Case Study: Healthier Together—Turning Crisis into Connection

When vaccines became available, Black and Latino communities in North Carolina were among the least vaccinated, despite being among the most disproportionately affected by the virus. Systemic racism, deep-seated mistrust in government systems, language barriers, and a lack of culturally resonant outreach created an urgent crisis:

How could the state reach and gain the trust of communities who had historically been excluded from health conversations?

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launched Healthier Together, a public-private partnership dedicated to achieving health equity. However, to succeed, this initiative required more than good intentions; it needed a brand, a voice, and a message that communities could see themselves reflected in.

That’s where Hey Awesome Girl came in.

The Problem: A Health Equity Crisis Undermined by Communication Gaps

Despite an earnest statewide effort, Healthier Together struggled to engage its priority audiences due to:

• Lack of brand identity or presence: The initiative didn’t stand out within DHHS or resonate on its own.
  
  
• Language barriers: Key materials were only available in English, leaving out Spanish-speaking communities.
  
  
• Low trust and reach: Communities had limited access to information they believed or understood, delivered by messengers they trusted.
  
  
• Fragmented messaging: Without unified communications, the initiative risked confusion rather than clarity.
  
  

Our Role: Building a Bridge Through Strategy, Language & Design

Partnering closely with Healthier Together and embedding directly within the DHHS Communications Team, HAG provided comprehensive communications leadership and execution, transforming how the state engaged with marginalized communities.

Our Impact

• Developed a comprehensive brand identity: Created a culturally grounded sub-brand of DHHS that stood for trust, access, and equity.
  
  
• Launched a bilingual content system: Developed and translated key materials into Spanish, including toolkits, educational content, social media, and more.
  
  
• Led the messaging strategy: Built messaging architectures tailored for African American and Latinx audiences, based on regional data and community insight.
  
  
• Created tools for trust-building: Developed simple, visual, and culturally relevant assets that community-based organizations (CBOs) could use in the field.
  
  
• Delivered a digital home: Designed and maintained the Healthier Together website as a living, accessible hub for vaccine information and partner support.
  
  
• Supported internal teams: Produced branded training videos and materials for CHWs and local leaders.
  

The Transformation: From Disconnection to Empowered Communication

Through our work, Healthier Together evolved from a struggling initiative into a trusted, visible, and community-rooted presence across North Carolina.

Before HAG

• Low visibility within DHHS and limited reach to marginalized communities.
  
  
• English-only materials limiting comprehension and engagement.
  
  
• Fragmented, unclear messaging with little cultural nuance.
   

After HAG

• Healthier Together became a recognizable and trusted brand.
  
  
• Spanish-speaking communities received custom materials that respected their language and culture.
  
  
• Messaging was unified and localized, empowering CBOs to deliver it with confidence and care.
  
  
• Community trust grew, so did vaccine uptake.

Impact Summary

What started as a public health crisis, met with institutional limitations, became a statewide model for equitable health communication. HAG helped Healthier Together:

• Break language and cultural barriers
• Equip community partners with actionable tools
• Build trust in hard-to-reach populations
• Set a foundation for lasting health equity in North Carolina