Global Survey Finds Corporate Involvement in Health Drives Trust, Purchases, Recommendations and Investment
London – The British public expects businesses outside of the health industry – such as food and beverage, entertainment, and media – to be involved in health in ways that go beyond the health of their employees, according to the 2010 Edelman Health Engagement Barometer. The annual study, carried out across 11 countries, examines the public’s attitudes toward health and business’s role in health issues. Half (49 percent) of people in the UK trust a company more that is effectively engaged in health and a similar percentage (48 percent) either recommend or buy products from those companies. However, currently only 23% of UK respondent believe business is doing a good job of engaging in health.
Around half of people in the UK believe it is important for industries such as the food and beverage industry (51%) and brewing and spirits companies (50%) to educate the public on health topics related to their products or services and to communicate the health risks of those products or services (50% and 49% respectively). Further, half in Britain believe the food and beverage industry should help address obesity (52%).
“Businesses are now expected to play a role in advancing health” said Steven Spurr, managing director, Health, Edelman. “For a company to be prosperous and relevant in the future, it has to make health part of its social contract with all stakeholders and a core part of its business strategy.”
The study also found that while well over half in Britain (61 percent) believe business should be engaged in helping employees and their families lead healthier lives, eight in 10 (84 percent) believe companies should be engaging in other ways, too. For example, over half (56 percent) believe it is important for business to support the health of its local communities, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) believe it is important for business to educate the public on health topics related to its products or services, and around the same number (63 percent) believe it is important for business to create new products or services that maintain and improve personal health. Another 59 percent believe business should help to address obesity.
“Business is in the process of regaining public trust in the wake of the global economic crisis,” said Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman. “Trust and transparency are now as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services provided. Factoring the fundamentals of personal and public health into business strategies is key to rebuilding confidence.”
Expectations Vary By Industry
The study also explored the public’s expectations of how 10 industries should engage in health. The industries ranged from those traditionally associated with health – such as biopharma and medical products, OTC health and personal care products, and healthcare providers – to consumer technology, banking and finance, food and beverage, retail, and media and entertainment.
Results indicated that every industry should engage in health, but priorities varied by industry. For example:
- Food and beverage: Priorities included communicating the health risks of its products or services (50 percent); educating the public on health topics related to its products or services (51 percent); helping to address obesity (52 percent); helping employees and their families lead healthier lives (44 percent); and creating new products or services that maintain or improve health (41 percent).
- Brewing and spirits: Priorities included communicating the health risks of its products or services (49 percent); educating the public on health topics related to its products or services (50 percent); helping employees and their families lead healthier lives (39 percent);
- Biopharma and medical products industry: The key priority involved creating new products or services that maintain or improve health (55 percent).
Health is Both Personal and Public
The study also found that people in the UK view health as both a personal and public issue. In fact, a majority reported being engaged in their own health (83 percent) and that of their family (79 percent), as well as in the health of people in their countries (39 percent), communities (33 percent) and the world (31 percent).
“This convergence of personal and public health provides insights for governments, employers, public health officials, healthcare providers, and other influencers who seek to persuade people to take actions to improve their health and motivate others to do the same,” said Mr. Spurr. “When it comes to health, we need to get past thinking of individuals only as patients and engage them as consumers, voters, employees, investors, caregivers, and citizens.”
Motivating Behavior Change Requires More Than New Information
The study found that life moments – such as becoming a parent, retiring, or aging – and changes in or threats to a loved one’s health ranked above new information – such as advice from a healthcare professional, news reports, or learning about new treatment options – as factors that motivated people to better care for their health. For example, 23 percent of respondents in the UK said aging has motivated them to take better care of their or their family’s health, while only 14 percent said learning about new prevention or treatment options has been a motivating factor.
“This finding sheds light on why information alone is not sufficient to motivate people to improve their health,” said Mr. Spurr. “Key to motivating real behavior change is to deliver new information in conjunction with a personal life moment or at a time when a loved one is facing a health challenge.”
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For further information, please contact:
Emma Dennis
T: +44 (0)20 3047 2076
emma.dennis@edelman.com
About the Edelman Health Engagement Barometer
The 2010 Health Engagement Barometer is the firm’s second global health study. The survey was conducted by research firm StrategyOne, a Daniel J Edelman company, and consisted of 22-minute (average duration) online interviews from February 24 – March 8, 2010. The 2010 Edelman Health Engagement Barometer survey sampled 15,257 adults 18 years and older in the following countries: Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Approximately 1,000 interviews were conducted in each country, with the exception of the United States, where a total of 5,179 interviews were conducted. The US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan were weighted to be representative of the total population. Brazil, China, India and Mexico were weighted to be representative of the total online population. For more information, visit www.edelman.com/healthengagement.