Marketing and Promoting Walking for Health Schemes

Transcription

1 Marketing and Promoting Walking for Health Schemes WITH CARS Advice Note 3 Recognised by the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health

2 Contents Page Where do I start? 2 How do I market my scheme? 2/3 How do I get my message across? 3/4 Ideas to attract more people to walking? 4 Who should I contact and how? 4 How do I use the media? 5 Hints and Tips 5 Flow chart 6 Useful Contacts 7 Walking the way to Health is a national initiative of the British Heart Foundation and the Countryside Agency. It has ambitious aims - to improve the health and fitness of more than a million people, especially those who do little exercise or who live in areas of poor health. 1

3 Where do I start? The effective marketing and promotion of a walking for health scheme is critical to its success, but getting the right message across to the target group can be a challenge. Marketing is a way of seeing an entire project or scheme, and promotion is the activity that flows from that approach. Marketing puts your participants at the centre of things rather than the product (your walks). So when you are thinking of your market, focus on your audience: Who are they? What motivates them? What is likely to influence them? Good marketing is based on knowledge of your target group and you need to know as much about them as possible. Rather than seeing them as a homogeneous sedentary group consider whether they can be divided by: Life stage (e.g. empty nester - middle aged couples whose children have grown) Age Health Class Gender Attitude Ethnicity Where they live Self perception Special interests There is a wealth of population data collected by different organisations. Try the web site of the Office of National Statistics or your Local Council or Health Authority websites to obtain general information. Having found out as much as you can about your target group, you can now think about the best means of communicating with them. This will involve you in researching their existing communication channels: How do they obtain information? What do they read? What social networks do they have? Where do they shop? Information needs to be located in places where people have to visit. Not many people actively seek out information especially to go for a walk! Your promotional material needs to capture their attention. How do I market my scheme? Marketing of a walking for health scheme needs to be aimed at both the general public and the professionals likely to be involved in helping you to promote it. A catchy brand name or slogan for your walks can help raise their profile and increase the sense of community ownership. Consider a public launch which includes presentations aimed at professionals and a led walk for the public and professionals. Consider a one off high profile walking promotion such as a family walk day. This can have significant short term impact. Schemes could have periodic walking promotions such as walk to work/school week, fund raising walks and walking challenges. Think of incentives to keep people motivated e.g. step-o-meters, sweatshirts and other materials to give away that can help to provide a brand for you scheme. Posters placed at strategic locations are a valuable way of raising awareness. Use copies of way marking signs to create a lot of attention for your stall within a shopping arcade. Adverts in local free papers or local council newspapers can be really effective in helping raise your profile. At the very beginning it is important to identify those in the community who could help raise the profile of the scheme and enlist their support. This could be through a health visitor, practice nurse, pharmacist, community development worker, churches, community groups and the local press. The personal touch is often more effective than learning about a walking scheme through advertising. That is why it is good to get your professionals informed about your scheme early. Remember that perceived or actual dangers are very significant barriers to walking for many people, and there is a need to address these in design and marketing of your scheme. Using leaflets Many people use leaflets to inform people of their walking scheme. Make your leaflets effective by thinking through the following questions: Who are you talking to? What do you want to say? How do you want to say it (style, text, visuals)? Where will you communicate this? When will they receive it? Keep it simple. Your audience is unlikely to be seeking detailed information but needs to be tempted to the next stage. If it s too much like hard work, they won t bother. You need to seek a balance between what they want to hear and what you wish to say. 2

