Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy - Public Information Strategic Direction

Back to: Public Information and the Healthy Living Strategy

Social Marketing Roundtable
September 23-24, 2003

Synopsis of Key Conclusions

Prepared by François Lagarde

Introduction

Some 50 representatives from a wide range of governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations (see list in Appendix A) met on September 23-24, 2003, to: 1) Explore how social marketing and health communications concepts and principles apply to the public information component of the Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy; and 2) Provide direction on the key elements of a pan-Canadian public information strategy.

The Roundtable began with four presentations designed to inform participants and provide common references for the discussion:

• Claude Rocan (Director General, Centre for Healthy Human Development, Health Canada) provided background information and an update on the Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy.
• Edward W. Maibach (Associate Director for Strategic Dissemination, National - US - Cancer Institute) introduced key concepts and frameworks pertaining to social marketing, health communications and branding, as well as some possible implications for the Strategy.
• Adrian Bauman (Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology, School of Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia) presented a wide range of population data sets for the development of social marketing initiatives around healthy living.
• François Lagarde (Social Marketing Consultant and Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal) presented a profile of the Canadian landscape and lessons learned from branding and public information initiatives on healthy living.

Copies of the PowerPoint presentations are available from Saskia Ramsay at Health Canada (saskia_ramsay@hc-sc.gc.ca) and will be posted on the Healthy Living website.

Based on a detailed guide, participants discussed the following themes in small groups followed by plenary sessions:

• Theme 1: Implications of Presentations by C. Rocan, E. Maibach, A. Bauman and F. Lagarde
• Theme 2: Competition
• Theme 3: Priority Audiences
• Theme 4: Combining and Branding Healthy Living Messages
• Theme 5: Messages
• Theme 6: Channels and Settings.

This document is a synopsis of key conclusions. It also includes the next steps agreed upon at the conclusion of the roundtable.

Theme 1: Implications of Presentations by Rocan, Maibach, Bauman and Lagarde

• Public Information must be part of a comprehensive approach:
  • We should be guided by those overseeing the Strategy on goals and objectives (short and long term) as well as on priority audiences to ensure synergy and complementary objectives among all elements.
  • This is particularly important since this type of priority-setting involves political decision-making and will need to be supported and made consistent over time.
  • A clear distinction will have to be made between social marketing and public information/education in order to clarify expectations and roles.
  • We will need to address barriers to the adoption of behaviours, whether they are part of public information and/or other elements of the Strategy.
  • Messages developed as part of public information initiatives will have to be divided between those that are population-based in nature and those that should be formulated for individuals (in order for them to be motivated and take action at the individual level).
  • Public information will require sufficient resources to be effective.
• The Public Information component should take a two-pronged approach:
  • An overarching approach that reaches decision-makers, while addressing all elements of the Strategy in order to speed up environmental changes.
  • An approach that focuses on public segments in order to motivate behaviour change. Priority segments should be selected according to a wide range of criteria, such as: disparities, readiness, self-interest. Children/youth, families (including seniors) were mentioned on a number of occasions.
• Integrated and specific approaches will be needed:
  • Weight is a key issue that calls for both healthy eating and active living messages.
  • However, there are significant differences between healthy eating and active living in terms of the individual and environmental changes required.
  • Numerous participants mentioned that healthy living should not be limited to the weight issue
• Messages should be common, jointly developed and simple (concrete, practical and realistic) and delivered at the individual level (e.g., Food Guide)
• Partnerships will be essential and should be established with the following considerations in mind:
  • Think big, act small - aim for incremental successes
  • Offer incentives to potential partners based on their self-interest
  • We need a "big mess" of activities in order to achieve our goals
  • Ensure that the private sector is involved
  • Ensure that NGOs are involved, given their credibility and influence
  • We must build on success and what works.
• We should consider innovative solutions:
  • Building on social movement approaches
  • Refreshing our "mental maps"
• Formative research and evaluation are also essential:
  • We need measures
  • We need formative research to get insight
  • We need to use evaluation to show progress and create movement.

1 Refers to E. Maibach's presentation: Maxims of effective health communication - "Also, through a variety of channels - mediated and interpersonal - Big messy programs".

Theme 2: Competition

• The nature of our competition is varied:
  • Individual habits, perceptions and values (work focus, safety, beauty, youth, weight, age, kids, emotions, "clean your plate", etc.)
  • Among ourselves (within and between governments, NGOs, the private sector, active living vs. sport, inconsistent/counter-productive policies and by-laws - e.g., cafeteria, curriculum, etc.)
  • Private sector (offers - fast food, locations, availability, portion sizes; advertising/marketing, fashion and entertainment)
  • Macro-environmental issues (by issue and by setting, urban design, rural accessibility issues, weather, TV, video, the Internet, movies, time, addiction to "labour-saving devices", peers, multiple/conflicting sources of information, excessive consumerism, long-term vs. short-term benefits and socio-economics)
• Possible solutions include:
  • Changing perceptions and values - making the connection to values (positioning, self-interest, fun, fast, easy, rewards, based on consumer research)
  • Offer competitive options
  • Take the competition into account
  • Work with the private sector to create new "healthy" options
  • Consider legislation and policies

