Physical Activity Strategy Initiative

Active Is…Promoting Physical Activity

Communities around the province are using the Marketing Action Plan (M.A.P.) to promote physical activity.  Implementing awareness campaigns promoting the benefits and opportunities for active living will help you get the attention and the participation of many people especially those who need it most – individuals between the ages of 35 – 54 who are less physically active.

Here are some examples of how M.A.P. tools and templates are being used to motivate people to get active.

Active Is What You Make It Campaigns

The following campaigns are using ads, posters, activity prompts, radio spots and more to spread the word and promote physical activity.  Click on the links below to see how they are using the “Active Is What You Make It” theme to raise awareness.   Check back here to see additional examples as they are posted in the coming months.

Come and Play, Active is Accessible (Powell River Sport Disability Club)

The Powell River Sport Disability Club is promoting access to recreation to all members of the community, in particular adults with physical and/or developmental disabilities. The campaign uses posters, banners, brochures print ads, radio spots and more to spread the word about the opportunities for physical wellness for everyone. Flyer Print Ad Radio PSA Script Promotional Tattoo (Washable) Peak Live.ca (Community Online Forum – Members can post event information, contribute to the blog, upload photos and videos, join groups and more)

Bike to Work Week Prince George (The Fraser Basin Council)

The Fraser Basin Council launched Bike to Work Week Prince George to promote the first official bike to work week event and engage residents to participate in active transportation. Their promotions resulted in over 70 workplace teams being registered and 325 cyclists participated. The campaign encouraged 86 participants to try cycling to work for the first time. BTWW Activity Prompt Poster BTWW Poster featuring community cyclists Radio Spot Script

Activity Ambassadors Campaign (City of Campbell River)

The City of Campbell River Parks, Recreation and Culture department and the Active Communities team are implementing the Activity Ambassadors Campaign. They plan to enlist champions in the community to engage less active adults with low incomes to get active. They developed campaign kits for use by the champions at the Community Service Agencies, Parks and Recreation facilities and clubs to help them break down the barriers for the target audience to participate. They also increased awareness in the broader community with posters, articles in the local newspapers, interviews and more. Press Release (Campbell River released this press release which resulted in campaign coverage in two local newspapers and a radio interview) Campbell River Mirror article Courier-Islander article Campbell River Active Grant Radio Interview (mp3)

Iskut Kickstart your Heart Initiative (Town of Iskut)

Iskut Valley Health Services is implementing the Iskut Kickstart Your Heart initiative which will promote healthier lifestyle choices relating to physical activity, nutrition and living smoke-free. The campaign was launched with a community-wide walk to introduce the weekly activity challenges which will be promoted in the participants Activity Passports. Participants were provided Activity Logs which will tally their weekly activities. Completed activity logs were used for incentive prize draws of food vouchers or healthy food boxes. The community plans to participate in the Terry Fox Run in September and will send a delegate to attend Sun Run training in October to learn training skills to train a group for next years Sun Run. The campaign was promoted using posters, newsletters, mail memos and street banners. Active Is Easy Event Poster Active Is Easy Activity Log

Active is Spring Alive (Bella Coola)

Spring Alive was a promotional campaign designed to raise awareness to Bella Coola’s first fitness room – its location, programming and partnerships. The 12 week campaign promoted a series of fun and diverse activities like the Tour de Bella Coola, a Yoga Retreat, Ball, Belly Dance and Step classes and weight training under the supervision of Fitness Consultants. They incorporated earned media (articles) with advertisiments and promoted at events like Move for Health Day to raise awareness to the new space, foster community spirit and inspire participation in physical activity. Active Is Cyclists (jpeg) Run, Ride, Paddle Event Celebration(jpeg) Spring Activity Flyer Spring Active Advertisement Belly Dance Flyer Fitness Room Flyer Coast Mountain News - April 16, 2009 Coast Mountain News - April 30, 2009 Coast Moutain News - May 14, 2009

Get Up, Get Active Comox Valley! (Active Comox Valley)

