2013 Silver Best Customer Journey

Client Public Health England

How did the campaign make a difference? Of those who talk about a New Year's resolution, 26% commit to it and only 10% succeed. 'Chunking' up a big abstract goal, plus supplying a digital support programme, meant around two thirds (62%) achieved what they pledged. Over half (56%) achieved more than previously.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? What better time to get people to make a healthy behavioural change than the New Year? But although people start with good intentions, only 26% make a concrete new year's resolution and of those, only 10% succeed. Early January is a pretty miserable time of year; giving up or cutting down something you enjoy isn't a lot of fun. But those who set themselves a realistic goal based on a small specific behaviour change, instead of a big abstract goal, are more likely to succeed. Rather than trying to 'get fit' they would go for a brisk walk every day. Or eat fruit with breakfast rather than 'eating healthier.' So the strategy was to get people to chunk goals into smaller behaviours and provide them with a motivational support programme.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The digital journey aimed to galvanise people from intention to action, to sustained action. Users picked a goal: move more, quit smoking, eat well, drink less – called, 'I can.' The goal was chunked into 6-8 smaller specific behaviours: 'I will.' This acted as a commitment; participants were encouraged to make their pledge public through Facebook. They received a 28-day motivational programme of tailored support delivered by daily texts +emails or just emails. They could track their progress through a weekly self-reporting feedback mechanic ('I did'), which delivered further motivational messages tailored according to whether they'd kept their pledge, and helped monitor engagement levels and behaviour. The programme delivered tailored hints, tips and motivational messages in bite-size chunks. The feedback loop would congratulate people if they kept to their pledge. And occasional lapses were positioned as temporary setbacks, encouraging them to keep going.

Results Over two thirds (68%) of registrants completed the programme. 75% read the hints and tips in the emails. 24% of people who received emails only, and 20% of who chose text and email, interacted with them. Of those who did interact, 79% replied yes. 79% said it made it easier to stick to their resolution. Over a third made their pledge public. 62% said they achieved what they set out to do, and 56% said they achieved more than on previous attempts.