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These M’sian students are out to make a social impact with their school project

How far are you willing to go?

We all have worried, procrastinated, and even shed tears over it. Assignments are indubitably the bane of every student’s existence, with most grinding away for hours and sacrificing their precious sleep to score an A and be done with it.

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But for Chin Hong, Denise, and Jia Qi from the School of Journalism and Communications at Peking University, one particular assignment has evolved into something more than just a stepping stone to graduating from university.

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The Malaysian trio and two others from Thailand and Korea were tasked to work on a group project for their Public Relations Campaign and Crisis Management course, where they had to organise a health-related campaign.

These m'sian students are out to make a social impact with their school project
(Photo courtesy of Vacctamin-C)

With COVID-19 tearing its way through Malaysia’s healthcare system with terrifying speed, the group decided to focus on addressing the dangers of the virus and low vaccination rates.

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“We opted to concentrate our efforts in raising public awareness on the COVID-19 virus and the importance of getting vaccinated,” explained Chin Hong.


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Got Vacctamin-C?

“It’s actually a combination of the words ‘vaccine’ and ‘Vitamin C.'”

As you’ve probably guessed, the campaign’s name is a marriage between two things that help protect and strengthen one’s immune system against COVID – vaccines and Vitamin C.

The group also chose this quirky name as they believed getting vaccinated is equally as effective and simple as taking Vitamin C every day.

These m'sian students are out to make a social impact with their school project
(Photo courtesy of Vacctamin-C)

The team kickstarted the campaign with an informative approach by producing detailed and comprehensive videos coupled with infographics regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. To give the campaign an additional boost, they also organised giveaways using their project funds. Unfortunately, these attempts failed to capture the public’s interest.

“However, thanks to a lecturer’s advice during our midterm presentation, we found a way to overcome the obstacle.”

Creating waves of impact

After receiving helpful pointers from their lecturer, the team decided to apply the Fear Appeal Theory in their content. This refers to the tactic of creating fear within viewers by telling them of the potential dangers they may face if they don’t adopt the message, thus triggering a response in return.

To their amazement, public response reached unprecedented numbers with one of their posts, titled “The Underestimated Coronavirus”, gaining 162K impressions, 148K reach, 2.4K engagement and 874 shares on Facebook within a month even though their page had less than 1k likes.

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Another milestone was achieved by the team on their Instagram account with the post “If India is a living hell, what should we call Malaysia?”, where it received 39,651 impressions, 4930 likes, 6819 shares, 49 comments and 566 saves.

Aside from the incredible statistics, the campaign also left a positive mark on the public, with many showering Vacctamin-C’s social media pages with words of praise and encouragement.

The team’s biggest surprise came in the form of a message from an Astro AEC newscaster, who dropped a text on Chin Hong’s Instagram account commended their efforts, especially in the graphics.

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“Thank you for taking up the responsibility to educate the public.”

These m'sian students are out to make a social impact with their school project
(Photo courtesy of Vacctamin-C)

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On the other hand, the team also had a fair share of criticism, with some accusing them of fear-mongering and questioning the authenticity of their sources. They, however, did not waver and used solid evidence and logic to reason with the doubters.

These m'sian students are out to make a social impact with their school project
(Photo courtesy of Vacctamin-C)

The end? Not really

Even as the course is scheduled to end in June, the team has no plans to let their foot off the pedal and are committed to continue raising public awareness about COVID-19, regardless of the grade they may receive.

“Since we can ease the current situation with our abilities and interests, why not go on with it?”

Follow them if you wish to know more about COVID-19 and its vaccines!

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Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/VacctaminC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vacctaminc/


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Sources: Team Vacctamin-C

Editor: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh


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