360DigitalInfluence

We’ve all heard the messages…exercise…eat healthy…quit smoking…talk to your doctor about your heart health. But what does it take to foster real behavior change? Empowerment efforts like the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign? Engagement initiatives like the truth campaign? Does it take a change in social norms?

Today, I’m happy to announce the newest addition to the Ogilvy blog network…Social Marketing exCHANGE. Authored by members of the Ogilvy’s Social Marketing team, the exCHANGE will focus on any and all topics related to the application of social marketing and behavior change communications to address public health and social issues.

What is Social Marketing? How do you promote behavior change? How can social media support awareness for social issues? Does it require a change in policy to real make a change in public health and safety? These are some of the issues we will be discussing on the exCHANGE.

Our work has addressed some of the most important issues of our time, ranging from health, safety, and risk communications to environmental stewardship and community development. Specific areas of focus have included HIV/AIDS, heart disease and stroke, pandemic influenza, global health, nutrition, cancer prevention and treatment, homeland security, emergency preparedness, driving and transportation safety, dating and youth violence, and community conservation.

Here are a couple of our first posts…

Let the dialogue begin! – What we hope to accomplish with Social Marketing exCHANGE
An Identity Crisis for Social Marketing – Distinguishing Social Marketing from Social Media
Getting Smart on Gov2.0…Fast! – A Collection of useful sites to stay sharp on Gov2.0

So stop by the exCHANGE. Wonder out loud.  Take issue.  Raise questions.  Advance ideas. Share experiences and perspective.  Voice your opinions. We look forward to creating a space where all of these important issues can be discussed.

The CDC’s National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media starts tomorrow with an amazing lineup of presenters and keynote speakers. The conference is in its third year and brings together social marketing practitioners, academia, public health practitioners and many others to discuss best practices in health communications and marketing.

I am thrilled to be going to this conference and am looking forward to learning from some of the best social marketing practitioners and thought leaders in the country. I plan on blogging about my experience here on the Fresh Influences Blog with my colleague Kristin Parrish. You can also follow our Tweets @KFoster926 or @sarahmarchetti or follow the conference hashtag #NCHCMM. If you are attending the conference, Alex Rampy wrote a great post you should check on on 5 Ways to Prep for the CDC Conference.

Several representatives from Ogilvy PR’s Digital Influence and Social Marketing teams will be speaking at the conference. If you are going, please stop by our sessions:

Partnering with the AME Church to Educate African Americans about P.A.D. - Erica G.Taylor (International A/B) Tuesday, 2:15 — 3:45 p.m

Twitter Best Practices for Nonprofits and Health Communicators - Sarah Marchetti (Grand Ballroom A/B)Tuesday, 2:15 — 3:45 p.m

Motivating Women to Address Risk Factors for Heart Disease by Creating an Online Community with Customized Social Media Tools - Emily Yu and Kristin Foster (Poster Session)Wednesday, 9:30 — 10:15 a.m

Redefining Teen Health Communications Through Social Media - Trish Eitel Taylor and Caitlin Douglas (Cottonwood A/B) Wednesday, 10:15 — 11:45 a.m

Policy Advocacy: The Fifth “P” of Health Marketing - Bryan Callahan (Dogwood A/B) Thursday, 10 — 11:30 a.m

You can check out the program book for full descriptions of these sessions and all the other presentations that will be going on over the next three days.

Do you have any questions for us while we’re there? Any content you’d like to see here on Fresh Influences that Kristin and I can collect for you? Let us know in the comments.