Research finds influencers effective in delivering sunscreen messaging

Health communicators are frequently tasked with creating clear, effective messaging that persuade people to protect their health.

Researchers at the University of Georgia studied messaging aimed at Black audiences that stress the importance of using sunscreen, a potential key to reducing melanoma, and they found that influencers can be effective in delivering health messages. The research focused on Black audiences since they have a higher mortality rate from melanoma than white audiences.

“The significance of this research is that we need strategies to make potentially vulnerable populations care about these life-saving messages,” said Nate Evans, an associate professor of advertising at Grady College and the lead investigator of this research.

“How Skinfluencers Can Impact Black Consumers’ Attitudes and Intentions Towards Sunscreen Use: The Role of Message Appeal, Health Beliefs, and Health Regulatory Focus,” was recently published in the American Journal of Health Education and was based on a dissertation by Rhoda Olaleye (PhD ’23). Michael Cacciatore, co-director of the Center for Health & Risk Communication and associate professor at Grady College, also helped with the research.

The study used a fictitious skinfluencer, or an influencer who people look up to for providing information on skin care, wellness and health. Different messages were tested based on emotional cues like hope and fear, and whether the role of statistics impacted the results. The research took place via online videos viewed by 570 Black participants. After viewing the video, participants were asked a series of questions about their intent to purchase and use sunscreen. Message effectiveness was also evaluated based on the subjects’ level of concern about getting melanoma or hyperpigmentation, a condition where patches of skin change color.

The messages that were most effective were those that had a promotion appeal, or an appeal aimed at groups who are motivated by achieving positive outcomes.  An example of a promotional appeal would be: “Hyperpigmentation is one of the top commonly diagnosed skin conditions in Black people, but the use of sunscreen can reduce its appearance. While anyone can experience hyperpigmentation, the daily use of sunscreen is a major key to keeping Black skin healthy.” Messages that were hopeful were more successful than those that threatened negative outcomes.

Researchers found that messages that used statistics, such as the percentage of deaths that result from skin cancer, did not have a big impact, nor did messages that focused on perceptions of severity of skin cancer.

“Generally speaking, leveraging influencers for health and well-being messages is a very needed area, because that’s where people are consuming messages,” Evans said.

According to Evans, this research has the biggest potential impact on those who develop public service announcements and create campaigns used by pharmaceutical companies and health policy officials.

Olaleye commented in an interview in 2022 that she wanted to study the messaging impact in hopes it would create higher awareness and better targeted advertising of sunscreen products to people of color and assist in reducing their risk to various skin conditions connected with sun exposure.

“Using influencers to deliver messages is just another way in which you can encourage behavior change,” Evans said. “You just need to target people the right way and craft the message in the right way to instill that type of change.”

To read the research in its entirety, please view the article here.

Author: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu