Social marketing, first proposed being a public health tool inside 1970s, refers on the software of promoting techniques, using communication and delivery to encourage behaviour change. These kinds of a strategy follows a sequential planning system which includes industry search and analysis, segmentation, setting of objectives, and identifying appropriate strategies and tools to meet these objectives (DH, 2008, online). The literature review and focus group discussed thus far comprise the marketplace research and analysis components of this process, of the remaining steps addressed below.
Market Segmentation
Market segmentation might be performed based on geographic distinctions, demographics or psychographic characteristics (Health Canada, 2004, online).
Based on the limited quantity of info that may be out there so far, it would be tough to segment the market geographically, because it is unclear whether differences exist based on which university is attended.
The demographics of undergraduate students may also be largely shared, with literature indicating that social background may hold tiny influence over eating habits inside this subpopulation, and only limited evidence of any difference among genders (Arnot, 2010, online; Dodd et al., 2010, p. 75).
Instead, it can be preferential to segment on a basis of psychographic characteristics, based on shared knowledge, attitudes and beliefs with regard to changing dietary behaviour. The “Stages of Change” model proposed by Prochaska and DiClemente might be a interesting tool to support this segmentation, where any change in behaviour is recommended to come in six steps: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination (Tomlin & Richardson, 2004, pp. 13-6).
Those in the precontemplative stage do not see their behaviour as a difficulty (Tomlin & Richardson, 2004, p. 14), therefore targeting this segment could possibly be targeted having a advertising and marketing campaign to increase knowledge. Evidence inside the US would appear to indicate that higher levels of knowledge relating to dietary guidelines could be associated with much better dietary choices, though there's smaller evidence which shows direct causality (Kolodinsky et al., 2007, p. 1409). Given the numerous numerous causes which appear to contribute to unhealthy diets amongst students, merely increasing knowledge can be insufficient to create any essential improvements. This can be further supported by modern day healthy eating initiatives aimed at the general population, for example the Five A Day campaign, which incorporates additional, practical information, rather than merely educating men and women on the have to eat additional fresh food (NHS Choices, 2010, online).
Those during the contemplative stage are aware that they need to change, but don’t very want to. It would be unlikely that targeting a marketing campaign at this group would have any important effect (Tomlin & Richardson, 2004, p. 15). As soon as people reach the action stage, they are actively initiating or maintaining a change, until the 1st trouble is finally resolved inside termination stage (Tomlin & Richardson, 2004, pp. 15-6). Instead, it would be better to target people in the preparation stage, who have created the decision to transform but might be unclear about how to initiate this change. Here, improving knowledge, but also providing info on potent ways wherever to transform behaviour, stands out as the most correct strategy, as that adopted by the Five A Day campaign.
Strategy Objectives
Based over a data generated in the focus study, along with that from other research, the primary aim in the strategy needs to be to enhance the overall diet of undergraduate students. There already exist campaigns including the Five A Day campaign which aim to encourage consuming far more fruit and vegetables (NHS Choices, 2010, online). The principal difficulties inside undergraduate group instead seem to lie in picking unhealthy foods, or skipping meals, because of convenience and cost. Therefore this can be in which the campaign must focus. Right here objectives may well as a result be identified:
1. Reduce the quantity of undergraduate students experiencing disordered consuming patterns.
2. Enhance knowledge and awareness inside undergraduate student population of tasty, cost-effective, convenient alternatives to takeaways and other junk foods.
National Plan
The national strategy would comprise of 2 main arms. The first would be an educational campaign, which would be targeted particularly at the segment described above, as a result focusing on providing practical info to aid healthy consuming choices amongst students. This looks to obtain been moderately successful from the Five A Day campaign from the general population (Capacci & Mazzocchi, 2011, p. 87). Evidence within the US suggests that inside undergraduate population specifically, providing data that is certainly directly relevant to their lifestyle might also be highly effective (Pires et al., 2008, p. 16).
This campaign would be run through national media, as the evidence suggests that this kind of campaigns are associated not only with elevated knowledge, but also moderate levels of behaviour alter (Noar, 2006, p. 21). On the internet and social media campaigns might also be potent based on previous situation studies. For example, the Kirklees Up For It project found that running a campaign which used Facebook alongside its personal Website was a successful way of reaching a moderate audience of 18 to 24 year olds (NSMC, 2010, online). As a result social media such as Twitter and Facebook would offer a simple techniques of providing weekly tips to students on how to make easy, cheap healthy meals.
Tips could also be given on how to choose healthier snacks which price less, just like by preparing them at home. By tailoring the guidance on the motives from the group, which appear to be related to convenience and cost, previous look for would suggest that this need to be far more highly effective in changing snacking behaviour (Adriaanse et al., 2009, p. 60).
The second arm on the national campaign would involve lobbying with the federal government to introduce regulation over a meals alternatives obtainable by university campuses, particularly where meals is provided as part of an accommodation package. This really is in accordance with similar recent moves to enhance school meals, which has been advised being an powerful approaches of improving diet, even if obesity levels have not yet witnessed any impact (Jaime & Lock, 2009, p. 45). It is also consistent on the details collected in this study, which recommended that access to healthy meals and convenience were major barriers to healthy consuming for students.
Localised Intervention
In addition towards national strategy, a local project aimed at providing foods preparation workshops would also be piloted in Manchester. This concept is based on the observation that students mostly select unhealthy alternatives because of convenience and cost, and may possibly not be aware of methods in which healthy meals may also be prepared simply and cheaply. Previous situation studies have shown that these practical activities could be an highly effective ways of reaching this target audience. For example a healthy living project called Up For It, run by Kirklees Council in association with NHS Kirklees, observed on surveying young adults aged between 16 and 24 many years that interventions which have been fun and social had been preferred to those people which focus as well much on well being (NSMC, 2010, online). Provision of one-off sessions which offer info on in which to consume healthily on campus have also shown some accomplishment inside undergraduate population inside the US (Pires et al., 2008, p. 12).
Based on a budget to your Up For It project, it would be anticipated that approximately £100 000 would be required to set up and run this local section in the strategy (NSMC, 2010, online). It would be assumed that lobbying and media coverage needed as component of the national strategy would be managed by the Department of Health.
Conclusions
It is clear that there's some fact towards the assumption that undergraduate students within the UK live on a fairly unhealthy diet. Although the factors for this may be somewhat complex, convenience and price look to play a major role inside the diet decisions that are made by this group. It's also clear that numerous are aware of the wellness impact which their diet is probably to have, though this really is overridden by other factors. Targeting students who recognize the have to transform their diet, by providing info on how to prepare healthier meals very easily and cheaply, may possibly support to overcome the barriers of cost and convenience, thereby improving well being within this population.
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