From Wellspring to Water Cooler Effective Worksite Wellness Communications and Marketing

1. From Wellspring to Water CoolerEffective Worksite Wellness Communications and Marketing Ryan M. Inman, Information Specialist Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Section

2. The Journey Begins with an Idea

3. How We Move Ideas &

4. Defining Our Terms Marketing & Communications • Marketing: the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service • Communications: the acts or processes of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

5. In the Worksite Wellness Environment Communications: Our use of words, sounds and behavior to deliver wellness-related information Marketing: The techniques we use to deliver our communications in ways that result in awareness of, enthusiasm for and participation in our programs Our program is our product Our colleagues are our customers

6. Lay of the Land • 67% of employees believe their • employer takes care of them • BUT, • Only 46% believe their employers effectively communicate benefits • 52% say they are “only somewhat” or “not at all” knowledgeable of available wellness programs • Source: http://blog.hallmarkbusinessconnections.com/wellness/workplace-wellness-communications-matter/

7. Where Do We Begin? A well-communicated, if imperfect, plan is better than a perfect plan, poorly communicated. >

8. Know Your Audience • Survey- Gather information from your colleagues to determine their wellness interests and their level of intent. • Target- Aim communications at specific groups and demographics within your workforce (age, position, work environment, etc.). • Tailor- Design your messages based on the targeted audience.

9. Crafting the Message The Three Goals of Messaging(A, E, I and You!) • Attract-Attention! • Ensure- Understanding! • Inspire- Action! Succeed at A, E, I, and “You” will be more successful as a wellness professional!

10. Attracting Attention • Brand your communications- Utilize branding in all wellness communications. • Telegraph your message- You’ve got 2.7 seconds to catch someone’s attention. Don’t waste it! • Time that telegraph- Consider the season, day of the week, or any wellness awareness events occurring, such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, etc.

11. Ensuring Understanding • Plain language isn’t “dumbing down”, it’s “wisening up”. People won’t read what they don’t understand. • Message clarity is key. How to participate, benefits of participation and any employer expectations of participation should be clear on the first read. • Simple beats complex. Easy beats hard. Foster understanding with simple, yet meaningful language.

12. Inspiring Action • Use caring language about why the program is important-Vague statistics and dire warnings turn people away. • Less can be more-Encourage minor changes rather than massive overhauls, so success seems attainable. • Connect the dots- show people how your program will improve their health or save them money. Use success stories when possible. • Keep it light- Humor and positive energy encourages enthusiastic participation, not grudging compliance.

13. Potholes and Pitfalls Along the Way • Haphazard communications- • Communicate regularly and provide timely updates – but don’t fatigue your audience! • Inconsistent look/style- • Develop a recognizable brand: a standard look and sound to your messaging. • One-sided communications- • Don’t talk at employees, but with them, using a conversational tone in your writing.

14. Potholes and Pitfalls Along the Way • Verbal spaghetti- Jargon and legalese are great for Scrabble, but keep your messages simple. • Brick walls of copy- Use graphics, charts, or tables that are readable with a glance. Break things up with sidebars or quotes. • Failing to highlight important copy- Don’t “bury the lead”. Make your main point in the first few words.

15. Grab ‘Em With Graphics • Images Sell Ideas! • Avoid Clipart- “Hokey”, dated, amateurish • Photos are better- Use stock images. • Limit to top two inches of email or no more than 30 percent of message • Keep files small, in .jpeg or .gif, and include alt or title text

16. Building On Your Foundation • Feedback from your colleagues is crucial to improving communications – offer them methods to provide input. • Highlight success stories of your colleagues to further drive participation. • Remember: Participation is the key to success, and communications and marketing are the keys to participation!

17. In a Nutshell • Marketing vs communication • “sell” the program to coworkers • Have a communications plan with steps for: • getting to know your audience, • creating a brand, • gathering feedback to adjust • Use clear and simple language and graphics to communicate effectively

18. …to watercooler!

19. Thank You. Ryan M. Inman, Information Specialist Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Section 512-776-6122 Ryan.Inman@dshs.state.tx.us

20. Message Timing • Who can we TARGET? • How will we TAILOR our message to them? • What will ATTRACT their attention? • What ACTIONS can we inspire?