Demonstrating the Capabilities and Influence of Social Media through the Reach of Houston, Texas' Go Healthy Houston Initiative

Background:  Social media has become an integral part of everyday life. As social messages become the norm, more government and public health campaigns have utilized social media to support, promote, and increase the spread of information. The City of Houston has implemented social media tools and resources to expand the growth and reach of the Go Healthy Houston (GHH) initiative. 

Program background:  Go Healthy Houston is an initiative led by public and private partners aimed to improve health by increasing access to healthy foods, physical activity, and tobacco-free places. Established by an Executive Order in 2012, the GHH Task Force is an organized way for the City of Houston to solicit community feedback and involvement in policies and programs that improve the health of the community and is known for its collaborative health community, creative solutions to urban health issues, and positive health outcomes. The purpose of the initiative includes being advocates for healthy living, looking for opportunities to collaborate with existing organizations in the city to leverage resources, communicating information and serving as a resource for health and wellness in the Houston area, and influencing the Houston community that will make “the healthy choice the easy choice” in Houston. GHH consists of public health campaigns and social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In addition to social media, the branding and marketing for GHH also includes a logo, a tagline, and a website. 

Evaluation Methods and Results:  A review of data collected throughout 2015-2016, including demographics, reach, timelines of different media campaigns and the effects of their impressions throughout Houston, Texas, has been reported.  The primary social media channels used to collect data include Google Analytics, Facebook, and Twitter. Data from Google Analytics revealed a 314% increase in page sessions from early 2015 to late 2016. GHH Facebook impressions increased by 316% from the same time period. Additionally, for the Sunday Streets Campaign Facebook impressions, data revealed a 338% increase. 

Conclusions:  Marketing and social media have expanded the reach of the GHH initiative and encompassing campaigns. The City of Houston has also collaborated and partnered with multiple entities, including United Health Care, American Lung Association, Houston Food Bank, Harris Health System, Discover Health, Nestle, Cigna, and others, to further expand reach throughout the city. In conclusion, social media can serve as a place to gain important information not only for chronic diseases, health events, and valuable resources to improve or support a healthier way of living, but also to reach a broader audience on a wide variety of topics. 

Implications for research and/or practice:  Social media provides a channel for disseminating literature and best practices related to the promotion of healthy eating and active living, direct consumer education and promotion of activities and opportunities within a specified area or target audience. This report demonstrates that implementing social media tools and resources, along with establishing and growing partnerships and collaborations, can expand the reach of initiatives and lead to improved health outcomes.