CHAPTER 2: The Message & The Ads

Walking:  A Targeted Physical Activity Message

Developing the Message

Ad Buy

CHAPTER 2 Appendices

Walking:  A Targeted Physical Activity Message

Walking is usually viewed as a means to get from point A to point B.  However, as we age, we notice that walking can become a bit more difficult depending on where point B is located. Until recently, most people never considered walking to be real exercise. 

However, walking is indeed exercise, and may be the best form of exercise. Walking seems to have also presented itself as the exercise most recommended by doctors, physical education teachers, physical therapists, and other health professionals.  

Walking has tremendous possibilities and gets people excited because most everyone can walk.  From the brisk 10-minute lunchtime walk to the 20 K race walk, walking offers fitness opportunities for the beginner as well as the advanced athlete. Therefore, walking gives us the best chance to aggressively address the lack of physical activity prevalent all over America today. 

Facts about Walking

• Walking can be done with one piece of equipment - a good pair of walking shoes.

• Walking can be done alone or with a companion or in groups.  You can decide on a daily basis which one suits you.

• Walking can be done indoors or outdoors. 

• Indoors:  Many walk indoors at home, or at health centers, on treadmills, elliptical machines, or steppers.  Indoor tracks are also available at sport complexes or larger arenas in communities.  Workplaces and churches often designate walking patterns in their buildings for the walker during inclement weather.  Schools have gyms that can be utilized by children during school hours and the community after hours.   The local malls are also great places to walk.

• Outdoors: Many walk outdoors:
• On sidewalks,
• On paved walking trails,
• On paths in the woods, or
• On padded tracks, such as you might find at a local high school.

• Walking can be done to music, to nature, or to conversation.  Your mood can help you determine what is enjoyable on a given day. 

           Note:  A walk has proven to allow family members, friends, and colleagues the chance to get to
           know each other better and spend more time with each other.

• Fitness level does not matter. Simply get off the couch.

• How far and how fast is not an issue in the beginning. 

Our recommendations: 

• Walk at least 30 minutes on most days. “Most days” is defined as 5 days per week.

• Walk at a moderate intensity, that is, “as if you are going somewhere”.  This is neither a casual stroll nor a jog.  Just walk in a determined manner, as if “to get somewhere.”

• Begin with just 10 minutes (everyone has 10 minutes).  Then move up to 20 and 30 minutes when you are ready.

• Walk an hour per day for weight loss.

Benefits of Walking

• Walking assists in managing a healthy weight.  Walking builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat.

• Walking allows for community-wide participation.  Many communities struggle to develop inclusive programs that promote health and prevention. Walking is for everyone.

• Walking is fun.  Because of the non-competitive nature of an afternoon or evening walk, people can enjoy themselves.  Many people find they can speed up or slow down depending on how they feel on a given day or with whom they are walking. 

• Walking relieves stress.  There are few people of any age who do not experience some level of stress in their daily lives.  Taking a walk to get the heart pumping and the limbs moving can enhance well being.  The more active people are, the better they feel.  Research has proven that exercise can be a dynamic stress reliever and energizer.

• Walking enhances overall mental and physical health.  People who walk report feeling more in control, more alert and more positive.  People who walk seem to embrace other sorts of health enhancements.  In many ways, walking is one small but monumental step toward better health. 

• Walking can be done any time of day.  Because the possibilities for walking venues abound, walking can fit your schedule.  Have 10 minutes?  Take a walk.
  

Developing the Message

Effective message development is difficult no matter what the subject.  But developing an effective message about the importance of physical activity is a real challenge. 

Have you ever noticed when Chrysler is trying to sell you a car, they do not actually sell you a Chrysler. They sell you the LeBaron or another specific model.  And when you see a McDonalds commercial, you do not see a picture of the whole menu.  You see a Big Mac or Chicken McNuggets or a special package deal.   This is because these companies have limited time per commercial to explain why you and I should buy their products.  Therefore, they develop specific messages for each product. 

