Magnets and Polar Opposites

For the past 4 days I've been in Utah, hiking in Arches National Park. On the drive from Salt Lake City to Moab, UT, I noticed more public health billboards than anywhere I've been before. There was one for breast cancer, one for colonoscopy, and one for stroke.

The campaign for stroke caught my attention because it was everywhere. There was a story about an unlikely stroke victim on the local evening news, radio ads, tv ads, magnets, and brochures, and billboards every 2-3 miles in between Salt Lake airport and Provo.

If you visit the Utah Department of Health "Heart Highway" website, you'll find a comprehensive overview of the signs of stroke, testimonials, and action items. Yay for effective, clear communication through different channels!

But, you'll notice the stroke campaign does not address the racial/ethnic/socioeconomic disparities in stroke recognition and care put forth by the American Heart Association. The brochures for the Heart Highway campaign are available in Spanish, but addressing health disparities goes far beyond language barriers.

"...Factors that impact these disparities range from economic and social issues to cultural and language barriers. In addition, attitudes, beliefs and compliance among populations differ and the perceived or true presence of racial bias within the healthcare system can negatively impact a patient's compliance with a healthcare provider's advice, medications or treatment" according to the article.

To reach those who are out of the mainstream health care system, public health advertisers must look beyond mainstream media. Billboards not on bus routes, radio ads during traditional drive time, and posters in public health facilities are preaching to the choir.

Little progress has been made in reducing the health disparities of under served populations. With all the money poured into public health campaigns, we have to ask how effective they are if those that need the education the most remain disproportionally sick?

It seems that whatever public health marketers are doing isn't working, enough. Billboards, posters, and TV ads are reaching those with access to the realm of healthcare not those with no connection, increasing the health care and education gap.

New strategies are needed, starting with asking those who are dying faster and living sicker, what will keep them well longer. Market research is a long standing tool in advertisers toolboxes;I wonder how many focus groups Utah Department of Health did for disparate populations?

I wonder what we'd learn if we stopped to listen to those we are trying to reach? I bet you they wouldn't say a billboard would help them be healthier. Or a magnet.

Sell me health.

Last night, I sat down with the founder of HealthStart Foundation to begin a deep dive into their communication and messaging strategy. During our discussion about the message and value of HealthStart, the founder said "There are no good foods, or bad foods, there is only fuel for your body. Some foods fuel you better."

Food as fuel. Fuel is food. Brilliant.

You may have noticed that fresh foods (like fruits and vegetables in the produce section) don't have labels. They don't have tiny stickers that say "Antioxidants and Fiber!" or "Now with more more Vitamin D!". Why? Because they don't have to convince anyone that they are healthy. In fact, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of Weighty Matters says, "Ultimately if a food needs to convince you that it’s healthy, it’s probably not" in his guest blog found here.

The food industry uses nutrition buzz words as a marketing tool. That's no surprise, but marketing to consumers who are seeking healthy products is important. It's important because it has consequences for their wallets and their lives. So, when those health claims are false, it's bad news for consumers and the food industry.

Consumers have little knowledge of what low-fat, Vitamin A, D, or antioxidants actually mean. They just know they sound nutritional. They don't think in terms of how their body uses those nutrients or what those nutrients really mean. "Dr. Brian Wansink that refers to the phenomenon of eating more, liking more, or buying more of an item due to its perceived healthfulness" as the health halo. So, because a pack of Oreo's is labeled as reduced fat, consumers may eat more, like more, and buy more often. Clearly, marketers and the food industry are not educating consumers. They are selling to their want for healthfulness without providing for their need for healthfulness.

So, what if, marketers of foods (fresh and otherwise) started thinking in terms of fuel. What if marketing educated consumers about how their body uses the food they put in it. What if everyone knew your brain needs water to think straight. That soda is a treat. And that a mango helps lower your cholesterol (LDL). Wouldn't that push the food industry to think differently? Wouldn't that cause consumers to think differently?

While food that isn't 100% healthy certainly has it's place (I sort of love ice cream sandwiches). So do educated consumers. So does exceptional marketing. So does fuel for our bodies, not just our stomachs.