Centers for disease control and prevention: Zombie preparedness campaign

Citation

Carter II, J.W. (2012), "Centers for disease control and prevention: Zombie preparedness campaign", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 35 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/pijpsm.2012.18135caa.002

Centers for disease control and prevention: Zombie preparedness campaign

Article Type: Policing on the web From: Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Volume 35, Issue 3.

In recent years, we have seen a number of efforts to increase public awareness concerning a multitude of safety issues. McGruff the Crime Dog advises us to “take a bite out of crime.” Smokey the Bear reminds us that “only you can prevent forest fires.” And billboards all along the interstate highways inform us that “buzzed driving is drunk driving.” In order for any of campaign to make a difference in our lives, it is necessary to first catch our attention so that we will then listen to the message. With the need to catch the audience's attention in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched what is most likely the strangest public awareness campaign in history. The campaign to which I am referring is the CDC's effort to promote awareness of the steps needed to prepare for an emergency, such as a zombie apocalypse. (Note to reader: yes, you read that correctly – a zombie apocalypse.)

In May 2011, the CDC launched a campaign to educate the public about the need to be prepared for emergencies called Zombies: Emergency Preparedness[1]. While not quite ready to issue a warning about an impending zombie apocalypse, the director of the CDC, Dr Ali Khan, advises that “[i]f you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack[2].” In fact, aside from the references to a zombie apocalypse, the message of the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness campaign is not much different than the content discussing emergency preparedness for any other emergency.

The genius of this imaginative campaign lies not in the message; instead, it lies in the manner in which the CDC catches our attention. A significant amount of the effort underlying this campaign has obviously been devoted to crafting a new medium for the age old message of having a disaster preparedness kit and an emergency plan. For example, the web site for the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness campaign includes a section discussing the history of zombies as well as, a review of the various theories of the etiology of zombies; however, the campaign did not stop there. Many extras were included that make this campaign truly an attention grabber. In addition to the web site and blog, the CDC created several posters featuring zombies, to encourage the public to “Get a kit. Make a plan. Be prepared[3].” The CDC also created a graphic novella, Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic[4]. The CDC created a series of buttons and badges for use on social media web sites. These buttons and badges contain links to the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness web site. In February 2012, the CDC released a count of the number of “clickthroughs” resulting from someone visiting the CDC web site by clicking on one of the buttons or badges mentioned above. In 2011, the buttons and badges for the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness campaign resulted in 68,354 clickthroughs (nearly double the next most frequently clicked campaign)[5]. Finally, the CDC even created shirts for the Zombie Task Force, for sale by its non-profit organization, the CDC Foundation.

So why review the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness web site in this installment of policing on the web? The answer is simple. This imaginative public awareness campaign by the CDC can teach law enforcement professionals a very important lesson – Be Creative! The next time you put together a list of crime prevention tips to pass out at a festival, Be Creative! The next time your agency tries to stir up some the community support for a new initiative, be creative! The next time you try to convince drivers not to text while driving, be creative! The next time … Be Creative!

If you have not already been tempted to do so, visit the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness campaign. While you are there, just take a minute and imagine how your agency could get its messages across in new, creative and innovative ways.

J.W. Carter IICollege of Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati, OH

Notes

All of the gory details concerning the Zombies: Emergency Preparedness campaign are available at: http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/

CDC (2011), available at: www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

The posters for the Preparedness 101 – Zombie Apocalypse campaign are available at: www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

The zombie novella is available at: www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies_novella.htm

www.cdc.gov/metrics/socialmedia/buttons_badges.html