Sociable! Partners with RIDOH and RIBA in New Social Media Campaign

June 06, 2018

With over 2 billion, 800 million, and 330 million active monthly users on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter respectively, there is no question that social media is becoming the go-to platform for marketing. Due to its convenience and accessibility, social media has become the public's preferred medium by which they consume information.

In an effort to each a wider audience, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has collaborated with the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association (RIBA) and social media marketing agency Sociable! to help promote their new health campaigns.

Screen shot from one of the RIDOH STD commercials

"After careful research, we found that the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association partner stations have roughly 2 million followers collectively across all their social networks," said John Methia, Co-Founder and Executive Producer at Sociable! "With such a large subscriber base, we knew that there was great social media marketing potential here."

The first partnership between RIDOH and RIBA was forged in order to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through commercials designed to target the sexually active, youth community. The goal of these ads was to educate young people about the dangers of STDs and provide preventative measures.

Currently, RIDOH and RIBA have collaborated again to promote a new campaign, "Tick Free Rhode Island," focused on educating Rhode Island residents about the dangers of ticks.

"The Rhode Island Broadcasters Association is honored to be joining forces with the Rhode Island Department of Health and Sociable! to spread awareness about the risks of ticks and the many harmful diseases that can be transmitted from being bitten," said Lori Needham, President of the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association. "We are dedicated to bettering the communities we serve through education and awareness of issues in need of a voice, such as safeguarding from ticks and mosquito borne illnesses."

On June 5, 2018, "Tick Free Rhode Island" was officially launched at a press conference that took place at Scarborough Beach in Narragansett, RI. During the event, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, and her fellow constituents reiterated the mantra "Repel, Check, Remove" numerous times in their speeches. These three key steps serve as the focus of the "Tick Free Rhode Island" campaign and the accompanying video series featured on the respective organizations' social media pages and at health.ri.gov/ticks.

Together with Sociable!, RIDOH and RIBA will be working throughout the summer to advertise the "Tick Free Rhode Island" campaign across social media and on all participating public radio and television stations in Rhode Island.

"We here at Sociable! are excited to be a part of this important endeavor," said Methia. "We look forward to the success of the 'Tick Free Rhode Island' campaign and the prospect of an ongoing partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association in the future."