Become What U Eat! The stimulated campaign By René Mikkelsen and Rasmus Hansen In cooperation with
Nov 02, 2014
Become What U Eat!
The stimulated campaign
By René Mikkelsen and Rasmus Hansen
In cooperation with
The disease
“Obesity is the excessive accumulation of body fat resulting in a body mass index (BMI) that is significantly above the norm and is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death”
Body mass index
Underweight: BMI below 18.5
Normal weight: BMI 18.5-24.9
Overweight: BMI 25.0-29.9
Obese: BMI 30 and above
Carson-DeWitt et al. 2011)
Health Belief ModelProblemBarriers
Susceptibility
Severity
SolutionCues to action
Benefits
“The stronger the perceptions of severity,
susceptibility, and benefits, and the weaker
the perception of barriers, the greater the
likelihood that health-protective actions will
be taken”.
(Sparks, 2008)
The disease - SusceptibilityGrowing problem in United States: ◦ 71 million people are obese (33 %)◦ 300.000 deaths attributed to obesity
Economic issue: ◦ Direct costs: preventive, diagnostic, and treatment◦ Indirect: Lost resource
◦ morbidity (present) and mortality (future)
◦ Costs related to obesity - $147 billion (2008)
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/index.html
Barriers to overcoming obesityPost-industrialization ◦ Sedentary lifestyles: less physical work◦ Technology
Social inheritage◦ Children of obese parents are 13 times more likely to become obese
◦ Fat cells are inherited (endomorphic)
Society◦ Advertisement of unhealthy foods ◦ Healthier foods are expensive and less available than unhealthy foods◦ High level of inactive entertainment (TV, computer, etc.)◦ Increased portion sizes
Carson-DeWitt et al., 2011, Frith and Mueller, 2010
SeverityHeart diseases
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Infertility
Cancer ◦ Colon, breast, prostate and endometrial cancer
Premature aging
Alzheimer’s disease
Formative researchWho is affected?◦ Adults ◦ Children ◦ Those with low resources (both financially and mentally)
Preventing obesity ◦ Healthy eating◦ Exercise ◦ Limiting stress◦ Priorities (healthy food vs. snacks)
What leads to obesity?Conceptualizing obesityCulture and economy (Globalization)◦ Post-industrialization◦ Sedental lifestyles ◦ ”Faster, Bigger, Stronger” ◦ Convenience
◦ Fast-food, too little time for...
Media generated ideal self
vs. real self
Social norms
(pressure)
Self-esteem issues
Low self-efficacy
Societal effect on the individual
Solomon, 2010
Overall communicative goal
Main goal: ◦ ”To help people become healthier”
Sub-goals:◦ Inform young people about the benefits of healthy eating◦ Give them cues to how they can eat healthier
Target groupDemographics:◦ 16-23 years of age◦ San Diego State University students
◦ Closeness and budget
◦ San Diego (test area)◦ ”Rookies in a kitchen”
◦ First time living by themselves
Why them? ◦ Influential (developing identity)
◦ Identity search before achievement (Lustig and Koester 2010) ◦ Ideal self is attractive and healthy
◦ Pass on the value of a healthy lifestyle◦ To avoid limit overweight/obesity
”Children of obese parents are about 13 timesmore likely than other children to be obese” ( Carson-DeWitt et al., 2011)
Research design – pretest focus areasTriangulation – to understand the audience
Quantitative research to identify a trend◦ Questionaire
◦ ”To which exent do you agree with the following statement?” ◦ No room for individual opion – easier to identify trend◦ Provides statistics: ”How many value healthy meals over fast-food?”
Qualitative research to explain the background of the trend◦ Focus group – representatives of target audience
◦ Explain attitudes and habits regarding healthy food
Pitfalls of researchSocial Desirability Bias◦ Telling people what you think they want to hear
Acquiscience bias◦ It is easier to agree than disagree
Mindfullness◦ Not knowing your attitude
Groupthink ◦ Conform to the values of the group (e.g focus group)
Gass and Seiter, 2011
Behavior and attitudeThe research might show:
◦ Scenario 1: A healthy attitude and healthy behavior towards food◦ Optimal
◦ Scenario 2: A healthy attitude but unhealthy behavior towards food◦ Elements of cognitive dissonance
◦ Scenario 3: A unhealthy attitude and unhealthy behavior towards food◦ Need for an attitude change in order to change behavior
Scenario 1 - Healthy attitude and healthy behavior
Confirm their attitude and that their behavior is the disired one
Can be used as opinion leaders/ early adaptors to reach:◦ Early and late majority
Provide them with cues to (further) action
Scenario 2 - Healthy attitude but unhealthy behavior◦ There may be dissonance between attitude and behavior◦ May view the dissonance as less important (”healthy eating is no big deal”)
Campaign should emphazise: ◦ Low barriers◦ Relative advantage ◦ Cues to action◦ Simplicity◦ Compatibility
Scenario 3 - Unhealthy attitude and unhealthy behavior
Create cognitive dissonance by
informing about healthy eatingAttitude chan
ge
• Benefits, cues to action, and low barriers of healthy eating
Dissonanc
e
• Change cognition• ”Healthy eating prolongs your life”
Behavior chan
ge
• Align cognition with behavior• Think healthier eat healthier
Importance of attitude
Dissonance
Campaign message”Become What U Eat!”
