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Nine months after launching its 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Liverpool' programme, which aimed to halt the rise in obesity by 2010 and reduce it thereafter, Liverpool Primary Care Trust decided to change tack and launch a major social marketing programme.

Having seen how Liverpudlians embraced the concept of European Capital of Culture Year, it felt the best way to promote the programme was a rallying cry that would appeal to local residents and inspire them to get involved.

Research by Liverpool PCT had revealed that locals were aware of the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, but failed in starting and sticking to a plan. What they really wanted, it emerged, was non-judgmental, easy to follow advice.

A City wide teaser campaign using the strapline Liverpool has a million pounds to lose was launched in the local media, including the two media partners Liverpool Echo and Radio City, to encourage a buzz and debate before Liverpool's Challenge officially launched in September 2008.

The 15 month campaign, which initially focussed on getting dieters ready for Christmas and into their party dresses, kicked off with a series of roadshows featuring an experiential 'million pound tanker', which became the mainstay of the campaign, providing a hook and visual feature for the media.

The converted milk tanker, which social marketing executive Louise Wilson admits was also dubbed the 'Fat Tanker' by Liverpudlians, featured a reception desk, at which visitors received starter packs, containing a pedometer, information on healthy eating, vouchers for a free session at local gyms and recipes. They then moved through the tanker to meet dieticians, who offered simple advice and tips, get weighed and measured and make their pledges. A complimentary smoothie bar completed the visit.

Every pledge to lose weight was highlighted on the side of the tanker in what Wilson describes as a 'Blue Peter style barometer, which enabled residents to see how we were doing'.

Teams of promotional staff signed up people on the street, while the trust's health care professionals encouraged people to pledge. Roadshows and advertising campaigns were increased in areas of greater obesity prevalence. It was also possible to pledge to lose weight online, and to share experiences with an online community, including one on Facebook and Twitter, while monthly newsletters highlighted success stories and endorsements from local celebrities, such as Claire Sweeney and Johnny Vegas.

Wilson adds: 'The key thing is that this was just the start of a process for people. We were providing the knowledge and equipment to help them to start thinking about the message, but it was really up to the people to make it happen. It was a free service to start people on their journey.'

Liverpool PCT also worked with companies, such as Boots the Chemist and Nintendo, which provided two Wiis at a New Year roadshow, to spread the message. The trust's dieticians trained the pharmacist at Boots' biggest branch in Liverpool, who in turn trained other pharmacists to offer advice on weight loss and sign up dieters, while branches highlighted weighing scales and put up point of sale promotions about the challenge.

Promising results

Boots even offered a No7 makeover for the winner of one of the bi-monthly competitions held by the Liverpool PCT to keep people engaged and on message.

Partnerships with well-known dieting clubs, such as Slimming World and Weightwatchers, and the media also proved effective. A presenter on Radio City, for example, wanted to lose weight for her wedding, and shared her personal journey with listeners, while the Liverpool Echo ran ten full pages featuring campaign events and two front page features in the six months to February. Today, Liverpool PCT estimates that the challenge generated £600,000 of press coverage and an estimated £1 million of broadcast and online coverage. Almost 150,000 people have pledged to lose 1,005,818lbs.

Targets: by February 2009

• To get half a million pounds pledged
• To generate spontaneous campaign awareness of ten per cent
• To generate prompted campaign awareness of 40 per cent
• To get 50 per cent of the public exercising more
• To get 50 per cent of the public eating more healthily

Results: 24 February

• 503,907 pounds pledged
• 13 per cent spontaneous awareness
• 54 per cent prompted awareness (verbal)
• 72 per cent prompted awareness (visual)
• 67 per cent claim to be exercising more
• 69 per cent claim to be eating more healthily

Using research to plan a campaign

Liam Kelly, head of evaluation, Cision UK

Being faced with a major challenge, the need for a campaign and a blank sheet of paper devoid of ideas is a daunting prospect. Do you start with a creative team, a flipchart and some neon post-it notes? Or by taking the time to research and understand the issue and how the audience might best be reached? The Liverpool Primary Care Trust's Liverpool Challenge project is proof that research first and creative second is a winning combination.

In Liverpool, 20 per cent of the population is obese, and the Liverpool Primary Care Trust was charged with halting the rise of obesity and reducing it. Insight revealed that Liverpudlians found it difficult to start and stick to a healthy eating and exercise plan, and that they felt unsupported and unmotivated. It also revealed the best ways of reaching the population. By framing their pro-active campaign around that research, the Liverpool PCT was able to address the population's concerns and provide real support and motivation.

There is something else that research early on can help you with - setting clear, measurable objectives to allow you to prove your success. The Liverpool PCT's early research revealed the challenge ahead, and allowed them to set objectives that were benchmarked and results-oriented. By focusing on the campaign's outcomes, rather than outputs, the team was able to prove how truly successful they had been.

Five reasons for winning

• Clear strategy
• Well-defined targets
• Clever marketing initiatives
• Strong partnerships
• Engaged consumers at their level

Cision UK

0870 736 0010

www.cision.com

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