PROJECT BRIEF

Client Name:

• Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI)
  

Services:

• Strategic Communications Training
• Workshop Design & Facilitation

The Opportunity

Since 2023, Keylight Communications has partnered with the Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives (PIVI). PIVI, a program of the Task Force for Global Health, works with countries and global partners to build strong, sustainable vaccination systems that prevent disease and help the world better prepare for pandemics. Keylight supports all facets of its communications work - from media and social media to strategic marketing, graphic design, and website strategy. As PIVI’s agency of record, we elevate the visibility of their global health initiatives.

In Summer 2025, PIVI strategically focused on strengthening influenza vaccine communication across Southeast Europe, where vaccination coverage remains among the lowest in Europe and far below the 75% target for at-risk populations. Partnering with the regional public health network known as SECID (the Southeast European Centre for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases), PIVI convened a two-day workshop in June on Vaccination Communication: Balancing Benefits and Risks Effectively in Vienna, Austria, a central meeting point for its southeastern European partners. 

PIVI engaged Keylight to help organize the workshop and facilitate two sessions, specifically focusing on media training for attendees and a panel discussion with regional health journalists on how public health partners and journalists can work together to address the challenges that persistent misinformation, inconsistent messaging, and low public trust pose in their countries. The workshop brought together public-health leaders, national vaccine communicators, and journalists from America, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to build capacity in strategic messaging, media engagement, and cross-border collaboration.

OUR APPROACH

Grounded in both primary and secondary research, Keylight built the workshop sessions around a central theme: balancing vaccine benefits and risks with transparency and empathy. Keylight worked closely with regional partners to identify communication barriers, misinformation trends, and gaps in public trust - ensuring the program directly addressed real-world challenges. 

Through a presentation and group discussion, the workshop integrated:

• Behavioral science and audience insights
• Strategic message development
• Media relations and journalist engagement
• Cross-country collaboration frameworks

A key component was a hands-on media simulation, where participants worked in country teams to craft messages and respond to mock press interviews in real time. This exercise emphasized clarity, credibility, and trust-building - transforming strategy into practical, applied skills.

THE RESULTS

• 60+ leaders trained across the region
• Misinformation response skills strengthened
• Real-time media interviews practiced
• National campaigns informed by workshop tools
• 8 countries collaborating on vaccine messaging

Ministries of Health and regional partners committed to adapting workshop materials for ongoing use, extending the impact beyond the initial convening.

THE IMPACT

By combining research-driven strategy with hands-on training, Keylight helped shift how vaccine communication is approached by public health communicators in Southeast Europe.



The result was more than a single workshop - it established a replicable, scalable model for multi-country capacity-building grounded in behavioral science, media engagement, and collaboration.

As a result, PIVI and its partners are better equipped to build public trust, counter misinformation, and strengthen vaccination efforts across the region, laying the foundation for broader global application.