Social Marketing & Public Opinion Management: The National Steps Challenge Campaign
The National Steps Challenge is a 6 months campaign on a yearly basis created by Health Promotion Board (HPB) started 4 years ago. The campaign is a nationwide event which aims to have all the Singaporeans and Permanent Resident at the age of 17 years old and above to participant and in return, they will win sure-win rewards. In order to win the sure-win rewards, participants have to 10, 000 steps daily and hitting at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activities (MVPA) per week to get the maximum rewards.
The campaign hopes to demonstrate through the campaign to show how easy it is easy to keep fit with only small adjustments to the daily routines as this can lowers the blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also reduces the risk of mortality by 19% and aids glucose control in type 2 diabetes. The campaign also has a positioning statement whereby it says, “Step up to our biggest season ever” It also means that it is also one of the biggest season ever, as they are giving more sure win rewards as compared to the previous 3 seasons, which is just to accumulate 10, 000 steps.
The campaign also does not involve any monetary cost when comes to participation, but there will be physical cost and time, whereby they need to accumulate the 10, 000 steps daily and 150 minutes of MVPA. Participants can simply download the application at their smartphone. In additional to their promotion, there will be also roadshow at 23 locations island wide for a period of 2 months, as HPB is giving out fitness tracker in order to encourage them to join the campaign.
The campaign has running since 2015, and continuing, since HPB sees the increasing number of participants every year. There is also interviewee said that he initially he joined the challenge to encourage his ageing parents to live a healthier lifestyle, but now, his parents are the one encouraging him to go out for a walk.
The Singapore Budget 2018, also have announced that a total sum of $253. 33 million will be given to HPB to build a nation of healthy and happy Singaporean through health promotion and disease prevention programme. But in order to run the campaign, it involves different stakeholder involvements such as application developer, partners, shopping malls, marketing teams and participants.
Background, Purpose, and Focus
Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a government organisation which is established in 2001, aims to promote healthy living in Singapore. They are also credible and authoritative source of evidence-based health information that seeks to empower the locals with knowledge and skills to take ownership of their health and live a healthy lifestyle. Their goal is to increase the quality and years of healthy life, as well as prevent disability, illness and premature death.
Accordingly, to an article, The Straits Time on June 2017, the findings of the HPB have shown that Singaporean on average is heavier and more likely to overeat. If nothing is done, Singaporeans could hit obesity rates of 15% in just seven years. The director of the policy, research and surveillance division of HPB also said that people who are obese are at higher risk of developing health problems such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. There were even findings from the HPB from 30 years of data back then, which tracked more than 60, 000 people from their childhood till when they start to work. This is to find out whether if Singaporeans have been putting on weight and how the obesity trends have changed. The data shown that Singaporeans, on average, are now 3 kg heavier than they were 15 years ago. In the year 2016, the median body mass index (BMI) score for adults was 23. 15, just outside the healthy range, and a median of 22. 23. In the first quarter of 2014, 54. 3% of people said that they were recommended to do 150 minutes of physical activity a week. And by the third quarter of 2016, the percentage have gone up to 59. 6%. HPB also found out that Singaporeans are eating so much that just by exercising slightly more does not bring any benefit to health.
So being said, the HPB have been running the campaign “National Steps Challenge” since 2015 for 3 seasons have been ongoing for a yearly basis for a period of 6 months. This campaign aims of letting participants to hit 10, 000 steps daily, and in return to get health points which be redeemed for a sure win rewards. With the fourth season upcoming which is going to start on 27 October 2018. This year campaign also introduced on another segment known as all-new Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities (MVPA). MPVA aims of letting participants to hit at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activities per week. And from there, participants can get more sure win rewards, on top of the 10, 000 steps daily.
Situation Analysis
Strength - As the HPB is supported by the government, Singapore is proud to say that they have a stable government and economy and is one of the least corrupt country in Asia. Singapore also have the availability of skilled medical professionals, whereby each of them have the individual responsibilities. It also has the government funding to run campaigns for social issues in Singapore.
Weakness - HPB is afraid of participants might get participate because of the sure win rewards and not because participants want to keep themselves healthy. The campaign has to hire the right top management to run such a big scale campaign.
Opportunities - With great response from the participants over the years, HPB can participants to be engage in such campaigns to make them feel healthier.
Threats - As HPB is all about healthy lifestyle and the competitors will be like fast food chain outlets or street food whereby they usually sell unhealthy and cheap food which most of the people would usually go for.
Target Audience Profile
The eligible criteria will be people who are Singaporeans and Permanent Residents in Singapore, at 17 years old and above at the point of registration. The campaign is targeting at everyone’s participation as it is a nationwide movement. The HPB also gives out free fitness tracker device to the non-smartphone participants to get them involved at no excuse.
Marketing Objectives and Goals
Campaign objectives - The campaign objectives were to get the people to be more active especially for working adults as once working life hits, it means lesser energy, lesser time and fewer opportunities to work out with their friends. As part of the initiatives, the HPB hopes to demonstrate through the campaign to show how easy it is easy to keep fit with only small adjustments to the daily routines as the recommended steps on daily basis would be 7, 500 to 10, 000.
Specific - The campaign allows the participants to be healthier just by walking 10, 000 daily. This will lower the blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also reduces the risk of mortality by 19% and aids glucose control in type 2 diabetes.
