Talk to the Fifth Guy:
A Lesson in Social Marketing
Abstract

Health officials around the world regard the escalating incidence of avian influenza with concern. This concern led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase Federal funding for pandemic flu preparedness and prevention messaging in 2004. In Florida, the Department of Health wanted to go beyond the traditional health education model and developed an innovative campaign to change health behaviors related to pandemic flu. Initial market research showed the majority of Floridians did not feel at risk for contracting avian influenza or another pandemic influenza virus and had little or no intention of preparing for the possibility. Formative research identified a widespread stigma attached to unhygienic behaviors that enhance the spread of disease, which became the focus of the campaign. The resulting "Fifth Guy" social marketing campaign targeted hand washing and other prevention behaviors to reduce the spread of flu. The campaign used traditional paid and earned media to increase negative stigma attached to unhygienic behaviors. The campaign also included "new media" such as social networking and video sharing websites. The campaign featured a fictitious character, the "Fifth Guy," with his own name, Ben Mitchell and his own MySpace page where he maintained a blog and posted pictures of himself. An actor playing Ben Mitchell conducted a live media tour. Television ads were uploaded to popular video-posting websites to extend the brand. The "Fifth Guy" became a movement to increase positive flu prevention behaviors by stigmatizing the negative ones.