Communicating vs. Marketing Your Well-being Program

In our post today, we will explore the differences between communicating your program to employees and marketing your program.

One of the ways Propel helps our clients achieve better results and build a much greater well-being program brand internally is by utilizing marketing techniques in lieu of a sole focus on communication.

We create targeted strategies with highly customized marketing materials that apply specifically to one or a few groups. This not only increases our impact on an employee’s willingness to participate, but it also builds a reputation for the well-being program.

The program’s reputation drives sustained interest and participation in its offering. That sustained interest produces better results for our clients and requires less effort to gain buy-in.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we do this, schedule a free, no-obligation strategy session with us here.

Now onto the topic at hand.

What’s the difference between communication and marketing?

Many well-being administrators conflate these concepts in health promotion, yet they serve different purposes. Understanding these differences is essential for advancing well-being initiatives.

Communication, at its core, is the exchange of ideas among individuals aimed at sharing information and fostering understanding. It encompasses both formal and informal interactions, focusing on clarity and effectiveness in delivering messages. The goal is to convey information clearly, utilizing specifics, timelines, and factual data.

In contrast, marketing is the art of persuasion, designed to promote specific ideas or outcomes and encourage action. It seeks to showcase the value of desired results, employing strategies that resonate emotionally with audiences.

The scope of communication is broad and adaptable, covering everything from casual conversations to organized presentations, while marketing typically maintains a more targeted focus.

Communication aims for clarity and effectiveness in information delivery, whereas marketing uses persuasive techniques to highlight the benefits of particular actions. It tells compelling stories, illustrating successful outcomes to inspire engagement.

Communication doesn’t always have a defined action associated with the messaging, while marketing encourages prompt responses through clear calls to action.

At their core: communication seeks to inform, while marketing aims to inspire action.

Why is it important to market my well-being program?

Many employees engage with well-being programs only sporadically, treating them as an extracurricular activity rather than an integral part of their work life.

This casual participation often leads to a lack of meaningful engagement, which can undermine the very purpose of these initiatives. Even when employees do participate, they are not invested enough to make that participation count.

At the heart of effective well-being programming lies the importance of communicating a clear value proposition to employees.

That value proposition tells an employee that “this program is valuable enough to not only participate in, but also to really engage.”

Successful well-being initiatives require a compelling reason for participation. To shift employee perceptions and motivate them to engage, it’s essential that they understand the inherent value of the programs being offered. If that value exists but is poorly communicated, participation will likely remain low.

If you are able to communicate the value of your well-being program, you will start seeing better participation, engagement, and true habit formation.

Traditional communication can provide facts and figures to attempt to convince employees the program is worth their time. However, by its very nature, traditional communication struggles to compel. This is where marketing comes in.

Why does marketing work and how do I shift my mindset to begin using it?

Marketing appeals to peoples’ interests.

Interests are important. Every decision we make is based on our self-interest.

We know we ought to eat healthier and practice portion control. We can vehemently agree with our doctor that these things will be good for us.

But when we find ourselves hungry and sitting down to our annual holiday feast, our self-interest does not prioritize dieting.

In those moments, we act on an inclination towards the choice that seems to be in our best interest. That inclination isn’t simply influenced by facts, but also by desire and emotion.

Marketing seeks to compel by using language that persuades us towards a specific inclination, appealing to our emotions and desires.

When we start using this language to communicate with our employee population, we aim to increase their inclination toward healthier behaviors.

Language choice in marketing is strategic, employing powerful words and rhetorical techniques to build desire.

Marketing frequently incorporates storytelling elements to captivate its audience, making messages more memorable and relatable. Informative communication, on the other hand, focuses on coherence and clarity.

Audience targeting is another critical factor that sets marketing apart.

Targeted marketing develops messages for specific demographics, tailoring content to meet the unique needs of select groups. This personalization fosters a sense of relevance and connection.

We use that connection to build stronger inclinations toward positive behaviors.

Marketing is not an optional skill for the well-being professional; it is a fundamental competency that enhances the ability to convey not only the "what," and "how," but also the "why" of health promotion.

Implications for the well-being administrator:

• Marketing can change the way your employees perceive your well-being program in relation to their interests.

• Adopting a marketing mindset means explaining the “why” of your program.

• Your job is also to win people over to adopt healthier habits, not just inform them of the program.

If you like this content, share it with other well-being administrators.

We’re committed to discussing challenges common to well-being leaders and presenting practical solutions that increase the wisdom of all well-being professionals.