The American Heart Association (AHA) is a well-known non-profit organisation whose objectives include improving patient care, reducing heart disease and stroke, and promoting cardiovascular health. This report thoroughly analyses AHA’s marketing communications methods and tactics, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses to analyse its most recent campaigns. It seeks to provide insights that enhance research and assessment activities by examining pertinent marketing communications concepts and frameworks. The study specifically examines the strategies used by the AHA in previous campaigns, evaluating their success in accomplishing marketing goals and connecting with the target audience. The study uncovers areas of success and improvement by carefully analysing the AHA’s target audiences, decision-making procedures, communication techniques, design strategies, and media preferences. The AHA’s top marketing management will be able to improve future efforts and enhance the organisation’s purpose of avoiding heart disease, promoting heart health, and saving lives with the help of the valuable recommendations produced from this analysis.
Overview of the American Heart Association and Campaign Objectives
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organisation that, by educating the public, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and sponsoring cutting-edge research and medical improvements, has dramatically reduced the prevalence of heart disease and stroke worldwide. The organisation’s objectives include; promoting positive behavioural changes in people, raising public awareness of heart health, fighting for legislation that promotes cardiovascular wellness, and getting money for vital research and education programs. According to Angell et al. (2020), by successfully involving target audiences and implementing strategic marketing communications strategies, the AHA hopes to drastically lower the occurrence and effects of cardiovascular illnesses in communities nationwide.
Target Segments, Decision-Making Process, and Audience Response Behaviour
The American Heart Association (AHA) has developed a comprehensive initiative targeting multiple population segments to promote heart health awareness, prevention, and education. The first target segment is the general population, which spans many demographics. This initiative promotes heart health awareness, prevention, and education. The campaign seeks to educate and empower a large audience to make cardiovascular health decisions (Zanni et al., 2017). The AHA’s general public outreach promotes proactive heart health management and prevention. The second group is high-risk heart disease and stroke patients (Tsao et al., 2023). They may have hypertension, obesity, or a family history of heart disease. The campaign addresses this group’s needs, encouraging behaviour change and providing risk factor management tools. The AHA customises messaging and therapies for high-risk individuals to enhance cardiovascular health outcomes. Lastly, the third target segment comprises individuals donating money to support the AHA’s mission. The effectiveness of this fundraising effort determines the AHA’s future capabilities in lobbying, teaching, and research. The campaign significantly emphasises relationship-building, cardiovascular disease education, and lobbying activities. The AHA raises funds to improve cardiovascular health and supports its ongoing initiatives by appealing to contributors and sponsors.
Decision-making Process
The decision-making process of the AHA typical audience begins with recognising heart disease and stroke risks or personal risk factors. This recognition can be triggered by various factors, such as experiencing symptoms, receiving medical advice, or witnessing family members suffer from cardiovascular disease. The campaign effectively raises awareness of these risks and emphasises the need for action, capturing the target audience’s attention. Once the issue is recognised, potential viewers actively search for information to educate themselves about cardiovascular health. The AHA’s campaign strategically provides educational materials, tools, and expert advice to address the audience’s information-seeking behaviour and establish itself as a reliable source of information.
The next step in the decision-making process is examining options. The audience carefully analyses various cardiovascular health methods, lifestyle changes, and help programs available to them. The AHA’s campaign strategically promotes efficient, research-backed products and best practices, highlighting its competitive advantage and value proposition. Finally, the decision to donate to the AHA is made based on several factors. The perceived benefits of adopting healthy behaviours, confidence in the organisation’s knowledge and expertise, emotional appeals used in the campaign, and alignment with personal beliefs all influence this choice. The AHA’s campaign employs persuasive tactics, engaging narratives, and calls to action to change behaviour and encourage viewers to contribute to the charity.
Campaign Evaluation
Campaign 1: Know Your Numbers
This campaign emphasises the value of monitoring significant health indicators as it effectively plans for decision-making. The campaign increases awareness and motivates people to take charge of their well-being by informing the audience about the relevance of blood sugar, blood pressure, body mass index, and cholesterol (Kersey, 2021). People can look for specialised information depending on their needs and interests due to the AHA’s supply of resources and information on heart.org.
Campaign 2: Go Red for Women
This campaign raises awareness of heart disease and addresses the dangers women encounter in strategically planning their decision-making process. The program attempts to inform women about the signs, causes, and safeguards of heart attacks (Labos, 2018). The AHA inspires women to take action and seek appropriate medical care when necessary by offering infographics and accurate information.
Campaign Strategy
By providing reliable and factual information through educational materials and tools on its website, AHA’s campaign strategically plans for the decision-making process. They customise their messaging for various target groups, highlighting specific hazards and offering doable preventative and control measures. Personal experiences and testimonies forge emotional bonds, change behaviour, and promote charitable giving. The campaign’s reach and influence are increased through partnerships with healthcare experts, local leaders, and influencers (Leary et al., 2018). The AHA effectively guides people through these strategies by giving accurate information, customising communications, invoking emotions, and utilising partnerships to optimise impact on awareness, behaviour change, and support for their cause.
Analysis and Evaluation of Communications Tactics and Strategies
According to Leary et al. (2018), AHA’s marketing mix includes several communication methods to reach its target market and achieve campaign goals. First, the AHA relies on the advertisement (Leary et al., 2018). Combining traditional media like television, radio, and print with modern ones like social media and internet ads lets AHA reach a broad audience. Their advertising uses emotional appeals, compelling data, and powerful calls to action to raise cardiovascular health awareness, encourage participation in the organisation’s programs, and promote healthy behaviours. The AHA’s marketing approach also includes public relations (Leary et al., 2018). The organisation uses press releases, interviews, and partnerships to convey its message. The AHA builds credibility in cardiovascular health by sharing research, case stories, and expert opinions. It educates the public about critical efforts.
