Abstract

GONZALEZ-BEDOYA, Juan David  and  DURAN-ROJAS, Elvira. Content Analysis of COVID-19 Public Service Announcements Issued by Regulatory Agencies in Colombia. Hacia promoc. Salud [online]. 2024, vol.29, n.3, pp.81-90.  Epub July 16, 2025. ISSN 0121-7577.  https://doi.org/10.17151/hpsal.2024.29.3.8.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments implemented biosafety protocols and preventive measures to mitigate virus transmission, infection rates, and mortality. The internet became a key platform for disseminating these actions, fostering a culture of self-care through public service announcements (PSAs), which remain understudied in terms of their content and characteristics. This study aimed to analyze the content of announcements promoted on websites and social media by global organizations and Colombian state agencies for COVID-19 prevention and mitigation. A descriptive, mixed-methods, observational, and content analysis approach was employed. A total of 100 announcements were collected from websites and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) of the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and the Córdoba Governor’s Office. A structured coding format was designed to examine content and pictographic characteristics. Findings revealed common themes of self-care messaging, with a predominant use of blue tones, illustrations, slogans, and official logos. Many announcements were cross-promoted on other websites, with Facebook being the primary distribution channel. On average, WHO and PAHO included a higher number of graphic elements, while the Ministry of Health and Social Protection used fewer words per announcement. Given the prevalence of digital culture on social media, it is essential to continue promoting these announcements online, particularly on social networks, to enhance public health awareness, risk prevention, and behavioral control.

Keywords : Marketing; public service announcements; COVID-19 pandemic; behavioral control; organizations.

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