4 It is important to involve as many sectors of the community as possible in putting together the leaflet for your scheme, and to produce a one off design that is unique to your community. The benefits are: The community takes the lead. It encourages ownership of the scheme which is very useful to ensure sustainability. It provides something to show. It rekindles people s interest in their local area. It spreads health information and links health with the environment. It sells walking as a pleasurable activity and as a means of transport. Aim for a high quality professional leaflet with a home made feel. Quality is important but distribution is more important. There is little to be said for a wonderful leaflet that few people get to see. Distribution is often more difficult and expensive than producing the leaflet itself. (see section on Who should I contact and how? page 4). Using Posters Posters are a very useful way to raise your profile A poster should aim to reinforce a slogan or logo and serve as a back up to other aspects of your scheme. Keep your information brief, clearly written and, preferably, illustrated. If using illustrations, will your target audience recognise themselves in your picture? Be careful that your picture is not too sporty or of a professional walker! Reinforce links with local schools/colleges by getting them to design a poster. Local artists could be approached to help with the design Check with local businesses if posters could go in their windows. Hang the poster in key places throughout the community, e.g. local libraries, GP surgeries, dentists, physiotherapists, village halls, community centres, supermarkets. Negotiate with local printers to see if they will donate printing costs. How do I get my message across? Why should members of your target audience buy what you are selling i.e. come to our walks? Consider how your product, message or service is unique.where is the excitement? The fact that there is now convincing scientific evidence that individuals who are moderately active for 30 minutes on most days of the week can achieve significant health benefits and improve the quality of their lives perhaps provides the excitement. To what extent are members of your target audience aware of this message? To what extent are they aware of: The benefits of regular activity/walking including the social benefits? The consequences of inactivity? What is meant by a regularly physically active lifestyle? How to get started? How to overcome perceived barriers? The resources in the community to support them? The emphasis you put on the answers to the questions above will be dependent on your target group. Time your message When are members of your target audience most ready and willing to hear what you have to say? When and where might they be thinking of physical activity? Think about the best way to convey the message Word of mouth, leaflet, poster, advert etc.? Choose a spokesperson your audience relates to Is this person reputable, trustworthy and well accepted by members of your target audience? The more your audience can relate to, identify with, and respect with the messenger, the more likely they are to accept the message. Link the message to your audience s values If you are not sure what values are most important to your audience, then ask them. What do they claim are the top priorities in their lives? What do they hold most dear? E.g. their family, their health or their financial security Be Specific Tell people precisely what it is you want them to do. E.g. find a walking partner and set a regular time to walk together or join a health walks programme. Speak your audience s language Scientific recommendations and terms such as intensity, physical activity, or regularly active might be misunderstood or jargon to many people. Scientific messages are rarely set out in layman s terms. They must be translated into terms that are meaningful to the intended audience. Realise opportunities are all around Help people become aware of the many opportunities they have to be active? Design your message so that it is understandable, persuasive, easily retained and recalled, and gives a clear message asking for specific action. E.g. Walk more and feel the difference! Try this new healthy walking route in Wythenshawe. Trees can move your heart. Why not walk more and feel the energy? Messages that turn people off, such as its good for you and suggesting people must walk, should be avoided. The use of 3

5 words, such as strenuous, should be avoided as this can be off putting. Whilst it is important to promote everyday walking, keep the focus on the benefits of walking that are most likely to appeal to your target audience e.g. being in the fresh air, pleasures of being in the countryside, meeting people, being environmentally friendly etc. Ideas to attract more people to walking Consider packaging walking in different ways to appeal to a wide range of people. For some target groups, it may be appropriate for walking to be the secondary activity, with the focus being on the alternative which seems more appealing e.g. having a picnic, visiting a café, going to the sea front or visiting an historic site. Step-O-Meters that show the distance, the number of steps taken or calories burned may make walking attractive to some people, and will enable individuals to set targets and monitor their progress. However, be aware of the cost of these items and that their novelty value may wear off. In fact, calorie counting can be demotivating for some people. Consider incentives and rewards. One scheme issues a walking passport in which the walker can have the passport stamped by the walk leader and he/she will receive free gifts e.g. a T-shirt when they have completed x number of walks. Some schemes operate a certificate for the completion of an accumulated total mileage or achieving a specific target e.g. the equivalent mileage of a walk to London. Yet another scheme encourages walkers to collect feet miles instead of air miles where the collection of a set number of miles can be converted into discount vouchers for use in the local shops. Who should I contact and how? Personal recommendation is by far the most powerful means of promoting schemes. Speak to the professionals/community groups operating in your area. Give them copies of your leaflet to pass to potential walkers. Existing schemes have used word of mouth, posters and leaflets to promote walking through the following channels: Health Centres Job Centres Tourist Information Centres Workplaces Voluntary organisations Local shops and hairdressers Social Services teams Elderly people s forums Libraries Local organisations Door to door leaflet drops Parish Councils Churches Schools Leisure Centres Other methods include Distinctive way marking signs and maps marking routes Mailshots Press releases or fliers in the local press particularly free papers Publicity on and around walking routes Publicity on local radio Regular column in the local paper Attractive walk cards High profile launch. What about direct mail? This will be relevant for mailing information on available walks to GP s, health promotion, leisure centres, social services, tourist information etc. This can often be done for a small charge through local and health authorities. Building a list of walk users or interested parties allows you to mail them with details of future opportunities. You could also enclose information for them to pass on to others. Placing an Advert Advertising is a useful means to communicate simple messages and you exercise total control over what you wish to say (unlike press releases!). Advertising works if it is carefully planned. Gather media packs from all possible publications; examine their readership profiles to see if they match your customers; consider the part of the paper your target group is most likely to read. E.g. older people are less interested in property pages and more interested in obituaries! Check if the advertising rates match your budget! You can then create an advertisement and the art work and negotiate a price with each publication. Most advertising space is negotiable! The most common errors in advertising are: Responding to sales calls from publications Trying to say too much Letting the publication layout the advert Insufficient monitoring. 4

