Social Marketing Conference: Changing Behaviour Through

Communications

30 November 2011

www.charitycomms.org.uk

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Planning your (Health) Social Marketing campaign

Craig ListerNHS Bedfordshire

My background• Military• Health and Fitness (Charity) sector• NHS Public Health Manager

– Obesity lead

– Chair; National Obesity Forum EoE– NHS Health Checks lead

• A physiologist by trade but…

What’s the starting point?

• Identified need (who is your customer)

• Who’s money is being spent, public/charity?

• What’s the opportunity cost?

• Where’s the evidence?

• Oversight and Scrutiny

Rationale• Public Health responsibility is moving

to Local Authority in April 2013• What are you seeking to change?• Why?• What happens if there is change?• What happens if there is no change?• Is there equity?• Nudge, don’t push!

Change impact

No change line

Change line

Time

Poorer Health

Better Health

Some change

Does the cost outweigh the benefit – does this matter?

Supporting

environment

Supporting

environment

Critical factors• Understand the message (perspective)• Early audience engagement• Remember: We do what we want to, not

what we need to!• Identify a new normal• Provide a supportive environment

Change programmeChange programme

Case study 1• To ensure dental services are

available to everyone who needs them which reflects Improving Lives, Saving Lives pledge four (2009/11).– Increase access to NHS dental

services – Dispel the myth that NHS dentists

are hard to find– Explain the charging structure and

empower people to challenge

Reaching the audience

24-hour dental helpline supported by NHS Direct

Direct mailing with a freepost response option to 195,853 households

Information in practices (dental and GP) and in community pharmacies

Outdoor advertising on buses and at Bedford and Flitwick railway stations

NHS Bedfordshire website, with a post code search

Google adwords

Local media campaign

Outcomes• 1000 new patients accessing NHS dental care• IPOS Mori poll identified highest awareness of

dental charges in EoE• Establishment of a new mobile surgery• 50% increase in calls requesting information• Nearly 1800 freepost slips returned• > 4000 people clicked through Google adwords• A total of 16,000 contacts.• Continued improvement

A tougher challenge

What are you thinking right now?

Identify rationale• What are we seeking to change?

– Lifestyle behaviours that lead to obesity, specifically poor food choice, large portion sizes, low habitual PA

• Why? – Current levels present an unsustainable demand on the

NHS and social care budget

• What happens if there is change?– People will become healthier and have higher self esteem

leading to further positive health behaviours

• What will happen if there is no change?– Levels of obesity and co-morbidities will rise and treatment

will become more selective leading to an increase in inequalities

Set expectations• What is realistic?

– Reduced obesity increase and then reduction, earlier improvements in co-morbidities

• When can we achieve this?

– 5 to 10 years (localised milestones)• How will we know?

– NCMP, Health Checks• Who will benefit (can this be quantified)?

– Everyone as costs are community wide• What will it cost/what is the budget?

Reduce Family Obesity

• What’s your message?• How will you test this?

• How will you deliver it?• What’s the support?

• How will you assess impact?

• Maximise the value

• Minimise the price

Uncomfortable truths

Instant reward culture