In the Digital Age, Print Still Matters to Promote Public Health & Trust in North Carolina
Public health communication is only effective if it reaches the people it aims to serve. In the digital age, print-based communication remains an important tool for connecting people with timely, trusted information—especially those who may be overlooked or underserved by digital outreach alone.
N/Collaborative partnered with NCDHHS to design, develop and distribute free English and Spanish print materials between 2021 and 2024.
Since 2021, Neimand Collaborative (N/Collaborative) has worked with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to create and distribute print materials on a range of health topics to community partners. After years of outreach, fulfilling nearly 8,000 orders placed by thousands of organizations, and millions of print materials being distributed in all 100 North Carolina counties, community partners continued requesting these materials, but we wanted to better understand their impact.
To do that, N/Collaborative partnered with an independent evaluator to survey nearly 450 individuals to assess how well the materials supported clear messaging, built trust, engaged communities and empowered community partners. This involved reviewing print material order records and surveying the community partners who had ordered and used them.
Community organizations were able to order materials, which were printed and shipped to them at no charge. These materials supported outreach on critical health topics, including COVID-19, Medicaid, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Tailored Care Management.
Impact
The results of this effort confirm that print materials are a highly effective strategy for trust and relationship building. In addition, it can support community organizations in expanding their outreach – while helping them save time and money.
Messaging Effectiveness: Materials were seen as effective in initiating and facilitating health-related conversations.
- Nearly all organizations (97%) reported that the materials helped them communicate clearly about health topics
- 95% agreed that they addressed their community’s questions and concerns
Trust-Building: Community partners reported that free print materials strengthen their relationships with NCDHHS and reinforced a sense of shared purpose.
- 96% agreed that the print materials supported trust-building
- 97% felt they demonstrated NCDHHS’ commitment to community organizations
- 95% said the materials increased their confidence in NCDHHS’ ability to address public health and community issues
- 98% indicated they are likely to recommend NCDHHS as a community partner—highlighting the role of print materials in fostering strong, trusted connections
Empowerment and Efficiency: The free materials helped partners focus on core outreach efforts while saving time and resources.
- 96% said the print materials saved time
- 97% reported that the materials allowed them to focus on direct service
- Nearly all respondents reported the materials improved (98%) and expanded (97%) their outreach efforts
- Importantly, nearly 60% said they would need to reduce their outreach if the materials were no longer available— underscoring their value in sustaining communication efforts
In a communications landscape that increasingly prioritizes digital, this study shows that print materials remind us equity is rooted in what’s tangible, trusted and within reach.
“Materials from a reputable source such as NCDHHS encourages our patient population to be more trusting in the information that we are sharing, which helps them to build more trust in our clinic especially during a time where there is so much misinformation shared.”
Medical Provider in Mecklenburg County
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