Simple Steps To A Healthier Life

Simple Steps To A Healthier Life Step-By-Step Guide For A Successful Program Launch Version 2.4 Your Life. Live It Well.

Table Of Contents I. Introduction p1 II.Overview of Promotional Materials III. Communications IV. Developing a Strategy for Offering an Incentive p3 p5 p7 V. On-site Health Promotion Events p9 VI. Planning a Successful Launch VII. Planning Worksheets p11 p15

I. Introduction I. Introduction Welcome to Simple Steps To A Healthier Life, Aetna s personalized online health and wellness program to help you enhance the health and performance of your employees. Your investment in this program is one that can have a positive influence on the health and well-being of your workforce and is one that we take quite seriously. This guide is designed to assist you in communicating and promoting Simple Steps To A Healthier Life to your eligible employee population so you can obtain optimal results from the program to meet your health and wellness goals. The guide outlines the recommended steps and methods that can help you be successful in launching the program. It also includes practical information along with sample materials and worksheets to help retain employee interest and motivation after the program launch. This guide can help you: Generate interest and support for the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program in your organization. Prepare for a successful program launch to your target population. Promote enrollment in the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. Motivate long-term adoption of the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life tools and resources. Achieve greater synergy between wellness programs and services offered within your organization. 1

How To Use This Guide I. Introduction The Simple Steps To A Healthier Life team has more than 40 years of collective experience in developing, delivering, and promoting worksite wellness programs and other consumer-centric programs. We have drawn upon our collective experience to create this guide to be a useful and practical companion as you build your communication and promotional strategy for Simple Steps To A Healthier Life. In this document you will find information and worksheets that can help you effectively plan your communication strategy and promote the program. The promotional kit CD contains a variety of materials that can be customized to your specific needs to help you effectively communicate and promote the program. To achieve the most out of this guide we suggest that you: Review the entire guide before you begin to become familiar with the tools and resources included. Use your own good judgment and creativity to adapt resources to meet your unique organizational needs. Contact your Aetna representative to assist you with any questions you may have. 2

II. Overview of the Promotional Materials II. Overview of Promotional Materials Below are the promotional materials that are included in this kit. We have also provided worksheet on pages 15 to 17 to help you plan your promotional strategy. All of these materials are available on the Flash presentation on the CD. Download and printing instructions for each communication piece is located on the CD. If you do not have Flash Player 6.0 or higher to run the presentation, you can download it for free at www.macromedia.com. E-mails/Articles The e-mails/articles are flexible communication pieces that you can customize to suit your needs (with incentives, etc.) These pieces can be used in a number of ways as e-mails, articles for electronic or print newsletters, articles for your intranet site, etc. Each helps motivate your employees to take action and access the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. > Pre-Launch Employee E-mail/Article: Announces that Simple Steps To A Healthier Life is coming. > Pre-Launch Management E-mail: Alerts your management team that Simple Steps To A Healthier Life is coming to help you bolster management support for the program. > Launch E-mail/Article: Announces the program and provides registration instructions so you can begin to create awareness. > Post-Launch General Program Reminder E-mail/Articles: Helps remind employees to access Simple Steps To A Healthier Life. These work well to promote incentives as approach their deadlines. > Post-Launch Theme-Based E-mails/Articles Based on National Health Observances: Fresh and engaging content can be delivered monthly to help keep Simple Steps To A Healthier Life top-of-mind. Welcome Letter: The welcome letter can be used to announce the program if a majority of your employee population does not have access to e-mail. Flyers: Two 8.5 in. x 11 in. flyers that can be used for on-site events, made available in common areas, included as a payroll stuffer or distributed in at-home mailings. File is a high resolution PDF and ready to print. > General Information Flyer: This one-sided flyer provides an overview of the program and how to register. > Know Your Numbers Flyer: This two-sided flyer can be used for on-site health screening events and includes an information card to record blood pressure, cholesterol and other lab values. 3

