Little Steps Campaign - Dr Marian Faughnan safefood

Experience of Partnership - 2.5 years on

Dr Marian Faughnan, safefood

Campaign Messages

• Parents and guardians are important role models

for children

• Eating healthily and increasing levels of physical

activity will address the growing obesity problem

• ‘Little Steps’ will have a big impact

Advertising overview

TV(12 stations)

Radio(29 stations)

Online(search engine

and

Adverts)

Outdoor(bus stop posters,

supermarkets &

trolley handles)

Direct

Marketing(leaflets & posters)

2008 √(Jun-Jul)

(Aug- Sep)

√(Jun-Jul)

(Aug-Sep)

√(Jun-Jul)

(Aug- Sep)

√(Sep)

√(Sep)

2009 √(Mar-Apr)

(Aug-Sep)

√(Mar-Apr)

(June)

(Aug-Sep)

√(Jan-Dec)

√(Sep-Dec)

2010 √(Apr;May)

(Sep-Oct)

√(Jan-Dec)

√(Jan-Dec)

Partnership

State

AgenciesCommunities

Retailers

State Agency Partnerships

• Health Service Executive– Large network of staff, campaign advisory group

• safefood– All-island remit

– Sole focus on food and health

• Health Promotion Agency, Northern Ireland– Involved in Phase 1 –remit was transferred to Public Health

Agency

Agency Partnership

Challenges

Time - longer decision making processes, timeline coordination

Integration and maximisation of networks – long term goal

Restructuring of agencies

RetailersPoint of sale - important influence on food choices

successful pilot with Tesco in 2007 with safefood’s‘superfoods’ campaign

In 2008/9 safefood contacted

11 major retailers

•4 engaged in dialogue

•0 agreed to collaborate

RetailersReasons for declining

•Lack of FREE space in store

•Running own healthy eating campaigns

•Planning 10-12 months ahead – no room for other activities

•Cost

“in process of reducing costs and stripping out „desirable‟ activity versus „essential‟ given the current economic climate. ... I am going to have to reject it as it would be viewed as „desirable‟”

Communities

Communities

•Talked to parents/guardians across social class

•Distributed materials through community groups

“An expert not living in the real world” (Parent, April 2009)

“Yeah well I’m not thinking in the long term, I’m just trying to get

by day by day” (Parent, March 2010)

Time - building relationships– can’t just throw material at them – need involvement/feedback

Partnership

•Essential

•Huge potential

•More time consuming

•Builds on strengths

•Consistent voice and messages

Partnership for Little Steps will be independently evaluated in 2010