Goal: To increase knowledge and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention among people of color in Washington State and to establish PrEP as a viable, trusted HIV prevention method.

Overview: JSI was contracted by Better World Advertising on behalf of the Washington State Department of Health to design and implement a social media strategy (paid and organic)  and evaluate an HIV prevention campaign focused on increasing knowledge and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black and Latino men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and transgender women in Washington State. BWA developed the HIV Chill Pill/VIH Tranquilo campaign, which encouraged the audience to visit HIVChillPill.org to learn more about PrEP as an HIV prevention method.

JSI developed and managed paid and organic social media posts across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. The social media posts featured the campaign’s key messages and imagery and included supplemental content such as information about health; HIV testing, care, and treatment; and relevant events and observances, including Pride activities throughout the state. JSI also recruited community influencers to share messages about using PrEP on social media. From August to November 2019, JSI conducted an evaluation of the campaign to measure the reach and impact of the campaign, including changes in awareness and knowledge of  PrEP. Working with community-based organizations as partners, JSI conducted online and in-person surveys with 623 MSM of color in Washington state.

hivchillpill.org

Results: 

• Paid social media ads generated over 8 million impressions across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.
• Five community influencers shared a total of 48 posts on their own social media channels (Instagram and Twitter), to a total of 8,268 followers, receiving 1,977 likes and 161 comments.
• Recruited 623 eligible MSM of color to take the survey. 
• Among those exposed to the campaign, digital ads were the most commonly seen and also had the most impact on knowledge and awareness of PrEP. The digital media strategy – which included social media, dating apps, porn sites, and Google – was effective in reaching members of the priority population.
• Evaluation findings informed Washington DOH decision making on future HIV prevention campaign strategies.

Dates: 2018-2019