New media has become entrenched in the mainstream public relations campaigns of major corporations such as Pepsi and Microsoft but only recently has it begun to enter the government communications arena. The health sector seems to be ahead of the curve, with the CDC and HHS already adopting several Web 2.0 strategies. The question of exactly which populations are being reached with these strategies is still somewhat unclear, though a new study is beginning to shed light on the answer.
According to a new study by Synovate, part of the Aegis Group, YouTube is experiencing difficulty in attracting female Hispanic and African-American adults at the same rates it attracts their male counterparts. This gap differs from the “general market” population, where YouTube is equally popular among men and women.
Facebook and MySpace are also experiencing similar difficulties with Hispanic females. In contrast, African-American men and women are equally likely to visit the social networking website.
The study findings are significant for any health communications expert trying to reach special populations through Web 2.0 strategies. More information on the study can be found in the MediaPost article describing the findings.
