December 2011 Blog Posts
Four innovative behavior change campaigns used in health care
This week Redbird Communications gave a behavior change workshop to 17 members of BC’s South Asian community in preparation for a new health promotion campaign about hypertension for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
In the workshop, we gave examples of some innovative uses of behavior change theory and tactics to motivate healthy behavior. Participants gave strategic input and brainstormed campaign ideas to encourage their community to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables, exercise 150 minutes per week, and reduce salt intake. Redbird will now work with those insights to create a ‘custom-made’ campaign to improve the health of Indo-Canadians in BC.
Here are four other innovative behavior change initiatives to inspire your next health promotion campaign.
Change for Life
“Change for Life” is a U.K. health campaign aimed at helping people exercise more. As part of that campaign, they have a fun virtual Walk For Life website.
On the website there are virtual walking challenges to encourage users to exercise more. Users can log onto the website and create a walking challenge or select from other popular challenges. For example, you can sign up your group to walk 10,000 miles for the Prostate Cancer Charity. This is a virtual challenge—so the miles your group walks will be added to those of other participants who have also taken the challenge.
Other fun features include the ability to create your own challenges (such as getting a company to collectively walk the distance of the Great Wall of China). You can also track your progress, miles, and fitness levels.
Food Hero
Developed for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Apps for Healthy Kids competition, Food Hero is a virtual game for children. The goal of the game is to become a Food Hero by eating right and completing a set of running, biking and swimming challenges. Eating healthy balanced meals every day helps you build strength. By eating right, you also earn gold, which you can use to buy cool props that help you complete the challenges. If you eat too much, you become sluggish and the sports challenges become harder.
I Saved a Life
I Saved a Life! is a social web app that allows you to track your blood donations, get reminders for future donations, encourage your friends, and look great doing it. The application is currently in use in over 80 countries around the world.
NextJump
NextJump’s CEO Charlie Kim wanted his employees to exercise regularly. And so, NextJump installed gyms in their offices and created a custom application that rewarded employees for “checking in” to the gyms. With this campaign, around 12% of the company’s staff began a regular workout schedule.
However, the CEO wasn’t satisfied and so NextJump included gamification into their program. Now their employees could form regionally based teams, check in to workouts, and chart their team’s progress on a leader-board. This had a powerful effect on creating and sustaining a positive behavioral change. With gamification, 70% of NextJump’s employees now regularly work out.
Know of an innovative behavior change campaign you’d like to share? Tweet (@Redbirdcomms) or contact us.
Additional Resources:
How gamification is changing health promotion campaigns
What health promotion can learn from the science of eccomerce
16 powerful online fundraising tools
Use Google AdWords to increase sign-ups to your health promotion campaign
How long should a behavioural change campaign be?
Changing behaviour? Not without your neighbour.
About Redbird Communications
Redbird Communications is a marketing communications agency in Victoria, British Columbia, that works with non-profits, social enterprises, government ministries and other private and public-sector organizations.
Founded in 2001, we provide research, strategic planning, creative services, and public relations to clients in BC, Ontario, and beyond. Redbird has developed province-wide awareness campaigns, including our most recent ‘Signs of Stroke’ campaign for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon. For that campaign, we helped to raise $250,000 from pharmaceutical sponsors to fund the media buy, and created TV and radio spots, print collateral, and online advertising.
Redbird's Holiday Lyrics
This year, the Redbird Team signed up for Victoria’s 2nd Annual Figgy Pudding Carolling Competition. The competition takes place at Bastion Square on December 17th, 2011. For the occasion, Carol Vincent, our president, wrote some funny lyrics to a few traditional holiday songs. Come down to Bastion Square and see us sing these live this Saturday!
And if we don't see you down at the competition, we hope you have a very, very happy and relaxing holiday! Here's Redbird's take on some holiday classics.
The 12 Days of a Redbird Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the second day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the third day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the fourth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the fifth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the sixth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
6 copy changes --
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the seventh day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
7 urgent phone calls
6 copy changes --
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the eighth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
8 design suggestions
7 urgent phone calls
6 copy changes
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the ninth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
9 new directions
8 design suggestions
7 urgent phone calls
6 copy changes
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the tenth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
10 more revisions
9 new directions
8 design suggestions
7 urgent phone calls
6 copy changes
5-HUNDRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
insufficient budget
10 more revisions
9 new directions
8 design suggestions
7 urgent phone calls
6 copy changes
5-HUN-DRED emails!!
4 conference calls
3 french translations
2 conflicting briefings
and a deadline on New Year’s Eve!