6 How do I use the media? The mass media are channels of communication to large numbers of people. They include radio, television, magazines and newspapers, books, displays and exhibitions. Leaflets and posters can also be classed as mass media when they are used on their own as opposed to being part of a face to face communication with an individual or group. Research your local media Identify and familiarise yourself with your local media outlets, especially the ones that your target audience use. Then list all the possible media in your area e.g. newspapers radio stations, local or regional television channels. Read these newspapers and listen to the programmes with your target audience in mind. Take a note of specific sections or columns in the magazines which may be relevant. Using Radio and Television Radio and television are very powerful mediums for getting your message to a large number of people. To use it effectively think through the guidelines below: 1 What hours do they broadcast and what region do they cover? 2 Who is the audience and does it vary at different times of the day? 3 Is your interview going to be based in the studio or on location? 4 How long will it last and will it be live or recorded? 5 Identify what you want to get across and have this clearly in your mind. 6 Stick to no more than two or three key points - too much detail will be forgotten. 7 Use the present tense when speaking. 8 If possible ask the interviewer what questions they are likely to ask beforehand and plan short sharp answers. 9 Perform with enthusiasm. Speak in your normal voice, clearly and distinctly, and vary the pitch and speed. 10 Try to make the listener feel involved and finish with a short summary statement. Using the local Press Local newspapers are a very useful medium for promoting walking schemes with the local community. Again, think through the following guidelines: When is the paper published and what are the deadlines for articles? What is the average length of article? How are photographs used? What kind of language is used? Writing a press release Keep it snappy with a brief, appropriate, attention grabbing headline. Put the most important details first as a story gets cut from the bottom. Include who, what, when, where and why. Try to limit it to one page of short simple sentences. Give names and telephone numbers for further information. Try not to use an answer machine. If you are sending a photograph, black and white is preferred, with a label on the back giving details. A word count is a useful addition. Give a day or two s notice before you wish an item included. Hints and Tips Promote the scheme in a variety of ways as people often require three triggers before action (e.g. an advert, a leaflet and a recommendation from someone they know). Avoid the worthy, sell the sizzle. Consider themes for walks linked to what your audience is interested in e.g. orange juice pub crawl. Establishing local branding is important as this can help provide ownership of and pride in the scheme. Effective and continuous promotion is essential to success. Personal recommendation is powerful. The challenge is to make walking valued emphasise all the positive outcomes rather than just the physical health benefits. Identifying the most appropriate means of marketing is important. Not everyone reads the free local paper and the most effective means is heavily dependent on the target audience. Make people feel safe. It should be fun for them and you. 5

7 Marketing and Promoting Walking for Health Schemes DO YOUR MARKET RESEARCH Find out as much as you can about your target audience - age, gender, values, where do they live, what motivates them? What is likely to influence them? INVOLVE PROFESSIONALS They can help to raise the profile. Public health nurses, community development workers, pharmacists, local press. DESIGN YOUR MESSAGE Involve the community, and ensure that your message is clear, easily retained and recalled, and persuasive. TEST YOUR MATERIALS Ask as many people as possible in your intended target group to give you feedback on your draft materials. RESEARCH APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS What s the best way to communicate with your scheme s target audience? What do they read, where do they shop etc.? CHOOSE YOUR PUBLICITY METHODS Choose most appropriate communication method - flyer, poster, press release, direct mailshots. HIGH PROFILE LAUNCH! Remember marketing is ongoing and should never stop! 6

8 Useful Contacts Walking the way to Health Initiative (WHI) The Countryside Agency John Dower House Crescent Place Cheltenham GL50 3RA Tel: Walking the way to Health Training and Advice Service Dawn Vernon Associates Renelec House 46 New Park St Devizes Wilts SN10 1DT Tel: Useful Publications The Writers and Artists Yearbook Lists all local papers in the UK. Active Transport: A guide to the development of local initiatives to promote walking and cycling Health Education Authority (HEA) Available from Marston Book Services Tel: Let s Get Moving: A Physical Activity Handbook for developing Local Programmes The Faculty of Public Medicine in collaboration with the National Heart Forum. Guidelines for providing journeys on foot Institute of Highways and Transportation (IHT) For the latest information on Marketing and Promoting Walking for Health Schemes, log on to Illustrators go by recommendation or consult the Association of Illustrators, 81 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QS ( Photographers go by recommendation or consult British Institute of Professional Photography, Fox Talbot House, Ware, Herts SG12 9HN. Tel: ( Graphic designers go by recommendation or consult yellow pages or website (eg search for graphic designers dorset). Give the designer a clear brief and make sure you see roughs of the design before he/she proceeds to finished artwork. Put the designer in touch with your chosen printer so that they can liaise about the format in which the material is required for printing. Printers go by recommendation or consult yellow pages or website (eg search for printing dorset). The printer will need to know the size of the pages (A4, A5 etc), the number of pages, black and white or colour, number of photos or other illustrations and the number of copies required (print run). Discuss the paper weight, quality, environmental properties etc... with your printers. National Statistics The Library Office of National Statistics Cardiff Road, Newport NP10 8XG Tel: Census results, health statistics, population trends and social trends. Walking the way to Health (WHI) is an initiative of the British Heart Foundation and the Countryside Agency. It benefits from extra funding from the New Opportunities Fund and sponsorship from Kia Motors as part of their Think Before You Drive campaign. The Initiative aims to improve the health and fitness of more than a million people, especially those who do little exercise or who live in areas of poor health. WITH CARS Designed by Touchpaper