Aging Without Injury—Successes and Expansion of Still Going Strong Campaign

Background:

Falls and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of older adult (age 65+) injuries and injury-related deaths. These injuries result in significant medical costs, functional decline, and reduced quality of life; however, many are preventable.

Program background:

CDC developed the Still Going Strong campaign (SGS) to educate older adults and their caregivers on how to reduce their injury risk. This presentation will describe how the campaign was developed, review successes, and share the communication strategies used to increase reach on a budget.

Evaluation Methods and Results:

CDC reviewed marketing data and conducted environmental scans and qualitative analysis to learn about the target audiences. This research was used to produce creative concepts that were tested with older adult focus groups to create final products. CDC also developed strategic plans with targeted media tactics.

SGS launched in May 2021 to promote awareness about common injuries associated with aging, specifically to older adults and their caregivers. We produced original multi-media assets that consistently performed above industry standards, and resulted in over 38 million impressions across print, radio, and digital mediums.

Conclusions:

Using sound science and feedback from the target audience influenced how the campaign was developed and disseminated. This resulted in the campaign being very successful, on a modest budget. Understanding where the audience consumes health information and who they see as a trusted source is invaluable information when trying to reach a specific audience. Meet your audience where they are and make sure you use language and images that are understood and well received. We are using evaluation data to strategize how to further develop and improve the campaign.

Implications for research and/or practice:

We're using evaluation data to expand the campaign to include materials that speak to indigenous populations and people who use mobility aids (such as a cane). We will expand campaign hobbies to include activities that support social connectiveness, such as dancing and board or card games. Together, CDC and partners can use these innovative campaign materials to promote older adults staying injury-free and independent.