Feeling inspired and nostalgic: associations between media context-induced positive emotions and behavioral change among vaccine-hesitant individuals in the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose

Campaigns to promote the COVID-19 vaccination messages to vaccine-hesitant consumers in the late stages of the pandemic are often met with resistance. This study aims to explore a way to leverage positive emotions induced from entertainment media consumption to promote vaccination messages to this audience group.

Design/methodology/approach

An online experiment was conducted with vaccine-hesitant consumers (N = 409). Participants viewed personally relevant entertainment music videos or mundane videos and vaccinated messages embedded in user-generated comments.

Findings

Data revealed that feelings of inspiration and nostalgia induced from entertainment media consumption increased vaccination intentions via increased risk perceptions and reduced anti-vaccination attitudes.

Practical implications

Social marketers should consider leveraging the combined effect of entertainment media-induced positive emotions and user-generated comments to motivate behavioral change among vaccine-hesitant individuals in the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

The present study adds to social marketing literature by showing mechanisms that positive emotions induced from entertainment social media consumption might lead to health behavioral change.

Citation

Duong, H.T., Yachin, M. and Massey, Z.B. (2024), "Feeling inspired and nostalgic: associations between media context-induced positive emotions and behavioral change among vaccine-hesitant individuals in the late stages of the COVID-19 pandemic", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 114-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-06-2023-0154