Program Wallet Card: Your employees can use the wallet card to record their Username and Password. Great for distributing at on-site events. Posters: The poster is available in two sizes: 8.5 in. x 11 in. and 16 in. x 20 in. Postcards: These 6 in. x 9 in. postcards complement each other and can be mailed as a series (one after the other). Sunflower Postcard Glass of Water Postcard Web Buttons: These web buttons can provide a direct link to the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program from your company intranet or benefits site. Forward these web buttons to your webmaster and ask him or her to link the image to www.simplestepslife.com. > Watermelon web button (size: 125 x 125 pixels) > Sneakers web button (size: 234 x 60 pixels) II. Overview of Promotional Materials Additional Guidance and Support for Promoting Simple Steps To A Healthier Life Free Quarterly Electronic Newsletter for Employers In addition to the copy included in the kit, you can receive a free quarterly electronic newsletter. The newsletter will include information about health promotion and how you can use the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program to help you promote health and wellness at your company. If you would like to receive this free quarterly e-newsletter, please notify your Aetna representative or e-mail simplestepslife@aetna.com. Weekly E-mails for Participants Enrolled in Healthy Living Programs Participants will receive an encouraging weekly e-mail reminding them to log on to the program and complete the recommended activities. The e-mails feature a quick tips, recipes and a direct link to the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program for easy log in. Quarterly Permission-Based E-mails for Participants Participants who give their permission to receive product updates and information about Simple Steps To A Healthier Life will receive a quarterly electronic newsletter. These newsletters are targeted to highlight different online programs and tools. The newsletters also include a direct link to the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program for easy log in. 4

III. Communications III. Communications Effective communication is critical to the success of the program. The messages you send your employees can be used to increase program awareness, encourage participation, highlight program features, and inform employees about incentives and on-site events. The key to effective communication is to use multiple methods rather than rely on a single marketing tool. Email, posters, flyers, direct or interoffice mail, and visuals are methods you can use as part of your communication strategy. Sample templates for these types of communications can be found in the promotional kit. The tools provided in this guide can help you vary your approach and keep your message fresh to encourage ongoing program participation and continually attract new participants. Effective communication messages have the following characteristics: A specific purpose The ability to create interest A direct call to action (explains to the user what you would like them to do) A tone that is positive and encouraging Language that is concise and easy to understand 1. Core Messages The core message in an e-mail, letter, or other communication piece is the main point that you want to convey to your employees. Developing a core message statement before you begin writing can help you focus your thoughts. The following statements are examples of core messages that you may want to use to help you develop your communication pieces: The simple approach to better health. Employees can take greater responsibility for their health and well-being. An easy way to better understand your health. Small changes can make a big difference. Positive health changes can be made in ways that fit your lifestyle for long-term success. Convenient one-stop resource, easy-to-use at your own pace, accessible from work or home. Taking the Health Assessment is the first step toward enhancing your health. The results can help you make more informed health decisions. 5

2. Electronic (E-mail) And Print Communication III. Communications Consider your company s culture, technical capabilities, and budget to help determine the most viable communication methods for your organization. Since Simple Steps To A Healthier Life is a Web-based program, there are some advantages to using electronic (e-mail) communication. Using e-mail allows you to provide a direct link to the program, so the participant can take immediate action. This may help you to achieve higher participation levels compared to other communication methods, such as print materials (posters, flyers, direct mail, etc.). On the other hand, print materials can help add variety, creativity, and fun to your communication strategy and can be effective for increasing program awareness, especially for employees who don t have access to e-mail. Consider using a combination of electronic and print communications to add variety to your messages. 3. Broadcast Messaging Simple Steps To A Healthier Life offers a Broadcast Messaging feature that allows you to include a customized message on the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life homepage. This is another way you can vary your communication methods. Messages should be no more than 255 characters in length, including spaces. Please contact your Aetna representative for more information on the Broadcast Messaging feature. Below are some examples of broadcast messages: 1. (Company Name) is dedicated to helping you get healthy and stay healthy. Visit often to learn about simple ways to enhance your health. 2. Find healthy recipes, customize a workout, and more with interactive tools in the Healthy Living Programs. Click on any program in your Action Plan. 3. Earn (incentive). Complete (tasks) by (date) to be eligible. It s that simple. 4. Did you recently have your blood pressure or cholesterol checked? Update your Health Assessment with results from recent blood tests. Click Update Current in the My Health Assessment box. 6

