Power Your Life! Utah's Preconception Health Media Social Marketing Campaign

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: In 2008, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), motivated by CDC guidelines on preconception health, won a grant to initiate a campaign targeted to low-income women of childbearing age.  According to the Utah Behavior Risk Survey and CDC data, poor birth outcomes can be prevented through holistic attention to women’s health before pregnancy. Can a social marketing campaign increase healthy preconception behaviors in this population? Hypothesis: The campaign would raise awareness and motivate change by:

• Targeting key populations with culturally-appropriate strategies and free products
• Forming strategic community partnerships with trusted sources
• Grounding campaign messages and strategy in formative research and evaluation

Objectives: Based on in-depth formative research, the target audiences were narrowed to: young women (18-24); minority populations (American Indians, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Latinas); pregnant women; and healthcare providers.  The campaign aimed to (1) raise awareness about preconception health behaviors, and (2) to increase women’s consumption of vitamins with folic acid.  It addressed physical health, sexual health, mental health, relationships, drugs/alcohol/tobacco use, and pregnancy spacing.  

Methods: SUMA/Orchard Social Marketing, Inc. designed and implemented the campaign on behalf of UDOH using: audience segmentation; formative research with key stakeholders (N=27), women in preconception and interconception phases (10 focus groups, 30 in-depth interviews) and healthcare providers (4 focus groups); Research-Based Campaign Strategy:

• Designed/developed/distributed Power Bags (with 90-day supply of folic acid vitamins, health magazine, campaign bracelet).
• Paid and Earned Media (radio/television/print/web, Spanish/English) promoted www.PowerYourLife.org for health information and Power Bag registration.
• Community Outreach through health fairs, cultural celebrations (e.g., Pow Wows) and community partnerships
• Website Development
• Direct Mail of 5,000 Power Your Life magazines to 18 year-old women with Medicaid.
• Continuing Medical Education workshop for healthcare professionals, featuring nationally-renowned speakers.

Results: Evaluation included a telephone survey and website analytics as well as internet and continuing education workshop surveys.

• Substantial website traffic (15,462 visits) and distribution of 10,000 Power Bags.
• “Extremely effective” continuing education workshop, as evaluated by attendees.
• Statewide phone survey findings (N=402 per wave):
  • Awareness of folic acid ads increased 13% from pre-wave to post-wave.
  •  Improved target audience attitudes and behaviors: Respondents aware of the campaign were 3x more likely to consider “taking folic acid” important and 7x more likely to be taking a daily vitamin with folic acid. 
  • Significant increase in folic acid intake among young (+20%), non-white (+35%), and pregnant respondents (+61%). 

Conclusions: Power Your Life was a dynamic, cost-effective social marketing campaign that leveraged multiple outreach channels to reach diverse audiences with a limited timeframe (6 months) and budget.  It was grounded in extensive formative research, message and strategy testing/refining with target audiences, and strategic professional and grassroots partnerships.  This campaign’s success is a result of identifying the right messages/strategies to drive women to a website for education and products.

Implications for research and/or practice: This campaign offers a promising national model to follow.  If such a campaign could be sustained over a longer period of time, it could create long-lasting effects on women’s health behaviors and birth outcomes.