In a state where 1 in 3 adults are considered obese and 1 in 6 high school students are already overweight or obese, the stakes for public health messaging couldn’t be higher. Our client, Shape Your Future, a program of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, understands the obesity epidemic isn’t just about numbers – it’s about people. We knew we had to do something different to make healthy living feel achievable and within reach for everyday Oklahomans.
So, we asked ourselves: How do we break through common barriers like time, money, and access to create real, lasting behavior change?
The Health Quiz: A Two-Minute Path to Self-Awareness
The cornerstone of our campaign was a simple but powerful tool: an 8-question Health Quiz. It was designed to assess a person’s current habits and health status quickly, taking less than two minutes to complete. No emails needed to get results, no signups, no barriers. Just fast, free, and personalized health feedback.
Questions covered a variety of topics from fruit and veggie intake to physical activity, smoking and sleep habits. Based on the user’s answers, we provided immediate, customized feedback with actionable recommendations for improvement or validation that they were already on the right path.
This wasn’t just about education. It was about empowerment.
Launching the Campaign: Real People, Real Results
To promote the quiz, we launched a campaign called “Self-Awareness” powered by paid digital ads on Meta, Google, and paid search. Our audience targeting was intentionally designed to reach our clients' intended audience. We focused on Oklahomans with household incomes between $25,000 and $50,000, in both rural and urban areas, including adults with and without children. We also accounted for environmental factors like fast-food saturation and limited access to fresh groceries.
To drive authenticity, we shared testimonial videos featuring two Oklahoma women who had made significant lifestyle changes. Their stories weren’t just inspiring, they were relatable. We wanted to target audience to truly see themselves in these testimonials and showcase how even small changes could lead to big, meaningful transformations for themselves and their families.
What Happened When We Met People Where They Are
The results? In just four weeks of the campaign being live, nearly 800 Oklahomans not only saw our ads but clicked through and completed the quiz. That’s 800 people, potentially 800 households, choosing to reflect on their habits and take their first step toward a healthier life.
These clicks represent more than simple engagement; they reflect moments of self-awareness that serve as the critical first step toward lasting behavior change.
The Takeaway
Public health marketing isn’t easy. It takes strategic thinking, audience research and insights, and a deep understanding of what truly motivates behavior change. You have to reach the right people, with the right message, at the right time. But when you do, it’s magic.
By combining authentic storytelling, data-driven targeting and an easy-to-use tool, our campaign didn’t just raise awareness; it inspired action. In the world of public health, that’s the kind of impact we strive for.
