PBH prepares for national rollout of new campaign
PBH prepares for national rollout of new campaign
As the March 19 national rollout date nears, the Produce for Better Health Foundation is putting the finishing touches on its new "More Matters" campaign.
As part of that process, PBH President Elizabeth Pivonka is racking up the frequent flier miles pitching the program to various individuals and groups around the country. Recently, she gave a presentation on the new campaign, its background and goals to a couple of hundred attendees of the Feb. 7 membership luncheon meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council in Southern California. She also spoke with The Produce News later in that same week to elaborate on the subject matter.
PBH announced at its annual board meeting in San Francisco that it was switching from the well-known 5 A Day campaign to its new tagline in March. While PBH and its many partners have had a year to ramp up for the transition to the new campaign, Ms. Pivonka said, "Frankly, I wish we had a little more time. In hindsight, a couple of more months would be great, but we'll get it done."
Many different groups partner with PBH on the campaign to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the American Diabetic Association, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 50 state departments of health or agriculture, not to mention more than 130 suppliers from the produce industry.
"It takes a long time to get every one on the same timetable," she allowed. Besides the practical consideration that all the 5 A Day material that all these partners had in inventory had to be used up, the government partners had to work through their own bureaucracies to even sign on to the program. It is no secret that one of America's more significant food-consumption problems is obesity, with the general axiom being that people eat too much. Thus, supporting a campaign asking them to eat "more" of anything has its issues.
But Ms. Pivonka said that extensive research proved that virtually everyone - male and female, young and old, and every ethnic group or demographic category - can benefit by eating more fruits and vegetables.
Subsequently, all the government partners agreed to support the campaign - but that has taken time.
With the rollout imminent, Ms. Pivonka is selling the concept, the research behind it and the target group.
The 5 A Day campaign did an excellent job of building awareness of the concept that increased consumption of fruits and vegetable is a good thing, she said, but it was limited in its message. Research has shown that the correct number of servings for any individual can vary from five to 13 depending upon age, weight, gender and general health. And the 5 A Day message did not result in a major consumption increase.
The new campaign is designed to create action and move the consumption needle. As such, "More Matters" is geared toward mothers, especially Generation X mothers. The messages have been designed to move moms to action with regard to putting more fruits and vegetables in their families' diets.
While the look of the American family has changed, and fathers do share in shopping duties, the PBH executive said, "Moms are still largely the decision- makers in what the family eats."
And targeting mothers has no negatives. Other groups can still hear the message without tuning it out.
The decision to specifically target Generation X mothers, according to Ms. Pivonka, is based on generational marketing research that shows mothers between the ages of 29 and 41 react to a specific type of promotion. As a group, they are swayed by what their peers think. The campaign will invite these women to join others in improving the health of their family and children. This has proven to be a powerful motivator for this group. Peer marketing will be used extensively on the PBH web site and in collateral material. Though targeting Generation X mothers, research shows that Baby Boomer mothers also react positively to this message. It is not their main driver, but it has no negatives attached to it.
Ms. Pivonka said that the positioning of the message is very important if PBH wants to succeed. Her presentation relayed the success the Texas Department of Transportation had in reducing litter on its highways by launching a "Don't mess with Texas" campaign. Appealing to litter-happy young males from 18 to 34, the message spoke to their macho image of themselves while not offending others. It was hugely successful, reducing litter by 72 percent in just five years.
"When the Texas campaign was launched, some people advocated putting 'please' in front of it. That wouldn't have worked. 'Please, don't mess with Texas' wouldn't have sent the same message," Ms. Pivonka said.
When announcing the campaign a year ago, the PBH board was obviously very proud of the research work it had done and the message that came out of that work. The conviction that this switch in directions is the right course comes through loud and clear when listening to the head of that foundation.
But Ms. Pivonka also knows that changing habits is a difficult process that will take years to accomplish. PBH will monitor its progress by studying changes in the attitude of its target group. A baseline study is currently underway to chronicle the knowledge and attitudes of mothers with regard to providing a healthy diet for their families. In about three years, a follow-up study will be conducted to see if those attitudes have been changed in a positive manner.
Ms. Pivonka said that to achieve a successful behavioral change (mothers serving their families more fruits and vegetables), an attitude change has to precede it.
PBH will also conduct actual consumption studies, but those are more expensive and will be done at greater intervals. Ms. Pivonka said the "More Matters" campaign should last at least 10-15 years.
Another important aspect of the campaign, according to Ms. Pivonka, is that all fruit and vegetable providers -- including fresh, frozen, canned and juice - are being invited to participate. This inclusive effort recognizes the research showing that all forms of the product are good for you, and also harnesses the promotional efforts of many more partners under a single umbrella.
For the campaign's launch on Monday, March 19, PBH will utilize a Safeway store in San Francisco as a backdrop for the public announcement. In addition, PBH representatives are currently attempting to entice the national morning news shows to cover the opening of the campaign or book a representative on those well-watched shows.