Active Comox Valley launched a campaign to inspire residents to participate in physical activity by promoting low-cost or free opportunities to get active. The campaign is a partnership between the City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Regional District, Black Creek Community Association and Fanny Bay Community Association to reach residents Valley-wide including the outlying areas where resident do not have easy access to recreation programs and facilities. The campaign incorporated multiple communication vehicles to get their message to their target audience: a brochure, print ads, radio ads and mentions, posters, banners, pubic relations (press release, events, and partnerships) and website marketing. Comox Print Ads Radio Spot - Active Is Healthy Radio Spot - Active Is Easy Radio Spot - Active Is Community Active Comox Brochure Active Comox Banner Comox Valley Living Article

Bike to Work Week Challenge Campaign (City of Revelstoke)

The City of Revelstoke launched a campaign to inspire active transportation – promoting cycling as opposed to vehicle transportation for your commute to work. They promoted Bike to Work week as a great opportunity for cyclist to try commuter cycling and encourage it as a lifestyle choice. They got the message out to the community using workplace promotions, posters, print ads, earned media (press release, articles), events (commuter stations), incentive prizes and the web to track success and help motivate workplace teams. BTWW Poster Event Celebration Station(jpeg) Community Partners (BC Hydro) at the event support participants(jpeg) Three Cyclists enjoying the ride(jpeg) Editorial Cartoon Times Review Article Letter to the Editor Post event thank you ad Commuter team at the re-fuelling station Event Ad Event Ad (poster version)

Helping Adults Get Active (City of New Westminster)

The City of New Westminster ran a 10-week campaign, Helping Adults Get Active, with positive and inspirational ads promoting the benefits of physical activity. The success of the campaign was due in large part to the integration of print advertising, website promotions, promotions on the community message board and weekly posters in all of the City facilities. Communications vehicles included posters, flyers, print ads, press release, and website promotions. Active is Flyers Active is Posters Active is Print Ads Press Release

Everybody Active Initiative – Community Campaigns

BCRPA’s Everybody Active initiative provided grants, workshops and resources to support communities to learn about the social factors that lead to inactivity and support their work to develop strategies to remove barriers to participation.

The District of Kent

In the Summer of 2009 the District of Kent received an Everybody Active Seed grant. The purpose of their grant project was to address two key areas highlighted in a 2008 Leisure Needs Assessment – reaching out to non-users specifically those with limited financial resources and to expand the role of bringing service providers together to leverage resources. To reach out to non-users and encourage participation they are using M.A.P marketing tools to promote healthy changes and getting active in 2010. An incentive based fitness challenge was launched in January to help residents establish healthy habits and stick with them. Fitness/Activity Center Guests are being encouraged to go to the gym as much as possible - each visit receives a stamp which can be redeemed for exercise related merchandise like workout towels. An All Inclusive Fair on January 30, 2010 was also promoted in conjunction with the fitness challenge to provide residents with information about all of the opportunities for active living in the community. They used posters, a brochure and public relations to promote the fair, fitness challenge and active living. Active is Community Fair Event Poster Agassiz All Inclusive Brochure Agassiz All Inclusive Flyer Agassiz All Inclusive Flyer/Activity Schedule Agassiz Fair (photo) District of Kent - In the news All Inclusive Thank You

Walk BC Walking Program Promotions

BCRPA’s Walk BC initiative provides grants and training to assist communities with the development, implementation and/or enhancement of introductory walking programs for inactive adults. A key component of training is a session devoted to marketing and promotions using the Marketing Action Plan (M.A.P.). Participants learn how to motivate individuals in their community using a variety of marketing techniques and the M.A.P. templates. Check out how these organizations are raising awareness about the benefits of walking and inspiring individuals to join their walking programs.

Mid-Main Community Health Centre

Pandora Yeung, the Program Coordinator and Certified Parent Educator for the Parents As Teachers Program at the Mid-Main Community Health Centre, received a Walk BC grant to launch and implement a walking group that meets weekly in the Mid-Main area. This group is reaching out adults 35 and older who face barriers to achieving and maintaining good health and fitness. They have developed a brochure to promote this walking program and plan to post information on their website, distribute flyers and work with partner agencies to spread the word about this opportunity through referrals. Walk in Shape (brochure)