Beyond the Message – Government Health Marketing
Journalism schools around the world often repeat the famous quote from Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message.” There’s a lot of great work going on behind the scenes of government public health marketing programs. But, a lot of that great work is unseen by the public, the very people the marketing programs are serving. The government agencies, and by extension, the advertising and marketing firms they hire, should be responsible for doing more than just creating catchy messages. Messages mean nothing without a solid foundation of research and outreach. How does one go about reaching the people?
Do the research. Give us new information; don’t repeat what we already know.
What I’ve noticed about health marketing programs is that they never seem to get past the initial research. Initial research remains one of the most important hallmarks of a good media plan, in that it ensures that you understand your audience, their perceptions, attitudes and behaviors. We’ve all seen the statistics…as of 2005 and 2006, 1/3 of Americans could be classified as clinically obese, according to the CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html. Childhood obesity rates continue to climb http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html. So, these studies are being done that tell us where our challenges lie. Sometimes, the research isn’t necessary. Check your available money to see if it is, and make sure you know what’s been done. And then, ask yourself, what happens after the research? To be sure, my firm MediaCross has participated in market research to localize national and state health statistics, to tell us what major issues face people in the state of Missouri. But in the end, not only did we have to nail the message to send to the residents, we also had to find out how best to reach them. That’s what seems to be missing from government health marketing programs. A lot of research happens at the beginning, then the funds get cut. The research sits on a database. What good does that do the single mother of three making less than $20,000 with three part-time jobs? Not a whole lot.
Make sure your creative “speaks to” not “preaches at” the people.
How many of us appreciate a lecture from our parents when we know we’ve done something wrong? Isn’t the pressure that we feel knowing that the accountability lies with ourselves enough? Blaming others for our problems or using the “that’s not me” routine seems to work when it comes to health issues. It’s a logical choice, and we all do it practically unconsciously on a daily basis. Whatever helps us get through the day, or allows us to eat that chocolate ice cream. Engaging with the audience on their level is essential for you and your agency. In health marketing messages, and really anything that uses the “h” word (healthy), whether it comes from the government or from a corporate entity, we often get that guilt factor. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be in the message itself. Your message needs to be real. It needs to be encouraging but not patronizing. It needs to state facts without pointing fingers. It needs to say, “hey, I understand where you’re coming from, so let’s get going.”
Remember: Tips sell!
If you spend even an iota of time at the grocery store, you know what sells consumer health magazines. They all scream at you: “10 Ways to Get A Bikini Body” or “5 Low-Calorie Summer Treats.” These magazines know exactly what their audience wants to hear. Young women everywhere, me included, have cut pages out of these magazines for their recipes and their yoga exercises, things we can do at home, that night if we want. When you’re evaluating and influencing creative, think about how best you can inspire your audience. Why should a government program have to offer such formal, stilted messages to the public? Why should a government program spend all that money on research to find out what will make people act, and then shy away from enabling people to affect their own health situations? Well, they shouldn’t. And yet, they are. Give those you serve the means to do something good, and let them decide how. Our government has been built on democracy, on the power of citizens to make their own decisions. Remember that.
Meet people where they are!
Who delivers the message is as important as the written word. There, I said it. I said it as a writer, and I’ll say it again. Who, or what, says that, can make or break a health message. Beautiful models and gorgeous celebrities populate magazine covers and billboard ads. They sell, too, but they might not do anything to bolster self-perception. As people, we love to have a sense of community, and it offers much in the way of motivation (see McMillan & Chavis at http://www.wright-house.com/psychology/sense-of-community.html). At least at first, we want to feel like others sit in our same boat. Then, we can share our feelings, and ultimately compete like heck to look and feel better than everyone else. We want to be the person who gets out and pulls the boat into the dock with our bare hands! For your messages, make sure you’re choosing delivery people who sit in the boat (the community challenge) and the boat-puller (the success story).
Outside of this, understand that your message must show up where your audience lives. Spend money on that. If a writer writes a message and nobody reads it, has she really written anything?! An outreach program is absolutely essential for success. Connect with the community programs you currently fund, with other local non-profits and associations fighting hunger and disease, with after-school programs, with community centers, fitness centers, nursing homes. With grocery stores, restaurants and banks. Put the words, “you can” into the have-to sites of daily life. Show people how to do what you want them to do, then give them the tools. Give us tips for healthy cooking and follow up the message by sponsoring local classes that include your branded message on posters, home kits and materials. The word “government” often stings ears and brings defensive feelings to the surface. That means your intervention in something as personal as health matters could be perceived as an affront. But, if you’re seen acting on rather than talking about, health issues, you’ll get a lot of support and just maybe reach your goals.
So, is the medium your message?
Tell me how you’re making it happen by using the comment forum. See some examples of MediaCross health marketing messages and research here.
Contributor: Amanda Wagoner
