Research report done on physical and social distancing for an ad campaign for the UN.

1. Client Research Report
Emma Wiseman
Headline
My chosen focus is “Physical Distancing”, or “Social Distancing”.
Introduction
For this campaign, we were given 6 topics to choose from. Out of these 6, I felt that
“Physical Distancing” sparked the most interest for me, as many ideas initially came to mind of
ways that I could interpret this topic. Over the past couple of months the term “Physical
Distancing” or “Social Distancing” has become a new norm for people all over the world as the
COVID-19 pandemic outbreak continues to exponentially spread. Used as a tactic to stop the
spread from overwhelming health care systems, the term refers to staying 6 feet away from
those who you do not live with. While doing research I noticed that for younger age groups who
feel they are not as at risk for catching COVID-19 as other age groups, physical distancing is
more difficult to adhere to. In my campaign, I plan to focus on targeting this age group and
showing them both the importance of physical distancing and the ways that they can still be
social while being physically apart.
Chosen Focus
Chosen Focus: “Physical Distancing”
Physical distancing is defined by the CDC as “keeping space between yourself and other
people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing: stay at least 6 feet (2
meters) from other people, do not gather in groups, and stay out of crowded places and avoid
mass gatherings” (Coronavirus Disease 2019 [COVID-19]). This measurement of 6 feet comes
from the ability of sneezes, coughs, and talking to launch droplets into the air that can land in
the mouths or noses of people who are closer together than 6 feet (Coronavirus Disease 2019
[COVID-19]). That is why remote working, limited social exposure, and large and small social
gatherings have been discouraged by both the CDC and the United States government
(Coronavirus Disease 2019 [COVID-19]).
While COVID-19 has been spreading since December 2019, March 16th marked the
date of when President Trump first officially introduced social distancing as he announced a set
of guidelines that he said Americans should follow to prevent the further spread, including
encouraging everyone to avoid social gatherings or groups of more than 10 people (Fedschun).
This set of guidelines came long after the first reported US case was confirmed on January
21st. Eight days later, with five more confirmed US cases, The US government evacuated 195
State Department employees from Wuhan China (the virus’s city of origin). On January 30th the
World Health Organization named the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of
international concern. Jump to March 2020, US cases are still exponentially growing as many
large social events, schools, and jobs have been canceled or moved to online only. On March

2. 11th the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. By March 14th the
total US cases exceeded 2,700. The day before President Trump announced his national
guidelines, the CDC issued similar guidelines recommending against any gatherings of over 50
people for an eight-week period (“Timeline of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United
States).
While these guidelines have begun to be followed by many Americans, outrage has
come from those who still continue to travel for trips, socialize with big groups and friends, and
continue life as usual, despite the seriousness of the pandemic. Many still question the need to
practice physical distancing, as giving up personal freedoms is not something that Americans
nor the US government takes lightly. However, there is data to back up how and why physical
distancing works, and why it is so crucial. This is where the term “flattening the curve” comes
into play. The “curve” refers to the projected or estimated number of people who will contract
COVID-19 over time (Specktor). As you can see below in Figure 1, efforts to social distance will
slow down the rate of contagion, minimize the number of people affected, and keep health care
under capacity.
Figure 1.​ A projection showing the effects of COVID-19 with and without practicing social
distancing (Goldman).
Although these are only projections, there is proof from similar situations that physical
distancing flattens the curve. For example, 1918 saw a strain of influenza commonly known as
the Spanish flu which also caused a global pandemic (Specktor). The evidence in the