Unfortunately, those of us in health promotion do not have the luxury, time, or money to sell each physical activity option.  So with our limited budgets, we need the biggest bang for our buck.  As a result, we asked ourselves “What physical activity can the most people do?”  And “Which physical activity, if marketed correctly, could get people more active?”  Our answer – Walking.

Deciding on the exact words, images, message for the campaign involved a complicated process directed by research associates.  This process is briefly described in the Introduction and also in an the article: WHEELING WALKS: A Community Campaign Using Paid Media to Encourage Walking among Sedentary Older Adults Reger B, Cooper L, Booth-Butterfield S, Smith H, Bauman A, Wootan M, Middlestadt S, Marcus B, Greer F. Prev Med 2002. Sept;353:285-292.*

*Use of this article was granted with the sole purpose of being included in this manual. This article may not be used in any other way without specific permission.

Important characteristics of the ads include:

• Communicate a clear and understandable message.

• Recommend a specific action (walk 30 minutes a day on almost every day).

• Offer a clear reason why people should walk.

• Outline the benefits of walking.
  

Ad Buy

Cost of Advertisements:  The cost of advertisements depends on many factors including the demographics of the target population and available resources.   Since WHEELING WALKS acted as both a paying customer and a public service campaign, we asked for and received a 2 for 1 ad buy.  That is, we received two advertisement gross rating points for the price of one.  The first advertisement ran in a prime time slot. In this way, the power of our buy was almost doubled. 

Placement of Advertisements:   Placement of WHEELING WALKS radio, television, and newspaper  advertisements must be done by a trained media buyer.  Since our ads were produced by Zimmerman & Markman (Z&M), anyone using our ads is obligated to use Z&M’s media buyer (Call Bill Zimmerman at 310-451-2522).   These professionals have knowledge of the demographics of each media channel and how best to reach the target group(s).  In addition, the Z&M media buyer will help you manage the advertising budget so that the advertising is effectively spread out over the length of the 8-week campaign to sustain the campaign’s momentum.  Furthermore, the advertising plan should be developed several months before your campaign to achieve the best placement and price for your advertisements.

Tips for the Local Coordinator:

When using paid advertising:

• Work with the Zimmerman & Markman media buyer or ad agency.  Provide the buyer or agency with specific information about the local stations.  The general manager of the Wheeling TV station was very motivated to make our program a success and provided even more opportunities to the media buyer.

• Work directly with an ad executive at each media outlet (TV, radio, newspaper). The ad buyer will focus on the ad buy.  You focus on securing PSAs and garnering earned media.

• Gather information about special shows or local events and provide the information to the ad buyer.

• Be sure the ad buyer has the correct list of local TV and radio stations and print media.

• Become familiar with the concept of gross rating points.  The campaign’s impact on the target population is reflected in the TV and radio gross rating points.

Zimmerman & Markman produced two thirty-second television ads, two sixty-second radio ads, and two newspaper ads.  Our Zimmerman & Markman ad agency used our budget to purchase a total of 683 prime time slots on the network-affiliated TV stations and 1,988 radio slots on twelve stations.  Fourteen quarter-page newspaper ads were placed in the local newspapers over the course of the campaign.  (See Appendix 2a for TV ad text, Appendix 2b for radio ad text, and Appendix 2c for newspaper ads.)

CHAPTER 2 Appendices

Appendix 2-a

Click here to view the television ads.

Text for TV Ads

TV Man:

Ted was pooped.

My husband didn’t have the energy for anything.
No matter what I suggested, he said he was just too tired.
Then I saw this commercial that said walking gave you energy.
I knew walking was the easiest way to get the exercise you need.
It said walking was good for the heart and that it helps keep your weight down.
And walking could reduce stress.
But I didn’t know walking actually gives you energy.
I told Ted and he started walking.
Ten minutes a day at first.
Then twenty minutes.
Now, Ted walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.
Some days he takes three, ten-minute walks. That’s good for you, too.
And these days, Ted has the energy for.......well, everything.
Isn’t it time you started walking?

