Here's the Challenge
For more than two decades, Americans have been preached to and educated about eating more fruits and vegetables for better health. Increasing fruit and vegetables consumption has been one of the leading recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines For Americans (DGAs), as well as from most major health-promotion organizations in America—for a very long time.
So, what has actually happened to consumption?
Sadly, not much, even though people say the #1 reason for eating fruits and vegetables is “to stay healthy.” In spite of all the well-intended, public- and nonprofit-sector programs, Americans have been stuck at about 2.5 cups a day for over a decade…one-half of the DGA recommendations of 5 cups a day.
It’s time to take on this challenge. It’s time for a simple and engaging marketing solution with a focus on communicating and achieving the ambitious “5 Cups a Day” goal.
Here's the Solution
The Colors of Health® is a goal-oriented, color-guided fruits and veggies health initiative designed to engage, inspire, and influence all Americans on a daily basis in buying and eating a colorful variety of fruits and veggies, in all 5 forms, helping them strive for and reach the DGA goal of 5 cups a day for better health.
These six strategic dots are connected to provide the marketing and behavior changing power for The Colors of Health Initiative.
The Color Way® Is The Guide. Engagement is the Key
The key strategy in The Colors of Health® initiative is daily, active engagement through color. The well-publicized, science-based, 5-color guidance system, developed by the founders of The Colors of Health®, The Color Way forms the mechanism that guides consumers in shopping for, and eating, a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. The variety in the 5 color groups (red, yellow-orange, white-brown, green, and blue-purple) signals the full spectrum of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and colorful phytochemicals that are necessary for daily nutrition and long-term health. It is almost impossible to eat something from each of the 5 color groupings without increasing variety and quantity.
The concept of daily active engagement is woven into the key messaging of The Colors of Health® initiative. Both in-store andoutside of the shopping environment, The Colors of Health® Daily Tools of Engagement™ use the 5-color system, The Color Way, to guide the “colorful pathway to purchase” and help make it easier—and more fun—to plan, buy, eat, and then track colors and cups every day. The Colors of Health® motivates and activates consumer commitment to the 5 Cups a Day goal.
Key MessagesThe Colors of Health shopper-marketing and communications tools are part of a highly engaging, shopping and eating guidance system for the whole family. It starts with two key messages of The Colors of Health initiative—"Colors Mean Health" and "Eat 5 Cups A Day." The Color Way 5-color model and the colorful measuring cup symbolize the color-guided and goal-oriented approach that's at the heart of the system. |
The Daily Tools of Engagement™
The concept of daily active engagement is woven into the key messaging of The Colors of Health® initiative. Both in-store and outside of the shopping environment, The Colors of Health® Daily Tools of Engagement™ use The Color Way 5-color system to guide the “colorful pathway to purchase” and help make it easier—and more fun—to plan, buy, eat, and then track colors and cups every day. The Colors of Health® motivates and activates consumer commitment to the 5 Cups a Day goal.
Supermarkets:
The “Architects of Healthy Choices”
Because about 70%-80% of all fruits and vegetables consumed today in all their forms—fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice—are either eaten or prepared at home, then America’s supermarkets have a major opportunity to change the way people shop for and eat fruits and vegetables. If supermarkets are, indeed, the “architects of choice,” as proclaimed by Sam Kass, former executive director of Let’s Move, then they are in the best position to make eating 5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day an ever-present message through a well-designed shopper-marketing strategy. With over 400 million shopping occasions every week, at over 36,000 retail outlets, supermarkets, especially those with Registered Dietitians on staff, can do more than other organizations, institutions or agencies to educate, influence, and guide shoppers toward the achievement of 5 Cups a Day for better health.
The Color Way® To 5 Cups A Day
The mission of The Colors of Health® is simple and clear…help get Americans to the 5 Cups a Day goal for better health. Success will be determined based on measurable gains in per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables…in all their forms. Success will also be measured through the economic impact, and the benefits for many business and public health interests resulting from a doubling of fruits and vegetables consumption.
The Colors of Health® is a division of the Food and Wellness Group. The Colors of Health® and The Color Way® are registered trademarks of the Food and Wellness Group.