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my client sent to me –
final approval!
ship it to the printer!
tell them it’s a panic!
check the printer’s proof and
make the logo bigger!
oops, found a typo!
there, now it’s perfect!
FI-NA-LLY it’s DONE!!!
Rush it to the client –
who is not there –
he’s gone to Hawaii…
AND – A – REDBIRD – IN – A – PEAR – TREE!
What Food is This? (to the tune of What Child is This?)
My jeans are tight and my butt just grew
and my muffin top is expanding
I love my love handles, yes I do
but this season is very demanding –
Nuts, chocolates, and lots of wine…
Eggnog, macaroons – mine, all mine!
Chips, cheezies and candy canes,
This season is very demanding.
In January it crashes down,
No cocktail dresses, no party gowns
It’s deprivation from here on in,
My diet is very demanding –
Limp lettuce and lots of water and
Egg white omelettes and celery sticks!
Too many vegetables, nothing sweet, and
My diet is very demanding.
The pain continues, the weeks go by,
I jazzercise till I think I’ll die
But slowly, slowly the pounds come off
And I’m thin! (just in time for December)
Nuts, chocolates, and lots of wine…
Eggnog, macaroons – mine, all mine!
Chips, cheezies and candy canes,
This season is very demanding.
Yes – this – season – is – very – demanding!
Hauling in the Ivy (to the tune of The Holly and the Ivy)
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown --
They will be a part of my Christmas wreath,
Nicer than you’ve ever known.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer --
Eating every bulb that I ever plant
Every flower far and near.
They’re running in the garden,
And they’re sleeping in the yard,
Leaving little poop balls everywhere,
Cleaning up is very hard.
They’ve eaten all the holly
And all the ivy too;
They have eaten up my Christmas wreath,
Leaving only deer doo doo.
They’re dancing in the garden
and they’re laughing in my ear –
I am thinking Christmas venison
might – be – very – nice – this – year.
One simple, innovative direct mail fundraising idea
By James Mulvey
Last week, our office received a very powerful fundraising postcard in the mail.
Take a look:
The copy reads: Make one gift now and we’ll never ask for another donation again.
The letter asks for a donation to help children born with cleft lips and palates. It’s a powerful image, great cause, and incredibly smart marketing. But what makes this fundraising piece effective isn’t the strength of the picture or the emotional appeal for funds.
The effectiveness of this fundraising campaign is that it answers a major objection in the reader’s mind: if the reader gives to the charity, will they then get spammed with monthly donation requests?
Because, as our recent fundraising research report shows, the frequency and tone of fundraising letters often determine their success. In fact, our research report shows that the frequency of fundraising requests remains one of the most common barriers preventing people from giving more to non-profits.
The most frequent issue identified was the tone of the requests (reported by 43% of those who indicated that they did not like how requests were made). About a quarter (24%) indicated that they did not like the frequency or volume of requests from organizations and 15% did not like receiving multiple requests from the same organization.
From: Motivate and Convince: The Most Effective Tactics for Attracting Donors and Volunteers
In the ‘Make One Gift’ fundraising piece, the letter makes a simple promise: “if you accept our invitation to make one gift today to save one’s child’s life, we’ll never ask you for another donation again.”
Clearly, the writer and charity know that how and when you ask for donations matters.
The result?
We donated!
And so did many, many others. According to the charity, the direct mail piece has been so successful that it is now used in all of the charity's mailings and the appeal is a “significant improvement” over the charity’s previous approach to winning new donors.
To find out other common barriers preventing donors from giving download our free fundraising research report (see below).
In the report, you'll find:
- Research on approaching business leaders, corporations, and foundations for support.
- Research and actionable insights on the most effective fundraising tactics.
- Research on donor motivations and psychology.
- Research and tactics on attracting and retaining volunteers.
- Analytical commentary, tables, and graphs.
Get your free report (instant download)
About Redbird Communications
Redbird Communications is a marketing communications agency in Victoria, British Columbia, that works with non-profits, social enterprises, government ministries and other private and public-sector organizations.
Founded in 2001, we provide research, strategic planning, creative services, and public relations to clients in BC, Ontario, and beyond. Redbird has developed province-wide awareness campaigns, including our most recent ‘Signs of Stroke’ campaign for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon. For that campaign, we helped to raise $250,000 from pharmaceutical sponsors to fund the media buy, and created TV and radio spots, print collateral, and online advertising.
For more resources, tips, and strategic advice follow us on Twitter (@Redbirdcomms).
