Feel good messages

I read recently that ‘food is the drug of choice’ for most people. Retailers are saying much the same thing, with bumper sales of lollies and chocolate. The recession (or at least the threat of one) means people are looking for feel-good experiences.

People frightened by the GFC are less likely to be swayed by threatening health messages. Now is the time to tailor messages to what’s good about food and how the nutrition benefits can help.

OK, so the news media love stories about how this or that food causes cancer or some other dread disease, but the majority of health stories are ones about hope and how some new development will benefit Australians. Think positive and promote good news – it will be far better received.

Did you know?

• Almost 75% of households now have internet access and almost half of internet users purchase at least one product a month, spending on average $200 online.  
  
  
• The internet is a more important source of information than newspapers, radio and television for web users. 
  
  It rates as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ for almost 70% of users; compared to television (33%), newspapers (47%) and radio (46%). 82.9% research products on the internet and over 50% use the internet to look up information about food.
  
  
• Internet users spend less time watching television, listening to radio and reading newspapers than nonusers. So, how effective is your web site?

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