Coronavac, Cuca and Twitter: State and not influencer’s policies

“Don’t be afraid”. These were the words of Mônica Calazans, the first person vaccinated against Covid-19 in Brazil. The phrase is straightforward and could not adequately summarize the next challenge that grows with the long-awaited vaccination in Brazil: that of making the population, in fact, take the vaccine. As scientists claim, the adhesion of a large part of the population is crucial for immunization. This text discusses the role of the State in this scenario amid the online communication strategies of the population, institutions and digital influencers who have discourses capable of both bringing us closer to the end or extending the pandemic even further.

“Butantã tá on” with Coronavac

The approval for emergency use of CoronaVac in Brazil, in the middle of a tragic second wave of coronavirus infections brought a possibility of hope that was nonexistent months ago. On Twitter, more than 160 thousand people did not believe that it would be MC Fioti, owner of “Bum Bum Tan Tan” – a Brazilian song which clip already exceeds 1.5 billion views on YouTube – responsible for “filling their eyes with tears”, with the video in which the MC sings his music with employees of Instituto Butantan in celebration of the approval of the vaccine. 

Despite the scientific institute’s appropriation of the music and the humorous comments of those who cannot wait to get the vaccine and are already preparing “to become an alligator” as soon as possible, it must be remembered that all of this is part of a very delicate dispute of narratives – and that algorithms guided by our personal preferences do not usually reveal this fact.

The researcher Fabio Malini, from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, made this issue a little clearer, presenting the most influential profiles that commented on the “early treatment” against Covid-19 – until then without any kind of scientific support in relation to its effectiveness against the disease. In the image below it is possible to notice that the profiles of scientists and health authorities (yellow) represent a very small share in relation to the others (gray).

Unfortunately, this is only one of many examples about how fake news are a delicate issue in Brazil – once participants in disinformation discourses are not only those who broadcast it, but also the ones who interact with it and share the posts. Online interactions with this type of content have stratospheric proportions and, as I already commented here on the blog, represent a problem that is not virtual, but real.

According to the Avaaz report in partnership with the Brazilian Immunization Society “Are Fake News making us sick?”, 48% of Brazilians use social networks and messaging applications as a source of information about vaccines. The survey also pointed out that:

“the proportion of people who believe in misinformation about vaccines is higher among those who use social networks and/or WhatsApp as a source of information – 73% against 60% for those who mention other sources”

If, on one hand, the memes of the most famous alligator witch in national literature samba after taking their first dose of CoronaVac are a way of appropriating the absurd with humor, on the other hand, the absurdity of misinformation is what has been appropriating most of Brazil in the form of digital discourses – which gain even more strength in the online environment. 

It should be a State policy, but it ended up as a influencer’s policy

Considering the lack of beds and oxygen for the treatment of people severely sick in Manaus (which was previously alerted to the authorities) and the news of the desperate situation being lived in the state of Amazonas, dozens of crowdfunding posts to purchase oxygen cylinders were widely publicized on social media. Among them, posts by Brazilian digital influencers such as Whindersson Nunes raised lots of money and engaged even more influencers and Brazilian celebrities in this cause.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, digital influencers are among the first ones to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Raffi Ahmad, an digital influencer with more than 50 million followers on Instagram, was vaccinated alongside the country’s president. Just like the first vaccinated person in Brazil, Raffi also told his followers: “Don’t be afraid of the vaccine”. That fact may sound like marketing, and it really is. It is important to note that Influence Marketing, as part of a Digital Marketing strategy, is  not just about making stories distributing discount coupons for online stores.

Despite the sense strongly linked to the market and sales, advertising strategies are also used to “sell” ideas. In this sense, the role of digital influencers, in recent years, has been increasing. Aware of this, the head of the Bandung health agency justified the vaccination of influencers, pointing out the potential for raising awareness about the vaccine among young people, especially on Instagram.

Actor Bruno Gagliasso, when posting a video of a shipment of cylinders arriving in Manaus commented on Twitter: “Hold on, Manaus, Brazil is looking for you!!!”

Despite the enormous potential of the celebrities’ engagement in awareness around the vaccination and crowdfunding campaigns, it must be remembered that public policies with these dimensions are not their responsibility, but a government duty. The already saturated “pandemic times” we live in require strategic communication actions – such as the use of Influence Marketing – but they also increasingly demand the awareness that they are not only the influencers, the celebrities and the civil society the only ones who must be “looking for” our country. This is a central duty of the government.

Digital is real 

With the long awaited approval of vaccines and the beginning of vaccination in Brazil, it is necessary to recognize communication as essential for this achievement of science to take effect in the country, once millions of Brazilians need to be vaccinated. With social distancing, the online environment and technologies have been the main stage of the discourses  capable of generating awareness and influencing positively through information, science and humor, as well as making more people sick and extending, even more, this moment of health and public management crisis.

It is worth remembering that sharing posts on social media reveals a social responsibility. This responsibility is not intended only for influencers or public institutions, but it is also the responsibility of every citizen who interacts with the content, considering that the digital communication process is alive – and makes a real difference between the life and death of someone while public policies are being made.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors.
Illustration by Freepik Stories