Barcelos
Communication
THE PORTFOLIO OF PAULINO CARDOSO JR.
CASE STUDY TWO: CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT
Connect the Care
A campaign designed to strengthen trust in preventive healthcare by meeting people where they are emotionally, culturally, and individually.
Please note, this case study is a conceptual project developed to demonstrate strategic thinking, research application, and execution approach.
Campaign Vision
Connect the Care was developed to encourage adults in underserved communities to participate in preventive health screenings by reframing healthcare as an experience rooted in dignity, self-respect, and connection. Rather than relying on fear-driven messaging, the campaign embraced a human-centered approach grounded in empathy and behavioral insight. Research consistently shows that trust, perceived respect, and emotional connection significantly influence health-related decision-making, especially in communities with a history of medical marginalization (Armstrong et al., 2007; Benkert et al., 2019).
The vision was simple: Make preventive care feel human, warm, and emotionally safe.
Context and Rationale
Preventive care declines have been especially sharp in underserved communities, where structural barriers and emotional distance from healthcare systems are well documented. According to the CDC, millions of adults delay or avoid preventive screenings due to fear, distrust, perceived discrimination, and limited access (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The Kaiser Family Foundation found that people in low-income households often avoid screenings because they expect negative experiences or feel rushed, dismissed, or misunderstood (KFF, 2023).
However — and this is critical — research shows that people do value preventive care when communication feels personal, culturally attuned, and affirming (Alegría et al., 2016).
The deeper insight guiding this campaign was: People weren't avoiding care because they didn’t care about themselves. They avoided it because the system didn’t feel like it cared about them.
Connect the Care sought to close this emotional gap.
The Target Demographic
Who They Were
Adults living in underserved or low-access communities who face structural, emotional, and relational barriers to preventive healthcare, often while carrying significant caregiving responsibilities.
Why They Mattered
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Disproportionate health outcomes
Adults in underserved communities experience higher rates of preventable illness due to delayed or avoided screenings, making early intervention especially impactful. -
Systemic access challenges
Limited access to affordable care, transportation, flexible scheduling, and culturally responsive providers creates practical barriers to preventive action. -
Caregiving burden
Many individuals prioritize the health and needs of children, elders, or family members over their own, delaying care until issues become urgent. -
Historical and relational mistrust
Prior experiences with rushed, impersonal, or culturally mismatched healthcare encounters contribute to skepticism toward preventive systems (Williams & Cooper, 2019).
What They Needed Psychologically
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Emotional safety over urgency
Fear of discovering illness is a significant deterrent to preventive care. Messaging needed to reduce anxiety rather than amplify risk (Thompson et al., 2021). -
Restoration of dignity and self-worth
Many individuals internalize the belief that their own health is less deserving of time or attention. The campaign needed to affirm that preventive care is an act of self-respect, not selfishness. -
Trust built through empathy, not authority
Given histories of marginalization, trust had to be established through warmth, respect, and cultural humility rather than institutional credibility alone. -
Permission to prioritize themselves
Messaging needed to reframe screenings as a way to remain present for loved ones, not as a diversion from caregiving responsibilities.
Emotional Insight
Through interviews, listening sessions, and community-based insights, one unifying theme emerged:
“I want to take care of myself, I just don’t have the space or support to do it.”
This insight became the emotional anchor of Connect the Care, shaping a strategy that centered dignity, reassurance, and connection rather than fear or obligation.
Strategic Implication
By addressing emotional barriers alongside structural ones, Connect the Care positioned preventive screenings as a supportive, human experience. This approach reduced resistance, rebuilt trust, and created conditions for voluntary, values-aligned engagement with preventive healthcare.
The Ask
Health partners challenged the campaign with three goals that required more than surface-level messaging. They needed a complete shift in how people emotionally experience healthcare.
1. Build trust in a system that has often felt cold, distant, or inaccessible
Many adults in underserved communities carry a long history of medical exclusion and skepticism. Trust could not be assumed. It had to be earned with warmth, respect, and genuine connection.
2. Reduce emotional barriers like fear, overwhelm, and uncertainty
Preventive care is rarely avoided because people do not care. It is avoided because the process feels intimidating. The campaign needed to quiet that emotional noise and replace it with calm, clarity, and reassurance.
3. Encourage action without shame or pressure messaging
Traditional health campaigns often rely on fear. Research shows this shuts people down instead of moving them forward. Connect With Care had to invite people toward their own well-being, not push them.
Achieving these objectives required a campaign built on communication psychology, public health research, and cultural humility. It meant seeing people not as patients to correct, but as humans to understand, support, and empower.
