Minneapolis' vaccine message goes viral with TikTok videos

The city of Minneapolis' latest effort to urge residents to get their COVID-19 shots is going viral.

Driving the likes: Pro-vaccination posts to the city's TikTok account have racked up hundreds of thousands of views and tens of thousands of likes on the social media platform in recent days.

• In typical TikTok style, the brief videos use humor and pop culture references — audio from the hit show "Parks and Recreation" and a Pink song — to get the point across.

Why it matters: TikTok can help governments and public health authorities reach younger people who might tune out other, more traditional PSAs.

• State data shows vaccination rates among teens — and even those under age 49 — lag older populations.
• While TikTok doesn't give a breakdown of audience by age, Jordan Gilgenbach, Minneapolis' social media officer and star of the @cityminneapolis account, said most of the comments come from the under-35 set.

Of note: The city of Minneapolis was one of the first government agencies to join TikTok back in 2019.

What they're saying: "I've got a very targeted audience that is at big risk and has the tools to be at less risk, and isn’t taking advantage of it," Gilgenbach told Torey.

The bottom line: While individual doctors (and anti-vaxxers) have attracted large followings, many municipalities and public health authorities remain wary of the platform's more casual vibe. Gilgenbach thinks that's a mistake.

• "There's so much potential here for brands to be relatable in a way that feels organic to the platform, that's not boring," he said.