Business Roundtable Launches ‘Move the Needle’ to Support COVID Vaccine Rollout, Encourage Continued Practice of Safety Measures
Announces Partnerships with Biden Administration, Ad Council and COVID Collaborative, Launches Health Action Alliance
Washington – Business Roundtable today launched “Move the Needle,” a campaign to support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, increase vaccine uptake and encourage individuals to continue to wear masks and take other precautions as the vaccination effort is underway. Business Roundtable companies have been “moving the needle” by producing, distributing and administering the vaccine. Today’s launch of “Move the Needle” captures the business community’s continued efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic and reinvigorate the U.S. economy.
“In addition to developing the vaccine, the private sector is playing a critical role in doing everything we can to defeat this pandemic—from lending expertise to help dispatch doses more efficiently, to playing a leading role in administering the vaccine itself,” said Business Roundtable Chairman Doug McMillon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart. “But there is more to be done, which is why we are launching the ‘Move the Needle’ campaign. Through this effort, America’s leading employers are stepping up and leveraging our resources to help ensure successful vaccination around the country.”
The campaign will carry across digital platforms, radio and national cable television. America’s leading employers will ramp up engagement with their employees, suppliers and customers to advance wider and consistent adoption of COVID-19 safety practices and vaccines. Business Roundtable will amplify peer-to-peer encouragement of vaccination through the hashtag #IGottheShot to encourage Americans to spread the word as they get vaccinated, emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines to support uptake among skeptical audiences.
Elements of the campaign include efforts to:
• Build vaccine confidence and uptake among Americans, especially those who are hesitant to receive the vaccine: Business Roundtable is partnering with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative on a public education campaign on the importance of getting vaccinated. The $50M campaign, largely funded by Roundtable members, will reach key audiences across the country through research-driven creative, strategic media placements, community outreach and trusted messenger engagement—representing one of the largest public education efforts in history.
In light of systemic inequities that contributed to mistrust of vaccines among communities of color, a central part of this partnership is a tailored campaign with messaging to reach and resonate with Black and Hispanic communities. The campaign will provide vaccine education resources through coalitions and partnerships with leading non-profit, public health, civil rights, faith-based and community organizations.
• Provide businesses of all sizes with COVID-19 prevention and vaccine education resources: Last week, Business Roundtable launched the Health Action Alliance (HAA). In partnership with the Ad Council, the CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HAA will disseminate, at no cost, research-backed messaging and resources to support employee communications and actions. HAA will convene educational events and training workshops to empower business leaders of small, medium and large businesses to address COVID-19 safety and vaccines. Business Roundtable will leverage our large network of member companies as well as their suppliers and customers to get these resources out to businesses across the country.
Resources are available in both English and Spanish.
• Promote the importance of continued COVID-19 prevention and provide communities with masks: Business Roundtable will develop public service announcements promoting continued use of COVID-19 safety practices such as wearing a mask and maintaining a distance of 6-feet apart. To ensure those who are most in need have access to masks, Business Roundtable has partnered with United Way to provide masks to students, teachers and school staffs across the country, and to date has provided 21.5 million masks. Last summer, Business Roundtable called for mandatory face coverings amid surging COVID-19 infections.
• Scale up public-private partnerships on vaccine support and distribution: Business Roundtable CEOs are lending their expertise and resources to public health agencies to help dispatch doses of vaccines more efficiently. Business leaders are working diligently in coordination with state and local governments to build confidence in the vaccine and ensure that the vaccine is distributed safely and equitably. And today, Business Roundtable partnered with the Biden Administration on their call to action to support COVID-19 efforts across the country by committing to adopt specific safety practices and make unique contributions to our communities. The partnership will debut a public education campaign in the coming weeks.
Business Roundtable President & CEO Joshua Bolten concluded: “Masks and vaccines are working. Now is the time to keep at it, overcome pandemic fatigue, and double down on the measures that will end this public health and economic crisis. We are proud to join the Biden Administration and many others in this important effort.”
To learn more about Business Roundtable efforts, visit www.BRT.org/movetheneedle.