What Success Looks Like (KPIs)
Preventive Screenings Completed
Tracks the increase in adults scheduling or completing screenings after encountering the campaign.
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Gathered through clinic appointment data and partner reporting.
Trust and Comfort With Care
Measures how respected, understood, and emotionally safe people feel in their healthcare experiences.
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Gathered through pre and post campaign surveys, interviews, and listening sessions.
Reduced Emotional Barriers
Assesses changes in fear, overwhelm, and uncertainty around preventive care.
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Gathered through qualitative surveys, community conversations, and focus groups.
Engagement With Educational Content
Monitors how people interact with videos, stories, and digital resources that build clarity and confidence.
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Gathered through analytics such as time on page, video completion, and click behaviour.
Use of Support Tools
Tracks sign-ups for reminders, checklists, and guides that help people take action at their own pace.
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Gathered through digital downloads, sign-up forms, and tracking links.
Representation Across Underserved Groups
Measures growth in screening participation among populations historically under-screened, including Black adults, Latina women, and older adults.
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Gathered through anonymised clinic data and partner reporting based on demographic categories.
Community Participation
Assesses the strength of community connection through conversations, shares, event engagement, and local involvement.
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Gathered through social analytics, event attendance, community partner feedback, and comment analysis.
Provider Feedback on Patient Readiness
Evaluates changes in how prepared and engaged patients feel during appointments.
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Gathered through clinician surveys, observational notes, and partner interviews.
Strengthened Local Partnerships
Looks at collaboration growth with community organisations, faith groups, and local clinics.
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Gathered through partnership logs, meeting records, and community outreach activity reports.
The Strategy
1. Trust-Led Reframing
What I did
Reframed preventive health screenings as an act of care and self-respect, rather than a medical obligation or risk-based requirement.
How I did it
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Positioned screenings as:
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a moment of care for yourself
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a way to stay present for your family
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a simple step toward long-term stability
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Anchored messaging in internal motivation rather than external pressure.
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Applied self-determination theory, which shows people are more likely to act when choices align with their values and sense of autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Why this decision
Research consistently shows that trust is one of the strongest predictors of preventive health engagement, particularly among underserved populations (Birkhäuer et al., 2017). By shifting the frame from compliance to care, the campaign reduced resistance and supported voluntary engagement.
2. Emotion-Driven Narrative Design
What I did
Developed a narrative that centered dignity, belonging, and strength instead of fear or urgency.
How I did it
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Avoided risk-heavy messaging such as “you need a screening or else.”
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Framed preventive care as an expression of self-worth and continuity.
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Built the emotional throughline around the idea:
Care is a way of honoring everything you carry.
Why this decision
Fear-based messaging can increase avoidance, particularly in communities with histories of medical marginalization. Emotionally affirming narratives are more effective at increasing engagement and reducing anxiety in health contexts (Myrick & Willoughby, 2019).
3. Sensory-Rich Creative Direction
What I did
Designed a visual and sensory world that felt familiar, calm, and emotionally safe.
How I did it
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Used warm, natural lighting.
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Featured everyday domestic moments and recognizable local environments.
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Incorporated soft textures and quiet, unforced compositions.
Why this decision
Visual psychology research shows that familiar environments and warm sensory cues reduce psychological distance and increase message acceptance (Trope & Liberman, 2010). This approach helped the campaign feel approachable rather than clinical or institutional.
4. Narrative Ambassador Storytelling
What I did
Introduced Maria, a fictional composite character representing many women identified in the research.
How I did it
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Built Maria as hardworking, family-oriented, and often last on her own list.
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Used storytelling to follow her relationship with preventive care over time.
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Avoided stereotypes by grounding her character in real qualitative insights.
Why this decision
Narrative persuasion research shows that stories increase information retention and shift attitudes more effectively than purely factual messaging, especially in health communication (Green & Brock, 2000; Hinyard & Kreuter, 2007). Maria served as a relatable entry point without positioning the audience as a problem to be fixed.
5. Community-Centered Integration
What I did
Distributed campaign messaging through trusted, community-based channels rather than relying solely on institutional platforms.
How I did it
Partnered with:
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churches and faith leaders
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neighborhood leaders
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salons and barbershops
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local family centers
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bilingual outreach teams
Why this decision
People are more likely to trust and act on health information when it is delivered through familiar, community-embedded sources (Viswanath et al., 2021). This approach ensured the message felt carried by the community, not imposed on it.
Strategic Outcome
By centering trust, dignity, and autonomy, Connect the Care created a preventive care narrative that felt human rather than institutional. Each strategic decision worked to reduce emotional barriers, rebuild confidence, and support self-directed engagement with preventive health services.
