Public Health England is using behavioural science to guide its public information campaigns.
According to Sheila Mitchell, Marketing Director of the body, there is little point trying to persuade people to reduce their alcohol intake in December.
However, she said January provides an “excellent opportunity to reassess and change behaviours.”
Nevertheless, Ms Mitchell stated that it is not enough for Public Health England to persuade people to improve their lifestyles just for a few days.
This, she said, is why it has developed “increasingly sophisticated and user-friendly marketing tools that apply behavioural science to support people on a lasting journey towards better health.”
Public Health England has launched three new campaigns in time for the new year. One is designed to tackle childhood obesity and includes an app called Be Food Smart, which enables parents to identify the sugar, salt and saturated fat content in food products.
The others are aimed at improving adults’ health, with the first focusing on the harmful effects of smoking and the second encouraging people to take control of their diets, physical activity and alcohol intake.
“Every year we see the impact of our work on clinical outcomes, such as more people surviving cancer or strokes,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Now we have the potential to further reduce the terrible toll of these diseases on people’s lives and on our health service.”
Ms Mitchell added that Public Health England’s campaigns will run across various platforms, including TV, digital, outdoor and PR.
How Public Health England’s campaigns will change behaviour in January CampaignLive