Direct marketing by the AHA includes direct mail, email, and personalised communication (Leary et al., 2018). These methods let the organisation connect with donors. The AHA informs members about new research, success stories, and engagement opportunities. Open communication maintains donor support and encourages recurring gifts. Moreover, AHA fundraising, events, and campaigns use sales marketing. These projects encourage donation and participation. The AHA may offer incentive programs, unique gifts, or donor recognition to encourage support and participation. Despite not focusing on personal selling, AHA engages with potential significant donors, sponsors, and partners. Personal selling helps AHA build relationships, prove its work’s worth, and secure funding from key stakeholders.
Analysis of Design and Creative Strategy
The American Heart Association (AHA) employs powerful verbal and visual design components in its advertisements as part of its design and creative strategy. The verbal strategy highlights the importance of cardiovascular health and delivers clear, succinct messaging. The words chosen are meant to inspire behaviour modification, encourage restorative practices, and convey the significance of donations. The AHA seeks to grab the audience’s attention and motivate them to act using robust and action-oriented language.
In addition, image design is crucial to AHA’s initiatives. Visual components frequently feature images of varied populations, active lifestyles, and heart health. These photos have been deliberately chosen to appeal to the target audience and elicit feelings. The American Heart Association hopes to motivate and establish a personal connection with viewers by showcasing people participating in heart-healthy activities. The visual representations highlight the significance of cardiovascular health and provide a clear link between the AHA’s programs and healthy lifestyle decisions.
Additionally, the AHA uses various execution techniques in its ads to successfully engage the audience. For instance, Slice-of-life advertisements feature people leading heart-healthy lifestyles to illustrate the advantages of forming good habits. The before-and-after comparisons emphasising the advantages of making lifestyle adjustments inspire the audience. People affected by cardiovascular ailments are used in testimonial-style commercials to arouse empathy and emphasise the value of advancing AHA’s mission.
Analysis of Media Choices
The American Heart Association (AHA) selects its media channels wisely to reach its target audience and disseminate its messages effectively. First, traditional media outlets like TV, radio, and print considerably assist mainstream awareness-raising activities (Drew, 2023). These platforms enable AHA to reach a broad audience, including the general public, with its messages using compelling graphics, audio, and textual information.
According to Leary et al. (2018), the AHA currently prioritises digital media as a fundamental component of its communication strategy. The company engages with many demographic groups and reaches a large audience using its website, social media platforms, online advertising, and mobile apps. These digital platforms encourage behaviour adjustment by sharing success stories, educational tools, and interactive and targeted engagement. Through email marketing and digital newsletters, the AHA may communicate directly with donors and supporters to inform them about the organisation’s activities and how they can get involved.
The AHA is aware of the importance of civic engagement. The AHA can reach its target demographics more effectively by participating in organised initiatives, community events, and partnerships with local businesses (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine et al., 2017). With a localised strategy, the organisation may address specific concerns, speak to specific populations, and promote increased engagement and support.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
The American Heart Association (AHA) demonstrates remarkable strengths in their campaigns. Leveraging passion and personal stories effectively, the AHA connects with its audience and promotes behavioural change by utilising emotional appeals, as supported by the Elaboration Likelihood Model(Guo et al., 2020). In addition, the AHA is aware of the significance of source reliability, as seen in its website and instructional materials (Sherman & Sims, 2022). The AHA increases its reputation by offering comprehensive and reliable health information, promoting healthy behaviour. The AHA also benefits from social proof through relationships with prestigious companies and healthcare professionals and its high brand reputation (Shim et al., 2023). The recommendations of the AHA are persuasive when it is linked to reliable sources and influential people. Lastly, the AHA adopts the Theory of Community Engagement by actively participating in neighbourhood events and initiatives designed to foster trust, involvement, and support.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses of the chosen campaigns by the American Heart Association (AHA) can be identified through several areas of improvement. Firstly, although the AHA understands the significance of reaching out to high-risk individuals, there may be gaps in messaging and services tailored specifically to this group. Additional efforts are needed to identify and get in touch with those with risk factors to change their behaviour and make it easier to obtain the right resources. Additionally, the AHA has to increase its personalisation efforts in its direct contact strategies, including email marketing and direct mail. Communicating with donors and sponsors can be more effective based on their particular interests and history of involvement. Campaign effectiveness needs to be continuously measured and evaluated to ensure efficacy. Monitoring engagement metrics, KPIs, and key performance indicators and conducting surveys or studies is crucial to measuring awareness and behaviour change.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the American Heart Association (AHA) has demonstrated a solid commitment to encouraging behaviour change, improving the public’s understanding of cardiovascular health, and gaining support for its purpose through efficient marketing communications initiatives. The AHA has successfully influenced its target audience’s decision-making process by using specialised messaging, trustworthy information, and solid emotional appeals, connecting with people at various phases of their health journeys. The AHA’s reach and influence have increased due to the integration of several channels, including community engagement, partnerships, and conventional and digital media. By grabbing viewers’ attention and creating powerful feelings, the design and creative technique used in their advertising have successfully communicated the significance of cardiovascular health. However, there is a need for improvement, notably in personalisation for potential sponsors and high-risk individuals, even though the ads have displayed desirable features like storytelling and trustworthiness. The AHA will be able to maximise future projects, building on their strengths and making considerable progress in avoiding heart disease, increasing heart health, and saving lives, through continuous assessment using trustworthy analytics and feedback mechanisms.
References
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