Health Futures Foundation, Inc.: An online communications campaign

• Main Authors: Diaz, Gabrielle Martina L., Yu, Trina Mae D., So, Denise Marielle C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Medicinal plants > Philippines; Herbals > Philippines; Communication in organizations; Health Futures Foundation, Inc
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/8325
• Institution: De La Salle University

This thesis project focuses on effectively communicating Health Futures Foundation, Inc.'s (HFI), research findings on medicinal plants found in the Philippines. HFI is a non-profit and non-governmental organization based in Quezon City that focuses on building communities of wellness in different areas of the country. The initial communication audit with HFI revealed that the organization is unable to effectively communicate their research findings about medicinal plants of their target audience, the millennials. With the use of Zhang, Yu, Yan and Spil (2015) and Imroz's (2013) application of Rogers' (1983) Diffusion of Innovations theory, the researchers conducted a thorough communication audit in order to find the root cause of the problem. The researchers then crafted an online communications campaign in order to address this problem that includes the following (1) Infographics that included HFI's background, the Republic Act which promotes Traditional and Alternative Medicine in the country, detailed information about medicinal plants, (2) crowdsourced testimonies from millennials, and lastly, (3) video clips of doctors answering frequently asked questions about medicinal plants and promoting its use. An interactive website was also designed in order to address HFI's problem. The post-campaign evaluation revealed that the campaign was a success and indeed served its purpose in effectively communicating HFI's researchers findings on medicinal plants and at the same time promoting a more positive perception about its practice. The success of the campaign in turn allows for millennials to expand their options when it comes to medication choices.