1. Development of a Child-Friendly
Brand for Physical Activity
Programming at the YWCA
ALE Project for Health Resources in Action
Presented by Helen Corless

2. Health Resources in Action (HRiA)
• Non-profit consulting agency
• Mission: “To help people live healthier
lives and build healthy communities
through policy, research, prevention,
and health promotion”
• Health Communication
department

3. Parent Project: YWZones
Parent Project: YWZones
Grant funding
Expanded physical activity programming
Low participation rates
HRiA

4. Childhood Obesity
• Major public health issue in US & TX
• Racial/ethnic disparities
• Multifactorial
causes
• Exercise as a
modifiable risk
factor
Source: Trust for America’s Health

5. Project Goals
Short term: To contribute to the
development of a child-friendly brand
for YWZones programming
Long term: To reduce childhood
obesity rates among youth in El Paso,
Texas

6. Objectives
Objectives
1) Use theory to understand the target
audience
2) Assist with concept development
3) Develop and implement concept
testing approach
4) Develop recommendations for
YWZones brand

7. Target Audience
Health Belief Model:
– Perceived benefits
– Perceived barriers
– Perceived threat
• Susceptibility
• Severity
– Self-efficacy
– Cues to action

8. Target Audience
In summary…
• Low perceived benefits of YWZones
• High barriers to enrollment
• Few cues to action
• Messaging about weight loss not likely
to resonate with parents
• Need to appeal to both parents and
children

9. Creative Concepts
“Through participation in the YWZones program, you
are helping your child be healthy and view exercise as
fun, providing them with opportunities that will enhance
all aspects of their life”
Logos: created by YWCA designer
Taglines: created by HRiA team

10. Logos
Logo A Logo B Logo C Logo D
Logo E Logo F Logo G

11. Taglines
Tagline A Fun in Motion
Tagline B Fitness, Friendship, Fun
Tagline C Fitness+ Friendship = Fun
Tagline D Getting Kids Fit for Life
Tagline E Opportunities for Play, Opportunities for Life

12. Remote Concept Testing
• YWCA Staff
• Online survey
• Completed by 6 staff members
• Parents
• YWCA members with children ages 6-12
• 3 focus groups via speakerphone
• Children
• Children ages 6-12 (recruited as pairs)
• 3 interactive groups facilitated by YWCA

13. Results
Logos
• Not satisfied with any options
• Unanimous dislike of typographical logos
• Concerns about child and activity
imagery

14. Results
Taglines
• Favorites:
– Getting Kids Fit For Life
– Fitness, Friendship, Fun
• Importance of conveying the idea of fun
• Spanish translations

15. Recommendations
Logos
• Needs to communicate variety of
activities and variety of ages
• Imagery of both physical activity and
children important
• Create three new options and pretest as
part of a soft launch event

16. Recommendations
Tagline
• “Fitness, Friendship, Fun”
• “Actividad, Amistad, Alegría”
Logo-tagline pairing
• Pair in all marketing of YWZones
• Importance of clear communication

17. Reflections
Importance of communication for public
health programming
Importance of understanding community
needs
“The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
gang aft agley” -Robert Burns

18. Thank You!
A special thank you to Julie Banda, Debra
Noll, and Karen Schoneman for all of your
guidance, support, and encouragement
throughout this project.

19. Questions?

20. Thank You!