Working with the Media
Message Strategy: Covering Kids Guiding Principles

Updated: 6.1.06

Covering Kids & Families developed four guiding principles, based upon its research findings, to help make sure that the campaign reaches its objectives. These guiding principles are listed below, along with some specific tips on how to translate them into messages to be used in advertising, campaign materials, and media outreach.

1. Communications must show how enrolling children in low-cost or free health care coverage programs will make parents feel like they are being good parents who make smart decisions that will reduce stress and bring them peace of mind.

2. Generate familiarity with Medicaid and SCHIP among the target audience. Awareness of SCHIP has increased, but understanding of specifics lags behind.

3. Help eligible families understand that these programs apply to them. One of the biggest hurdles for enrollment efforts to overcome is the fact that many families assume incorrectly that they are ineligible.

4. Establish Medicaid and SCHIP as valued products or services.