Change4Life Autumn campaign – EHS, London COI/Department of Health Bright and cheery ways to help tackle obesity from those bright and cheery folk at EHS
Autumn Mailing
Background
Change4Life is the UK’s first national campaign to combat childhood obesity and is aimed at parents of kids aged 5-11 who are deemed ‘at risk’ of developing diseases such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes in later life. Research showed that to change behaviour, Change4Life had to create relationships and recruit its audience into a CRM programme.
Idea
The idea was a ‘partworks’ programme, with a folder and installments broken down into fun, bite-sized guides for recipients to collect. These gave them the tools to instigate change themselves. The mailing focussed on starting a personalised ‘conversation’, within which is advice about the whats, whys and hows of exercise and healthier diets. Parts 1 and 2 were based around activity in summer and healthy eating in autumn, and included giveaways to empower the kids.
The Snack Swapper was a handy tool for mums and kids, giving them replacement ideas for unhealthy food, and letting the kids have some control of their own diets.
Results
Over 34,000 people who have received the programme so far have ‘interacted’ whether by entering the prize draws, competitions or questionnaires. On top of this, there have been tens of thousands of emails and letters thanking Change4Life for the packs, tips and ideas and asking for them to continue!
The part of this mailing we thought was smart is the Snack Swapper. Giving it a twiddle is almost irresistible and from that twiddling comes not just the idea of choice – you can choose to have a banana rather than a bowl of Sugar Thingies – but the idea that you have a say in what you eat. For kids, this is quite a message. I’m pleased one part of this campaign won a Gold at the DMA’s because it’s not overtly ‘creative’, but it is thoughtful, intelligent and entirely right for its target audience of Mums on council estates.