The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62580

Paula Londe and Faye Wong, MPH. CDC's Youth Media Campaign, CDC, 4770 Buford Highway, NE., Mailstop K-40, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, 770-488-6480, plonde@cdc.gov

Brand recognition helps audiences be more receptive to messages. Already familiar with the brand and what it represents, messages become part of the “brand personality”, blending calls-to-action with the brand image.

The CDC’s Youth Media Campaign conducted extensive research with youth ages 9-13 (“tweens”) to learn what they think about physical activity. Why do some youth participate and others don’t? Why do some parents encourage activity and others not? These questions were at the core of developing a brand that motivates tweens to be active, and educates parents about the benefits of tweens being active. The “VERB^TM. It’s what you do” brand is the medium through which the Campaign delivers health messages.

This presentation will discuss the value of developing a brand, its impact on audience awareness, and the different approaches of delivering messages via a brand vs prescriptive communications. Additionally, the presentation will outline the research and creative efforts employed to develop the VERB^TM brand.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the session the participant will be able to: Define branding, and List strategic reasons for investing resources in branding efforts.

Keywords: Child Health Promotion, Health Education Strategies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.