FWMD Live Social Media Campaign
TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
What began as a way to address “Googling symptoms” pivoted twice to become an informative and important social media campaign on the COVID-19 pandemic and racial tensions in the United States. To date, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine’s Facebook Live videos have received more than 85,000 views combined. The media attention garnered from the live discussions had more than 5.5 million reach with an estimated publicity value of more than $81,000. The “Our Doctors Vs. The Internet” Facebook video series was initially created as a way for our medical school to address the growing need of people to self-diagnosis themselves using internet searches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the video series evolved and was re-branded to FWMD Live with nearly 40 live chats about the COVID-19 pandemic, race relations, mental health, medical education and more. By transforming the social media campaign, the engagement and participation of the community skyrocketed. Especially, during a series of discussions involving race relations after George Floyd’s death. Three of the most-watched videos covered topics such as The Impact of Racism on Mental Health; the History of Juneteenth: How Can I Be An Ally?; and How to Speak with Your Children About Racism.
What was the most impactful part of your award-winning entry?
Our goal with “Our Doctors Vs. the Internet” was to connect with our audiences in a digital format. By adapting to the current issues and topics, we were able to meaningfully engage with viewers and provide worthwhile information and expertise.
What is one thing you learned from this experience?
Our team’s digital skills flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic because we had the support of our senior leadership. During difficult times, we found purpose, ingenuity and innovative ways to solve problems. We learned we could work well as a team.
What challenge did you overcome?
We were in the midst of re-branding the “Our Doctors Vs. the Internet” video series when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We pivoted quickly to produce live COVID-19 specials, then re-branded to FWMD Live to encompass topics such as race relations.
Contact
Maricar Estrella, m.estrella@tcu.edu