Main verb (Become) induces action
Personal transfer: ◦ From real self ideal self
◦ Assumption: ”Who wants to be a big burger?”
Imperative sentence structure◦ Requiring the receiver to act
Addressing the receiver directly◦ Personal pronoun ”U” (you)
Nutritive substance◦ ”You are what you eat” -metaphor
Stillar, 1998
Campaign materials
Offline activities are used to engage the target audience online
Offline activities: ◦ Create an event to generate buzz◦ Make posters to get awareness◦ Hand out brochures to inform and activate people◦ Inform about online activities
Off-line activity - Example 1Event – based on how ideas flow
Tent with endorsers who provide information◦ E.g an Aztec athlete and a nutrition expert
◦ To prove the relative advantage of healthy eating
◦ Chef cooking/serving healthy and tasty food◦ Simplicity, observability and trialability
Set up race track ◦ Healthy food vs fast food (competants)
◦ Relative advantage
Set up small competitions ◦ trialability
Become What U Eat!
Perform better
Eat better
Learn howBecome What U Eat!
Switch from sugar coated cereals to e.g. oatmealEat a piece of fruit as a snack in between meals
Endure challenges of life
Gain mental strength
Offline activity – example 2
Online activitiesThe Facebook page
Resemblance to Weight Watchers Facebook page
Provide information and cues to action – recipes to engage in healthy behavior
Reassure healthy behavior ◦ (e.g. after Thanksgiving it is hard to get back
on track)
Let the users support themselves (own success stories – engagement)
KEY DIFFERENCE:Young segment
(students)
Become What U Eat!
Online activity -• Facebook ad function allows you to define a very
specific target audience
Potential reach!
Facebook tool - Advertising on a budget
Facebook-objectives Potential target audience: 33,760 students
Short term 0bjective (6 months)
- Aware of the campaign (Facebook page)
Medium term 0bjective (9 months)
- To have an engaged user base
Long term 0bjective (1 year)
- Loyal user base functioning as advocates attracting new users
=
=
=
40% =13504 students
10% =1350 students
5% = 67 students
Li and Bernoff, 2010
Control with Facebook insights
Do we reach our objectives or do we need to make changes?
Delivery – communication strategyGain Frame – ”Do No Harm”◦ Limit reactance ◦ Emphazise; benefits, cues to action and low barriers
No use of fear appeals◦ Avoid linking to unhealthy beahviors
◦ Boomerang effect
◦ Better reception when in a good mood
Lindstrøm, 2010
Delivery – place and timeWhere:◦ San Diego State University
◦ Test area◦ Closeness
When: ◦ January through March
◦ New event each month ◦ New Year’s Resolution
Delivery – Who helps us?Offline: ◦ Educate students to increase word of mouth about healthy eating◦ Benefits:
◦ Similarity attraction - Avoid reactance◦ Credibility - Goodwill and Trustworthiness◦ Counter-attitudinal advocacy – advocates persuade themselves◦ Referent power
Online: ◦ Facebook page
◦ Young segment◦ Ability to share with friends
SponsorCenter for disease control and prevention
Sponsored by Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Expert power and credible
Supports the message◦ It makes sense for the campaign◦ Reciprocity: ”I help you, you help me”
◦ Share the overall communicative goal
”Help people become healthier”
Future aspectsIf/when successful
Expand campaign to other states◦ Check compatibility
Use success of the campaign to incorporate healthier changes to the SDSU - environment
Incorporate exercising as a part of the campaign◦ Supports overall communicative goal
ReferencesLi, C. and Bernoff, J. (2011). Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technologies.
Sparks., L. (2008): Health Communication and cCaregiving Research, Policy and Practice
Stillar., G., F. (1998): Analyzing everyday texts. Discourse, rhetoric and social perspectives, pp. 58-89. Sage Publications
Solomon., M. R., Barmossy, G., Askegaard., S. & Hogg, M. K. (2010). Consumer Behaviour – A European Perspective. (4 th ed.) Pearson Education.
Lindstrøm., M. (2010): Buy-ology :Truth and lies about why we buy
Carson-DeWitt, R. et al. (2011), 6: retrieved from Health and Resource Center - http://galenet.galegroup.com.libproxy.sdsu.edu/servlet/HWRC/hits?r=d&bucket=all&n=10&m=Obesity&l=d&k=TE&seg=0&c=1&locID=gale&secondary=false&s=2&TE=%22Obesity%22#Demographics
Frith, K., T., & Mueller, B (2010): Advertising and Societies
Gass, R.H. & Seiter, J.S. (2011). Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining, 4th Ed. Pearson