Hyndburn Borough Council – Public Health Research Project.

Delivered through a series of face-to-face focus groups, online questionnaires and social media testing, this project aimed to reinvent future public health campaign guidance by identifying key social media channels, which styles and content formats young people were more likely to engage with, and whether gamification should form part of future campaigns.

Collating findings from this project, Viva PR produced a detailed insights report and accessible digital toolkit for other public sector organisations to utilise in future campaigns, both regionally and nationally.

The findings were tested through existing social media – including TikTok, the most dominant social media platform (in regard to time spent) for young people in the UK.

Most young people agreed that they liked the short video format of this channel. TikTok was favoured for browsing when bored, and most young people engaged with, or looked for, videos that were funny and entertaining.

A number said that they paid attention to news stories and current trends on TikTok. This was through other people sharing news content and discussing it on their own videos, rather than directly from a dedicated news channel i.e. Sky News.

Half of young people would like public health information to be shared in an uplifting, positive and upbeat way (50%) and with facts and figures so they can make up their own minds (49.64%).

Only 34.42% preferred to see shock statements highlighting the dangers and risks and 22.83% as an order that must be followed.

• 50% wanted public health information to be shared in an uplifting, positive way

• 49.64% wanted to see facts and figures so they can make up their own minds

• 54.35% would trust professionals such as nurses and teachers