Theme 3: Priority Audiences

• Public audiences mentioned:
  • Children and youth
  • Women and gatekeepers
  • Families
  • Seniors
  • Various stages of life
  • Males and other high-risk groups
  • Lower socio-economic status
  • Aboriginal Canadians
  • Rural and remote communities
  • Baby boomers
  • Those most receptive to change
• Key Influencers:
  • For children and youth: parents, grandparents, doctors, health providers, teachers, police, youth employment agencies, youth service organizations, public health, health care and coaches
  • Parent-teacher associations
  • Fitness leaders
  • Media
  • NGOs
  • World Health Organization
• Decision-Makers:
  • Politicians
  • Policy-makers and bureaucrats (all levels, including municipal)
  • Key sectors: health, education, sport, finance, environment, urban planning
  • Chiefs and band councils / Métis and Inuit councils
  • Industry CEOs (social responsibility - media, food, restaurant, manufacturers, distributors, retail, insurance)
  • Industry associations
  • School administrators
  • Unions
  • Academia (research)
• Other considerations regarding priority audiences:
  • Need to refine the data (e.g., males, children and youth)
  • Evidence-based (check our assumptions)
  • Need overarching (with a societal/advocacy angle) and targeted approaches (priority public segments for behaviour change)
  • Need to conduct an environmental scan and gap analysis of campaigns/messages and look for synergy
  • Length of campaign may determine priorities

Theme 4: Combining and Branding Healthy Living Messages

Most groups discussed this theme by outlining the advantages and disadvantages of combining and branding messages, which are summarized in the table below:

View Table

Theme 5: Messages

• Overall considerations regarding messages:
  • Need formative research and testing
  • "When all is said and done, more is said than done!"
  • Communicate within governments first
  • Conduct an environmental scan
  • Aim for convergence
  • Adopt standards
  • Need to sequence and coordinate delivery of messages
• Overarching messages could include:
  • Health and prevention as a social norm
  • Create a sense of urgency
  • Positive, fun and simple solutions
  • Happiness
• Targeted messages could include:
  • Positive and tangible things to do / calls to action (immediate and concrete actions, along with related benefits (E.g., 0-5-30 - a Quebec-based program promoting three focused behaviours: "O" (no) tobacco, "5" fruits/vegetables a day, "30" minutes of physical activity per day)
  • Small and convenient changes
  • Position messages as a source of knowledge/information, not truth
  • Invest in yourself
  • Eat better, move more
• Messages about partnerships and to partners:
  • Used to illustrate the social movement
  • Highlight self-interest
  • Opportunity to link to the Olympics

Theme 6: Channels

• Overall considerations regarding channels:
  • Need multiple channels based on appropriate analysis of audiences and subcultures
  • Gap analysis may be necessary
  • There are many differences among regions
  • Repetition, repetition, repetition
• Possible channels:
  • Schools are an important channel offering multiple options -"comprehensive school health policy", councils, associations, curriculum, unions, boards, etc.
  • Workplaces
  • Television - advertising and programming (e.g., Canadian Idol)
  • Radio
  • Transit
  • Washrooms
  • Newspapers (weeklies for local stories)
  • Magazines
  • Trade journals
  • The Internet
  • Help lines
  • Events
  • Olympics
  • Cereal boxes
  • Community gardens/kitchens
  • Contests
  • Seniors' clubs
  • Intra and inter-agency channels
  • Ethnic channels
  • Recreation and sport providers
  • Bills and cheques
  • Public health agencies
  • Prevention alliances
  • Point-of-purchase (restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, cafeterias, vending machines, doctors' offices, tray liners, packaging, etc.)
  • Interpersonal (clinical and informal communications)

Next Steps

Sheila Watkins (Director General, Communications, Marketing and Consultation, Health Canada) proposed the following next steps that were accepted by participants:

• All participants are encouraged to send any research and reports containing social marketing/health communications/public information audience analyses, environmental scans, campaign strategies or campaign evaluations. Data and reports can cover any aspect of healthy living (including obesity, food, fitness/active living, etc.) with a focus on family (including grandparents) and children. Although some reports from the private sector may be proprietary, any data and reports they can share will be welcomed and most useful (e.g., consumer research). Research data and reports should be sent to Jane_Hazel@hc-sc.gc.ca. Participants are also asked to let Jane Hazel know of any relevant scientific and social marketing research that they may not personally have, but which could be of interest, along with possible sources for accessing it.
• Health Canada will hire a contractor to undertake a secondary analysis of the research data and reports received.
• This analysis will be shared with Roundtable participants for their own use.
• A small working group composed of some Roundtable participants would then be formed to inform the development of:
  • An overarching communications approach for the Pan-Canadian Strategy.
  • A social marketing / public education strategy with a focus on families and children.
• Strategies would subsequently be submitted to the ACPHHS (Advisory Committee on Population Health and Health Security), which is the FPT committee assigned with carrying out the Healthy Living Strategy. The ACPHHS could then provide direction on how to proceed.

Appendix A
List of Participants