XVIII International AIDS ConferenceJuly | 18-23 | 2010 | Vienna, Austria

Some learnings

• “Wicked problem”• Messaging approaches• Branded approaches in HIV/AIDS

communications• Vaginal microbicides• Treatment 2.0• Social media in HIV/AIDS communications

Examples of social media use in HIV/AIDS

• (RED)• UNAIDS• Livelife

What is social media?Social media Traditional / old media

Two-way street One-way street

Conversation Monologue

Instant Slower

Viral Restricted

Low-barrier of entry High-barrier of entry

What is social media?

• Can refer to a range of web technologies, from blogs and wikies to social networking sites

“We don’t have a choice on whether

we do social media, the question is how

well we do it”

(RED)

• Teams up with partner companies to produce (RED) products

• % of product sales goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

• Network of celebrities as spokespeople

(RED)

(RED)

• Reach: 550,000 people on Facebook, a million followers on Twitter

• User generated content: users can share individual experiences when buying a (RED) product.

UNAIDS

• Twitter.com/UNAIDS• Slideshare.com/UNAIDS• Facebook.com/UNAIDS• Youtube.com/UNAIDS• Flickr.com/UNAIDS• AIDSspace.org

Love Life

• South Africa's largest national HIV prevention initiative for young people.

• Launched in late 1999 as a joint initiative of leading South African non-government organisations and the South African government, in partnership with several private foundations and the private sector

Why bother?• Low-cost; important for NGOs• Social nature Causes• Viral potential• Force for change• Young people• Social media as a key media aperture• Engagement

• Social media is capturing a sizable audience in Singapore, at a level

comparable to traditional media.

Key media aperture

In 2008, the proportion of Singapore households with Internet access has reached

Source: IDA Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Household for 2008Source: IDA Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Household for 2008

76%

In 2008, the mobile phone penetration rate is

Source: IDA POISource: IDA POI

131%

used their portable equipment to connect to the internet in 2008.

29%

Source: IDA Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Household for 2008Source: IDA Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Household for 2008

Facebook in Singapore

Statistics as of 25 Sep 09

23,520

187,320

522,160

544,240

244,340

76,200

22,600

14,300

15,020

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000

Less than 13

14 - 17

18 - 24

25 - 34

35 - 44

45 - 54

55 - 64

65+

Unknown

But according to checkfacebook.com [7]…

1.34 million users, based on advertising data

What about Straits Times?

1.23 million readers,

According to ST.com [8]

How big is Facebook in Singapore?

How calculations are derived

• No. of Residents (S’poreans + PRs in 2008): 3.6 mil [1].• Regular Internet users in S’pore (2008): 90% [2] of Residents, or 3.24 mil.• Residents who blog regularly (about once every session): 4% [3], or 129,000• Inactive blogs (not updated for more than 2 months): 66% [4], or 258,000 blogs• Regular readers (almost once every session): 6% [5], or 194,000 Internet users• Internet users who have read a blog at least once in the US: 77% [6]• Estimated number of irregular blog readers in Singapore: 2.6 mil.

Active Blogs129,000

Inactive Blogs258,000

Regular Readers194,000

Irregular Readers2.60 million

12.1% of S’poreans + PRs

72.2% of S’poreans+ PRs

Source: Singstat, IDA

How big is blogging in Singapore?

18-24 y.o.432,88032.2%25-34 y.o.

460,36034.2%

14-17154,72011.5%35-44

190,04014.1% 77.9%

of Facebook users are 14 – 34

years old

Who uses social media?

Who uses social media?

•Bloggers: [26]

77.9%

of Facebook users are 14 – 34

years old

Personal bloggers

Non-personal bloggers

Mean age: 27 34.9

Yrs of education:

13.4 15.1

Gender (% female)

59.6 19.2

Marital status (% single)

73.4 53.9

Profile of a social media user

• Usually tertiary student or working adults• Diploma or degree holders• Mostly unmarried

Generation Y

Generation Y

• More influenced by their peers (as opposed to authority).

• Attracted to instant-gratification.

• Highly influenced by pop culture.

• Highly competent with computer and Internet usage.

• Value communication and feedback more.

Suggestions for engaging social media users

Two-way street

Conversation

Instant

Viral

Low barrier of entry

•Get users involved as producers•Highly individualised approach• Non-authoritative

•Get feedback from them in

your communication efforts

•Correct communication

strategies on the fly

•Makes messages creative,

contagious, and attractive. •Make use of pop culture

•Big budgets does not =

big success. Ingenuity

counts more.

• Engage asEngage as

- Social prosumers- Social prosumers

• Extend message reach Extend message reach through Viral/Ripple Effect through Viral/Ripple Effect

Social prosumers

2-way

InformationInformation

FeedbackFeedback

HIV/AIDS organisations

Conclusion

• Significant media aperture

• Young people

• Prosumers

• Best practices

• Potential to catalyse change – issue awareness; stigma

Thank yousteven_lim@hpb.gov.sg