Strategy
The Rhode Island Department of Health’s (RIDOH) Office of Immunization launched the “Small State, Big Deal” campaign to establish a cohesive, locally trusted identity for all immunization messaging.
Challenge
The RIDOH Office of Immunization faced a persistent issue: health education materials distributed through clinics, community events, and outreach campaigns were not resonating with the public, especially targeted audiences. Much of the messaging consisted of generic, unbranded flyers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or other federal partners. Although these materials were evidence-based, they were not perceived as specific, locally relevant, or trusted by all community members. Stakeholder feedback revealed that residents—particularly in underserved or immigrant communities—were more responsive to vaccine messaging when it showed RIDOH authorship. This insight emerged at a critical moment, as public trust in vaccination efforts was fluctuating and misinformation was spreading rapidly online and in-person.
Solution
To address these concerns, RIDOH’s Office of Immunization launched the Small State, Big Deal campaign to establish a cohesive, locally trusted identity for all immunization messaging. The campaign was developed in consultation with community-based organizations and feedback from Rhode Island’s Vaccine Confidence team outreach staff. Assets from Small State, Big Deal were integrated across immunization program materials, including banners on RIDOH’s immunization webpage and outreach materials at public health events.
This Rhode Island-specific branding brought visibility and legitimacy to RIDOH’s vaccine information and allowed for better recognition and recall during community-based conversations. It was applied to a wide range of outreach efforts: COVID-19 vaccination and primary prevention campaigns, back-to-school vaccination drives, and adult immunization events.
By centralizing outreach materials under this campaign, RIDOH standardized messaging while still allowing room for tailored content. The campaign supported translations into specific dialects (e.g., Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole) and incorporated culturally responsive design strategies. Ultimately, Small State, Big Deal transformed how RIDOH communicates with residents about vaccines, making the messaging feel like it truly belonged to Rhode Island.
Outcome
Since launching Small State, Big Deal, RIDOH has seen improved audience engagement with printed and digital immunization materials. Vaccine confidence staff used qualitative community feedback, pre/post campaign engagement comparisons, and partner surveys to measure their outcomes. The team found that co-branded educational materials were ordered more by community partners. The community partners using these materials reported having easier conversations with vaccine hesitate populations and that materials were likely to be understood by patients. Community partners have requested more RIDOH-branded educational materials, noting that they are easier to use in conversations with vaccine-hesitant populations.
This campaign’s assets have been widely adopted by RIDOH outreach and communication teams for use at clinics, interdepartmental promotion, and community health events. For example, the “Adolescent Immunization Schedule” flyer (branded under the campaign) became a must-have handout during school and community-based outreach activities. Additionally, digital banners were placed on some of RIDOH’s Immunization web pages, using the campaign’s visual identity, to increase page engagement.
Although the campaign has not yet undergone a formal evaluation, preliminary feedback indicates increased satisfaction and usability among the intended audiences. The branding has also supported internal coordination across RIDOH programs, as assets are now shared across Immunization, Adolescent and School Health, and Community Health Worker teams. The campaign continues to evolve, and its consistent trusted look has become a cornerstone of vaccine messaging throughout the “small state” of Rhode Island.
Supplemental Materials
