Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 1 Marketing Your Healthy Choice Facility Strategies for Promoting Healthy Food and Beverages for Sale

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 2 If I have an apple… “If I have an apple and you have an apple and we exchange apples, we both have one apple. If I have an idea and you have an idea and we exchange ideas, we both have two ideas.” George Bernard Shaw

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 3 Why Are You Here? To learn how to apply effective strategies and tactics in marketing a healthy choice facility

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 4 What Will You Learn? Why a marketing strategy was developed How the branding and marketing components were developed Lessons learned from Phase 1 communities Strategies for future healthy choice communities

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 5 What’s the Problem? 1.New approach = new thinking 2.Return on Investment impact 3.Changing business norm 4.Changing consumer behaviour 5.Getting everyone to see ‘the big picture’ (a healthier population)

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 6 What’s the Solution? Research and case studies Develop core resources Apply, test and evaluate strategies Learn from and share promising practices Adjust strategies from lessons learned

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 7 Why a Marketing Strategy? 1.To connect healthy eating with better health 2.To encourage industry and community engagement 3.To promote consumer engagement 4.To provide tools to help participating sectors and industry

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 8 Branding and Marketing Development Identify primary/linked factors Research best practices Develop graphic design elements and tagline Develop a “menu”of marketing materials

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 9 Marketing Materials Collateral Web Based Resources

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 10 Web-based Resources

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 11 Getting Started: Three Things To Do First 1.Pull together a marketing “ideas” group - make it diverse 2.Review available resources and develop your own “home grown” ideas 3.Decide how you will test your ideas and actions - change things that don’t work - strengthen things that do work

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 12 Applied Ideas Foyer Display Entrance Door Product Placement Talk to your maintenance staff Talk to suppliers about their vending machines Talk to your customers about what they notice

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 13 Think Different Be Creative Locker Door Towel Dispenser Drinking Fountain Treadmill View

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 14 Home Grown Ideas Real traction starts with home grown ideas. –Apply marketing in unexpected places. –Go where the “eyes” are. –Provide healthy food samplers. –Healthy brown bag lunches for kids day programs as a purchase option for parents. –“Healthy rewards” surprises with healthy choice vending purchases. –Close to home - using locally grown produce or hosting ‘pocket markets’. –Find new ways to apply the branding - on clothing, program brochures, activity passes, bookmarks, hand stamps

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 15 What Was Learned? “Communicating early and often” supports buy-in by all stakeholders Pro-active media relations improves understanding & mitigates negative issues Engaging industry (suppliers) as marketing partners pays important dividends Collaborative “team” approach (suppliers, facility staff) ensures continuity and avoids mis-steps

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 16 What Was Learned? Consumer involvement provides feedback for marketing adjustments No “one size fits all” approach - materials and strategies must fit your environment Rec centres are busy places - information overload creates major challenges

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 17 What Was Learned Customers notice when things are “different” Rec centres are busy places - information “overload” is a challenge Repetition and “cutting through the clutter”

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 18 What Was Learned: Going Viral Stuff got stolen. “The kids took them (decals) for their cars.” - Solution: Provide decals as handouts WOMM (Word of Mouth Marketing). One facility found new customers coming “just for lunch” to experience the new healthy choices café menu.

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 19 Ideas For Phase 2 and Beyond Tell “all” stakeholders what you are doing, why you are doing it and how they can be involved Pull a group together to brainstorm Let suppliers manage their vending machines or concession space Inform maintenance staff: “Do not remove” Be creative - think different

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 20 Ideas for Phase 2 and Beyond Review all available resources and pick and choose those that best fit your needs Don’t confuse the public with multiple messaging - keep it consistent Migrate the branding into your own vehicles to leverage existing resources Engage the community in new ways - pocket markets, healthy eating events, taste testing Say it, say it and say it again

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 21 Ideas for Phase 2 and Beyond Commit to the 4 R’s: - Review: Periodically look at what and how you are doing - Renew: Identify and incorporate new strategies and ideas - avoid staleness - Replace: Keep marketing materials present - Repeat: Incorporate the branding and message into other vehicles and opportunities

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 22 A Word About Working With the Media Be proactive. Involve media early so they understand the concept and intent Let the media know what customers think Invite a reporter to lunch Connect media with your suppliers and contractors so they can hear their views Be open and honest Stay “future focused” - the right thing to do

Stay Active Eat Healthy Presentation 23 Marketing Your Healthy Choice Facility Effective Strategies for Promoting Healthy Food and Beverages for Sale