Social media has quickly escalated the awareness and interest of the zombie fad in recent pop culture. We see it everywhere these days – from television shows like The Walking Dead, movies such as Resident Evil depicting disease outbreak, and especially with the long anticipated 2012 incident that had most people fearing that the worst was soon to come. In any case, it is clear that zombies have become a popular topic in recent media and due to this, precautions have been taken. The Center For Disease Control, which is a government institution that is responsible for public health in the United States, created the Zombie Awareness Campaign with the idea that if we are to be prepared for various natural disasters then why not include a well-constructed Zombie Apocalypse plan as well?
The CDC created a blog within their campaign site titled Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse, which goes over the following:
- A brief history of zombies
- Explanation of a zombie preparedness kit
- Step by step emergency plan
- Statement by CDC that they are prepared for such an outbreak
- Space for public comments and opinion on the matter
A link to the Emergency Preparedness and Response page can be found here: Emergency Preparedness and Response
The blog is a great example of the two-way symmetric model, as the goal of the blog is to create mutual understanding of what is necessary in order to survive during this kind of crisis. It also allows for open two-way communication, because there is room for public comments and opinion following the blog, where people can share their ideas and strategies that either agree or disagree with the blog itself. This public relations strategy is highly effective, because it allows people to become more involved with the possible situation, as well as push them to form their own opinion of the matter.
The CDC’s blog is an example of public relations, because it is planned, it serves to benefit public interest, allows for two-way communication, and most importantly it is deliberate with a purpose to prepare and inform the public. Increased social media popularity among the younger age demographics has allowed zombie awareness to reach new heights and increase problem recognition globally.
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