to education, public health, safety, and support for vulnerable populations. Kim oversees a variety of federal and private outreach projects for KAI—an American Indian- and woman-owned firm dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable populations—including one designed to increase participation by American Indians and Alaska Natives in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services programs. She has master’s degree in rhetoric, composition, and technical communication from Eastern Washington University.
LaTroya Hester, Director of Communications, The Center for Black Health and Equity LaTroya Hester is the director of communications at The Center for Black Health and Equity, a national nonprofit concerned with health equity and improving health outcomes for African Americans. She currently manages events and communications for The Center for Black Health and Equity’s State of Black Health National Conference and No Menthol Sunday. As a passion project, she also runs MediaWoke, a media literacy program for the church. LaTroya received her ABJ and MA degrees from The University of Georgia. Leisha McKinley-Beach, National HIV/AIDS Consultant Leisha McKinley-Beach is founder and CEO of Cush Health Impact and Leisha.org and serves as a consultant on HIV and other health issues that affect Black communities, specifically Black women. Earlier in her career, Leisha was HIV Prevention Program Manager, Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness; Director of Technical Assistance and Stakeholder engagement, Black AIDS Institute; HIV Prevention Director, Georgia Department of Community Health; and Prevention Program Supervisor, Florida Department of Health. She has developed and launched an HIV testing initiative, oversaw development of Atlanta’s HIV prevention plan, and engaged faith-based communities in the HIV response. Leisha has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from the University of West Florida.
José López Zamorano, Director of Public Affairs, Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) Since 2009, José has served as one of HCN’s lead creative specialists. He develops original executions for radio, print, and digital platforms – as well as providing high profile TransCreations for HCN’s government and nonprofit client campaigns. His creative work spans from scripting radio PSAs for Health and Human Services’ Office of Women’s Health to TransCreating Spanish-language websites for the country’s most visible nonprofit brands, such as LIVESTRONG™. José has been involved in public issues for more than 25 years, and has led multimedia productions and multi-disciplinary / multi-platform news ventures. His experience includes the creation, development and placement of TV and radio programs catering to US Spanish-speakers and foreign audiences.
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