3. effectiveness of physical distancing was seen in the comparison of how two different cities,
Philadelphia and St. Louis, handled the situation. While Philadelphia city officials ignored
warnings from experts of the spread and the city moved forward with a massive parade, St.
Louis city officials quickly implemented social distancing and isolation strategies (Specktor). The
outcome was 16,000 people in Philadelphia dying from the flu over the next six months, while
2,000 people in St. Louis died in the same time frame, about one-eighth of the casualties in
Philadelphia (Specktor). A more timely example can be seen in China and South Korea.
Through lockdowns and social distancing efforts, China, who at one time had over 80,000
cases, has successfully reduced the number of new coronavirus cases it is recording each day
(Garcia). In South Korea, similar results have been seen, as their decreasing daily reported
numbers of new cases seem to be flattening since the middle of March (Garcia).
Many states and cities have gone even further into physical distancing by issuing
“stay-at-home” and “shelter-in-place” orders. Shelter-in-place orders force residents to not leave
their homes at all costs, while stay-at-home orders allow for essential businesses to remain
open and allows residents to leave their homes to get groceries and go outside while still trying
their best to physically distance themselves from others (Hennes).
Target Audience
In my campaign, I plan to target young adults and teenagers, ages 15 to 22, or
Generation Z. My initial reasoning for this was, as a member of this target audience, I know that
for younger people, especially in high school and college, physical distancing may seem harder
since people in these age groups have a tendency to have a desire to go out, socialize, and
leave their house more than other age groups. As this was just an assumption I had, the
following is the research I did in order to back up these assumptions.
Initially, senior citizens and those with underlying health problems were said to be the
most at risk for hospitalization (Adler). With the average age of those who had been more
seriously affected by COVID-19 being 65, nursing and retirement homes locked down and
stopped allowing visitors to come in and possibly expose those who were most at risk (Adler).
Because of this, physical distancing was viewed as a way for everyone to protect the weakest
and most vulnerable people.
However, new data gathered from the CDC has shown that younger people aged 20-44
also face a substantial risk of serious illness and hospitalization. According to Maine’s CDC
Director, “Young folks are not immune or invincible with respect to COVID-19,” (O’Kane).
However, college and high school students were still seen traveling and socializing in large
groups on spring break trips throughout early to mid-March. A South Portland Superintendent
explained it as “a bit of the ‘it can’t happen to me’ adolescent mentality,” (Ohm). Although many
young people may recognize the pandemic, they may not fully grasp how big of an impact
physical distancing can have to keep both themselves and the older generations safe. A
common mistake among many age groups, especially younger ones, is that if they feel and

4. seem healthy, they do not need to practice social distancing (Ohm). However, many times
young people will be asymptomatic, or without symptoms, and still be contagious and spread
the virus without even knowing they have it (Vidrascu).
While this pandemic is scary, and physical distancing is a must to flatten the curve, there
are still ways that this young target audience can keep their mental health in check and still be
very social. It is important to point out that although the terms “social distancing” and “physical
distancing” are being used interchangeably, distancing is all about keeping a physical distance
from others, not social distance. Talking on the phone, video chatting, and playing games online
are all ways everyone can be social with one another while still being safe and practicing
physical distancing.
I think overall this audience needs to both be more aware of how important physical
distancing is in preventing the spread and preventing more deaths, and know that there are still
many ways to be social while practicing physical distancing.
Message Objective
The message objective for my campaign is that physical distancing, or staying 6 feet
away from people who you are not living and quarantining with, is a necessity during this time
because if done by the majority of the population, it can effectively stop the spread of
COVID-19, and if done correctly there are still many ways to be social while social distancing.
Tone
The tone of my campaign will be factual, informative, based on shared experiences and
humanity, focused on health and wellness, and meant to show the target audience that they are
not alone in this and that physical distancing is a team effort for the good of everyone.

5. Works Cited
Adler, Sarah Elizabeth. “Why Coronaviruses Hit Older Adults Hardest.” AARP. 14 March 2020.
“Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Fedschun, Travis. “Florida beaches still busy despite coronavirus pandemic, pleas for social
distancing.” Fox News. 17 March 2020.
Garcia, Carmen Aguilar. “Coronavirus: Which countries have 'flattened the curve'?” Sky News.
27 March 2020.
Goldman, Leslie. “What are the rules of social distancing?” Vox. 27 March 2020.
Hennes, Rebecca. “Coronavirus in Houston: What's the difference between a stay-at-home
order and a shelter-in-place?” Chron. 24 March 2020.
Ohm, Rachel. “Young people urged to adhere to social distancing, but are they?”. Portland
Press Herald. 22 March 2020.
O’Kane, Caitlin.“Young adults ages 20 to 44 make up nearly one-third of U.S. coronavirus
cases, CDC says” 19 March 2020.
Specktor, Brandon. “Coronavirus: What is 'flattening the curve,' and will it work?” Live Science.
16 March 2020.
Vidrascu, Elena. “Social Distancing “Isn’t Working” For Some Young People.” JPHMP Direct. 25
March 2020.