Use of a Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Low-Income Caregivers

Abstract

Social marketing is a community and public health approach used in nutrition education that helps to complement programming. Researchers evaluated an eight-week social marketing campaign to promote healthy eating behaviors and encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income caregivers. The campaign focused on the benefits of modeling healthy fruit and vegetable intake behaviors for caregivers of young children through television, radio, digital media, billboards, gas pump toppers, posters, and promotional materials. A survey was conducted to measure campaign awareness. Online data tracked digital reach, frequency, and total impressions. The main study findings were campaign awareness and correctly understanding the campaign’s tagline. We used descriptive analyses to evaluate the social marketing campaign. Data were collected by calling 7,802 phone numbers, 192 respondents agreed to participate in the baseline survey. Among those, 101 remembered seeing/hearing the campaign, and 70 agreed to complete the survey. Sixty-six out of 70 respondents correctly understood the campaign’s message. The campaign was effective in creating awareness of campaign messages. More than 50% of respondents recognized the campaign. Future studies should consider having pre-and post-test surveys, longer-term campaigns, and placing marketing ads at locations that “prompt” behavior change.