TV Woman:

Jean said she was too busy.

My wife kept saying she didn’t have the time for anything.
I’d make suggestions. But the answer was always,
“I don’t have the time.”
She had the time for her TV soap operas.
Then I saw this commercial on walking.
It said you could start walking ten minutes a day.
That everyone had the time to do that. I knew walking was good for your heart. That it reduced stress and helped you keep your weight down.
But I didn’t know walking just ten minutes at a time would work.
So I told Jean.
And she started walking. Ten minutes a day at first. Then twenty minutes.
Now Jean walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.
That’s just one TV show a day.
Sometimes, she walks it ten minutes at a time. That’s good, too.
These days, Jean has the energy for.......well, everything.
Isn’t it time you started walking?

Appendix 2-b

Click here to listen to the radio ads.

Radio Ad Text

Woman Radio Commercial

Let me tell you about my husband Ted.

Thirty years ago, he was a ball of fire.  The last couple of years though, when Ted came home from work…he was pooped.  He didn’t have the energy for anything.

Then I saw this commercial about walking.

The announcer said, “Walking is the easiest, cheapest way to get all the exercise you need.  It’s good for your heart, you’ll find that walking reduces stress and helps you keep your weight down,”  …then came the clincher…”walking gives you energy.” 

Walking gives you energy, so I told Ted and he started walking. 

The announcer had said, “You can start by walking ten minutes a day”. 

Well, Ted walked ten minutes the first few days then twenty minutes, now he walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.

Ted actually loves walking and these days Ted has the energy for…well, everything.

Isn’t it time you started walking?

This message was paid for by West Virginia University and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Man Radio Commercial

Let me tell you about my wife Jean.

Thirty years ago she had the time for everything: the kids, the house, we’d go out Saturday night, but the last few years with the kids grown…Jean just didn’t seem to have the time for anything.  She had her TV programs, she said she was busy, but then I saw this commercial about walking.

The announcer said, “Walking is the easiest way to get exercise.  It’s good for your heart, it relieves stress and it helps keep your weight down and you don’t have to join a gym to start walking,”…then the announcer said…”you can start walking ten minutes a day.” 

Now everyone has the time to do that.

So I told Jean and she started walking...ten minutes a day at first then twenty. Now she walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.

Jean says that’s just one TV show a day, she actually loves walking and these days Jean has the energy for…well, everything.

Isn’t it time you started walking?

This message was paid for by West Virginia University and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Appendix 2-c

Click here to view the newspaper ads.

Newspaper Ad Text

Man:

Ted was pooped.

My husband didn’t have the energy for anything.

No matter what I suggested, he said he was just too tired.

Then I saw this commercial that said walking gave you energy.

I knew walking was the easiest way to get the exercise you need.

It said walking was good for the heart and that it helps keep your weight down.

And walking could reduce stress.

But I didn’t know walking actually gives you energy.

I told Ted and he started walking.

Ten minutes a day at first.

Then twenty minutes.

Now, Ted walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.

Some days he takes three, ten-minute walks. That’s good for you, too.

And these days, Ted has the energy for.......well, everything.

Isn’t it time you started walking?

Woman:

Jean said she was too busy.

My wife kept saying she didn’t have the time for anything.

I’d make suggestions. But the answer was always,

“I don’t have the time.”

She had the time for her TV soap operas.

Then I saw this commercial on walking.

It said you could start walking ten minutes a day.

That everyone had the time to do that. I knew walking was good for your heart. That it reduced stress and helped you keep your weight down.

But I didn’t know walking just ten minutes at a time would work.

So I told Jean.

And she started walking. Ten minutes a day at first. Then twenty minutes.

Now Jean walks thirty minutes a day, five days a week.

That’s just one TV show a day.

Sometimes, she walks it ten minutes at a time. That’s good, too.

These days, Jean has the energy for.......well, everything.

Isn’t it time you started walking?

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