"More Matters" partners around the country will be using the logo on packaging and conducting local events to create a national buzz.
As part of that process, PBH President Elizabeth Pivonka is racking up the frequent flier miles pitching the program to various individuals and groups around the country. Recently, she gave a presentation on the new campaign, its background and goals to a couple of hundred attendees of the Feb. 7 membership luncheon meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council in Southern California. She also spoke with The Produce News later in that same week to elaborate on the subject matter.
PBH announced at its annual board meeting in San Francisco that it was switching from the well-known 5 A Day campaign to its new tagline in March. While PBH and its many partners have had a year to ramp up for the transition to the new campaign, Ms. Pivonka said, "Frankly, I wish we had a little more time. In hindsight, a couple of more months would be great, but we'll get it done."
Many different groups partner with PBH on the campaign to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the American Diabetic Association, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 50 state departments of health or agriculture, not to mention more than 130 suppliers from the produce industry.
"It takes a long time to get every one on the same timetable," she allowed. Besides the practical consideration that all the 5 A Day material that all these partners had in inventory had to be used up, the government partners had to work through their own bureaucracies to even sign on to the program. It is no secret that one of America's more significant food-consumption problems is obesity, with the general axiom being that people eat too much. Thus, supporting a campaign asking them to eat "more" of anything has its issues.
But Ms. Pivonka said that extensive research proved that virtually everyone - male and female, young and old, and every ethnic group or demographic category - can benefit by eating more fruits and vegetables.
Subsequently, all the government partners agreed to support the campaign - but that has taken time.
With the rollout imminent, Ms. Pivonka is selling the concept, the research behind it and the target group.
The 5 A Day campaign did an excellent job of building awareness of the concept that increased consumption of fruits and vegetable is a good thing, she said, but it was limited in its message. Research has shown that the correct number of servings for any individual can vary from five to 13 depending upon age, weight, gender and general health. And the 5 A Day message did not result in a major consumption increase.
The new campaign is designed to create action and move the consumption needle. As such, "More Matters" is geared toward mothers, especially Generation X mothers. The messages have been designed to move moms to action with regard to putting more fruits and vegetables in their families' diets.
While the look of the American family has changed, and fathers do share in shopping duties, the PBH executive said, "Moms are still largely the decision- makers in what the family eats."
And targeting mothers has no negatives. Other groups can still hear the message without tuning it out.
The decision to specifically target Generation X mothers, according to Ms. Pivonka, is based on generational marketing research that shows mothers between the ages of 29 and 41 react to a specific type of promotion. As a group, they are swayed by what their peers think. The campaign will invite these women to join others in improving the health of their family and children. This has proven to be a powerful motivator for this group. Peer marketing will be used extensively on the PBH web site and in collateral material. Though targeting Generation X mothers, research shows that Baby Boomer mothers also react positively to this message. It is not their main driver, but it has no negatives attached to it.
Ms. Pivonka said that the positioning of the message is very important if PBH wants to succeed. Her presentation relayed the success the Texas Department of Transportation had in reducing litter on its highways by launching a "Don't mess with Texas" campaign. Appealing to litter-happy young males from 18 to 34, the message spoke to their macho image of themselves while not offending others. It was hugely successful, reducing litter by 72 percent in just five years.
"When the Texas campaign was launched, some people advocated putting 'please' in front of it. That wouldn't have worked. 'Please, don't mess with Texas' wouldn't have sent the same message," Ms. Pivonka said.
When announcing the campaign a year ago, the PBH board was obviously very proud of the research work it had done and the message that came out of that work. The conviction that this switch in directions is the right course comes through loud and clear when listening to the head of that foundation.
But Ms. Pivonka also knows that changing habits is a difficult process that will take years to accomplish. PBH will monitor its progress by studying changes in the attitude of its target group. A baseline study is currently underway to chronicle the knowledge and attitudes of mothers with regard to providing a healthy diet for their families. In about three years, a follow-up study will be conducted to see if those attitudes have been changed in a positive manner.
Ms. Pivonka said that to achieve a successful behavioral change (mothers serving their families more fruits and vegetables), an attitude change has to precede it.
PBH will also conduct actual consumption studies, but those are more expensive and will be done at greater intervals. Ms. Pivonka said the "More Matters" campaign should last at least 10-15 years.
Another important aspect of the campaign, according to Ms. Pivonka, is that all fruit and vegetable providers -- including fresh, frozen, canned and juice - are being invited to participate. This inclusive effort recognizes the research showing that all forms of the product are good for you, and also harnesses the promotional efforts of many more partners under a single umbrella.
For the campaign's launch on Monday, March 19, PBH will utilize a Safeway store in San Francisco as a backdrop for the public announcement. In addition, PBH representatives are currently attempting to entice the national morning news shows to cover the opening of the campaign or book a representative on those well-watched shows.
"More Matters" partners around the country will be using the logo on packaging and conducting local events to create a national buzz.