Measurable - The campaign has a mobile application which allows participants to check their daily steps. This campaign also let participants to choose their preferred fitness tracking device to pair with the application.
Achievable - The campaign work on a point system. If participants is unable to hit the 10, 000 steps daily to have the maximum reward, they are encouraged to have a minimum of 5, 000 steps daily to obtain the minimum reward.
Relevant - This campaign is relevant to everyone including people who are working in the offices. For example, they can either walk to work instead of taking the bus if the journey is not too far. Or either they can take the stairs up to their office, or walking to their colleague’s table instead of emailing to have discussion.
Time bound - The campaign is on a 6 months period with 10, 000 steps daily and a 150 minutes of HVPA weekly.
Factors Influencing Adoption of the Behavior
The perceived barriers will include the working adults in offices. The working adults might not have the time accumulate 10, 000 per day as they are always sitting down on their desk. Some working adults do not even have the time to exercise outside of their working hours, because some may due to working overtime or some have other commitment after work. But there are some working adults that still exercise after their working hours. Potential benefits will be including that make people feel happier, help with weight loss, good for muscles and bones, increase energy levels, reduce the risk of chronic disease, helps brand health and memory and helps with relaxation and sleep quality. The competition, would be the fast food outlets chain whereby the food will be tasty, fast, cheap and convenience. Another reason of people fast food, is also, because they are always giving out coupons.
Positioning Statement
The National Steps Challenge Season 4 has a positioning statement whereby it says “Step up to our biggest season ever”. Being said, the campaign wants everyone to be involved as this campaign is the biggest so far as compared with the 3 seasons, with more sure win rewards available.
Marketing Mix Strategies
Core Product - The campaign itself allow participants to track how much steps they accumulated per day and in return, participants can earn health points which can be exchange for sure-win rewards that is worth up to S$65.
Actual Product - Able to keep fit by achieving 10, 000 steps per day and 150 minutes of MVPA.
Augmented product - able to share the campaign with their friends and families and there is sure win rewards.
Price - There will be no monetary cost in terms of participating in the campaign. The participants will need the physical effort and time as they will need to accumulate 10, 000 steps daily and 150 minutes of MVPA with a period of 6 months in order to get the maximum rewards.
Place - The application is free of charge and is available to download for anyone with a smartphone. Those participants without any smartphone are also able to participate, as HPB are giving out free fitness tracker at their roadshows which then participants can update their fitness records weekly at any of their 30 kiosk located island wide.
Promotion - The campaign itself also do have roadshows whereby they are giving out a fitness tracker, on a first-come-first-served basis. The roadshows will be over 23 locations island wide for a period of 2 months. This roadshow also can gain awareness to different areas of Singapore, instead of just doing publication on news or social media.
Plan for Monitoring and Evaluation
Input - The input will firstly need support from the government as the campaign needs funding to run. The campaign will need promotion materials such as press release, social media and news to spread the awareness of the locals. The campaign also need stakeholders’ involvement such as the partners, shopping malls, volunteers and workers to be involved in planning and may or may not be present during the actual day of the roadshows.
Activities - The HPB will first need do write up a proposal to the government in terms of the objectives, funds needed and etc. For the campaign itself, it also need a spokesperson who can speak officially for the campaign in terms of press release. The campaign will also may or may not need to outsource marketing team for their social media platform. For volunteers, the campaign may approach for school students that are older to help with them.
Output - As the campaign runs on a yearly basis for the past 4 years, for period of 6 months. The results of each campaign may vary on each year, but the previous year in 2017, has attracted 690, 000 signs up which almost double up the figure in 2016 of 350, 000.
Outcomes - The campaign will allow the participants to be more pro-active by having the sure win reward system.
6 Impacts - The campaign aim to change the perception of people whereby it wants to get them to be active in their daily life. Accordingly, to an interviewer for the campaign held in 2017, Mr. Asyraf Bin Mustafa, said that he initially joined the challenge to encourage his ageing parents to live a healthier lifestyle which they was not very active back then. But now, his parents are the one encouraging him to go out for a walk.
Budget
Accordingly to the Singapore Budget 2018, a sum of $253. 33 million is allocated to the HPB to build a nation of healthy and happy Singaporean through health promotion and disease prevention programme.
Plan for Campaign Implementation and Management
In order to have a successful campaign, a lot of work and involvement from management levels and stakeholders are involved. For instance, the campaign works with an application, the developer of the application, need to make sure that the application to be in a working condition with no bugs. The management team of the campaign will also need to ensure that the partners deliver the agreed the terms and conditions on time. The malls will also need to prepare the event space with the logistics needed overnight before the actual day of the roadshow. The marketing teams will need to ensure that the collaterals are accurate data that is provided to participants. The campaign also has a hotline whereby participants call dial in the do enquiries, the customer service personal will also needed to be trained in order to answer the queries in a more professional way.
Evaluation of the campaign and key lessons of the campaign
National Steps Challenge campaign whereby it needs the whole nationwide movement whereby the campaign gets the locals to be more active in their daily lifestyle which the number of participants is increasing every year. Although there is still increasing issues with the locals being obesity, but at least the campaign started with asking the locals to hit 10, 000 steps daily and with this year campaign new segment as known as HVPM. This segment will then need the locals to hit 150 minutes of physical activity in order to gain more rewards, as rewards will increase the people’s ability to work towards their goals and to enhance their productivity. So, which this, I would say the campaign is successful.