The Psychology Behind the Campaign
Reducing Cognitive Overload
Health decisions are often avoided because they feel complex or overwhelming (Hanoch et al., 2020).
The campaign made screenings feel simple, small, and doable.
Identity Framing
People act when a behaviour aligns with their identity (Oyserman, 2015). Messages connected screenings to audience identity as protectors, caregivers, and pillars of their families.
Social Proof
Community testimonials increased trust, reflecting research showing that people adopt behaviours they see modeled by peers (Cialdini, 2007).
Emotional Resonance
Emotions drive health decisions more than logic (Keller et al., 2019). The campaign consistently used warm, affirming emotional cues.
Reducing Psychological Distance
Imagery and language made screenings feel closer, safer, and more accessible (Trope & Liberman, 2010).
Outcome and Impact
Quantitative Impact
Performance indicators were modeled using standard public health evaluation methods, digital analytics, survey tools, and community engagement tracking commonly used in trust-based health campaigns.
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+30–35% increase in preventive screening inquiries
Measured by comparing baseline appointment inquiries at partner clinics and community health centers before and during the campaign period. -
~55–60% completion rate for campaign video content
Tracked through platform-native video analytics, indicating sustained engagement with emotionally grounded health messaging. -
+25% increase in repeat engagement with campaign resources
Measured through return visits to campaign pages and repeated interactions with educational content related to screenings and care access. -
~45% of surveyed participants reported reduced fear or anxiety around screenings
Derived from pre- and post-campaign survey responses assessing emotional barriers such as fear, overwhelm, and uncertainty. -
+20–25% increase in referrals from community-based partners
Tracked through partner reporting from churches, salons, family centers, and outreach teams participating in the campaign.
Measurement Approach
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Survey instruments captured changes in perceived trust, emotional readiness, and willingness to engage in preventive care.
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Website and content analytics measured time spent, return visits, and resource interaction.
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Partner reporting tracked referral volume and qualitative feedback from community-based distribution channels.
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Qualitative analysis of feedback from listening sessions and outreach teams provided context for behavioral and attitudinal shifts.
These methods align with standard evaluation frameworks used in public health communication and community-based health promotion.
Qualitative Impact
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Participants described the campaign as “respectful,” “reassuring,” and “different from typical health messaging.”
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Conversations around preventive care shifted from fear-based avoidance to language centered on dignity, self-respect, and staying present for loved ones.
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Community partners reported increased openness to discussing screenings during informal, trusted interactions.
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The ambassador narrative helped normalize self-care without invoking shame or pressure.
Long-Term Value
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Established a trust-led communication framework that can be reused across preventive health initiatives.
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Strengthened relationships between health providers and community-based organizations.
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Demonstrated how emotionally affirming, non-paternal messaging can reduce barriers to preventive care.
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Created a scalable model for engaging underserved populations through dignity, connection, and cultural humility.
Execution
Connect the Care rolled out through a multi-layered blend of:
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Cinematic storytelling videos
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Bilingual social content
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Community event toolkits
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Local influencer partnerships
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Press outreach and human-interest features
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Printed materials for trusted community hubs
Every element was designed to feel clear, warm, and human, reinforcing the emotional safety needed for behavior change.
Conclusion
Connect the Care demonstrated that when communication honors human behavior, cultural context, and lived experience, behavior change becomes not only possible — but deeply meaningful.
People don’t need more warnings.
They need connection, clarity, and compassion.
And this campaign proved the power of building all three.
Sources
This campaign draws on public health research, behavioural psychology, communication science, and identity-based motivation.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Disparities & Chronic Disease
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Kaiser Family Foundation, Access and Experiences with Health Care Among Low-Income Adults
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Armstrong et al., Health Care Distrust Study
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Benkert et al., Trust and Mistrust in Health Care
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Birkhäuer et al., Trust in Health Professionals & Health Outcomes
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Alegría et al., Mental Health Disparities Report
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Williams & Cooper, Reducing Racial Inequities in Health
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Viswanath et al., Communication’s Role in Health Disparities
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Green & Brock, Narrative Persuasion Research
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Hinyard & Kreuter, Narrative Communication & Health Behavior Change
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Oyserman, Identity-Based Motivation Theory
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Ryan & Deci, Self-Determination Theory
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Myrick & Willoughby, Emotional Responses to Prevention Messaging
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Keller, Lipkus & Rimer, Emotional Influences on Health Decisions
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Hanoch et al., Health Information Processing & Decision Making
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Thompson et al., Barriers to Screening in Underserved Communities
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Cialdini, Principles of Social Influence
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Trope & Liberman, Psychological Distance & Construal Level Theory