Please TT, spread the word not the virus

The State's focus has been on regularly updating the population on the march of covid19. Regular, but needlessly lengthy news briefings also serve as steady reminders of the best practices for keeping everyone safe: washing hands, social distancing, social responsibility and all this.

Yet, somewhere along the way, it became apparent that the message just isn't getting through. Many of us harrumphed in frustration as some renegades, hearing the word "quarantine,"headed straight for "caurantine" with a ring stove and some bottled lightning.

Notwithstanding calls for social distancing, in the groceries, whole families crowded the aisle,s leisurely browsing goods or cackling on their phones. In the lines at the cashier, people were standing close enough to me to be a backpack.

We love to say Trinis harden.

To a considerable degree, that's true. But there's something else at play here. The apparent reluctance of some to get on board with covid19 measures also suggests the message just isn't sticking.

So here are a few things both government and private sector can do to ramp up the communications war in the fight against this dreaded pandemic.

It's crucial to note that there will never be one message that hits home with everyone. As a diverse society made up of people from varying backgrounds, what is clear to some will be murky for others. Also, I know people from all walks of life who often boast that they neither read nor watch the news.

So an effective communications strategy takes into account the levels different people are at and how they choose to get their information.

Now, asking Trinis to sequester themselves and practise social distancing, which is itself esoteric terminology, is quite a big deal.

The government is exhorting people to drastically transform themselves overnight. Trinis like to knock about, lime, shoot the breeze in the grocery and talk loud as hell and up close and personal with people in public, freely exchanging virus-laden particulates.

Change won't come on the first try. What's needed is a thoughtful, strategic approach to communications to pull the right behaviours out of our citizens. The government must craft covid19 messaging in different ways to reach different eyes and ears.

At the moment, the marathon news conference is meant to be the main source of information. A news conference is a necessity, but it isn't public education. In the war against covid19, education is an invaluable weapon. The Ministry of Communications should take charge of breaking up that long news conference, upon conclusion, into bite-sized chunks of information that can be distributed across social media.

These snippets should be appropriately captioned, spelling out for viewers what the video clips are about. This way you reduce the likelihood of online browsers clicking away. Self-contained short videos should also be produced to cater to citizens less inclined to read those infernal scanned press releases online.

Infographics detailing appropriate hygiene practices, the concept of physical distancing and the importance of keeping your a--e kwart can be invaluable for those who process such images better than text or videos

In many communities, we already have an inbuilt communications mechanism; the mic-man. These people, generally hired to announce weddings, deaths, grand openings and grand closings can be drafted into spreading messages about covid19. While I have heard one coronavirus calypso jingle, and it's quite good, I can't see yutes on the block tapping their feet to it.

If Machel can make people get behind a CAL commercial jingle, I'm sure covid19 should present no serious creative challenge.

The private sector has a role to play as well. Use those flashy billboards to sway attention with covid19 awareness messages. T-shirts with cool graphics that describe the concept of physical distancing can be printed and distributed. Make them like meme-able T-shirts. Manufacturers can consider adding covid19 messaging to their product packaging as part of national effort to keep the population safe through education.

Finally, many companies are in the habit of taking out full-page ads for independence Day, Christmas and top-performing athletes. There is no better way to build goodwill for your brand by demonstrating national solidarity through responsible full-page spots educating the public on safety practices.

Are Trinis harden? No doubt. However, coronavirus is an extraordinary threat that demands a many-pronged approach to reaching into the hearts and minds of people Sure, we can simply dismissively grumble "those who can't hear go feel." In the current circumstances, though, those who can't hear will make all of us feel.