IV. Developing a Strategy for Offering an Incentive IV. Incentives Using incentives as part of your promotional strategy can help you boost program participation, attract employees who normally don t participate in wellness programs, and help motivate participants to change specific health behaviors. It s important to offer an incentive that makes sense for your company. Understanding your goals is a good first step. Below are guidelines to help you develop a successful incentive program. Offer incentives that are desirable to your eligible population based on your company culture. In some companies, there may be sensitivity with offering monetary incentives while in others, employees may only be motivated with high-value rewards. The key is to choose incentives that will most motivate your employees. Develop requirements for earning the incentive that are realistic and achievable. You want to limit the number of actions that employees need to take to earn the incentive. Employees will be more motivated to participate in the incentive program if they feel they can complete all of the steps necessary to earn the incentive. Keep it simple. The easier it is to participate in the incentive, the more employees will want to. Give a clear explanation of what employees need to do to earn the incentive. Steps should be clearly defined, easily understood and perceived as fair to everyone. Set a definitive end date for earning the incentive: When employees know there is a deadline, they are more likely to act quickly. An incentive that establishes a sense of urgency to complete certain actions can be highly effective in helping you achieve your goals. Publicize your incentive program with ongoing reminders using a variety of communication methods. Frequent communication helps keep the incentive and program itself in the forefront so people remember that it s available. Varying your communication methods can help you reach a broader audience while keeping your messages fresh and engaging. Monitor your incentive program. It s important to analyze and track your incentive program on an ongoing basis. You may find that you need to make adjustments to help your program remain effective. You may also consider using incentives that relate to health and wellness to further complement the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. Check with your legal and financial advisors about tax implications with your incentive program. 7

Types of Incentives that Have Been Shown To Increase Program Participation IV. Incentives Here are some examples of incentive rewards that companies offer. These incentives can be easily coordinated with the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. Health Plan Contributions: A contribution incentive is a specified dollar amount that is credited toward an employee s health fund, flexible spending account or other benefits plan contribution. With this incentive, employees typically must complete a specific action (such as completing the Health Assessment) in order to receive the financial credit. Using a health plan contribution as your incentive can help you create synergy between your wellness program goals and benefits strategy. Gift Checks and Certificates: Gift checks and certificates are appealing to participants because they are equivalent to cash. They can be offered in a variety of dollar amounts (usually $25 or more), and employees have a choice for how to redeem them. Gift certificates can be awarded for the completion of a specific action (such as completing the Health Assessment) or a series of actions over time (such as completing a six-week Healthy Living Program). Random Prize Drawings: In a random prize drawing, eligible participants have a chance to win one or more prizes if they complete specific actions by a set date. Using random prize drawings can help you control program costs since you can determine exactly how much you want to allot for the prize and the number of prizes you will offer. Examples of prizes may include health-related items (such as a gym bag) or gift certificates (for general purposes or to a health- or sports-related retail store). Token Gifts: Small token gifts that have the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life website address printed on them are a great way to creatively promote health and wellness and remind employees to access the program. Items that relate to health and wellness make good token gifts, but you may also want to consider using items that employees will want to keep on their desks and use regularly. Examples of token gifts include: Pedometers (to track how far you ve walked) Pens Water bottles Mouse pads We Make it Easy For You To Offer a Rewards Program to Your Employees Our enhanced event tracking system helps simplify the administration of your incentive programs. Subject to participant consent and HIPAA guidelines, this feature can help you track the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program within a certain time period and determine which participants are eligible to receive the incentive reward. If you prefer to administer your incentive program manually, you can ask employees to print a copy of their Health Assessment completion certificate and turn it in to receive the incentive. Please note: Employers are responsible for funding all incentive programs and distributing incentive gifts to their employees. 8

V. On-Site Health Promotion Events V. On-Site Health Promotion Events An on-site health promotion event may be used to complement the launch of the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program, generate momentum following the launch of the program, and provide participant education and motivation to support positive behavior change. Our data shows that Simple Steps To A Healthier Life participants prefer to receive additional support on health and wellness issues through online and face-to-face interaction. Scheduling an on-site health promotion event is one way to help employees feel a personal connection to the program. It can help participants interact with people who can guide them as they work to achieve their health goals. Aetna offers several health promotion events and services for an additional fee. We can help you plan and execute an event that aligns with your health and wellness strategy. Determining if an On-Site Health Promotion Event Is Right for Your Company No matter which event you choose, a successful event takes thoughtful planning. The first step is to take the following questions into consideration before you begin planning to ensure that an on-site event is right for your company. Does the company/my department have the resources to effectively execute a health promotion event? Will an on-site wellness event fit the company culture? > Will employees be receptive to participating? > Will employees be able to participate due to the nature of their work, work schedules, etc.? Is the size of the employee population large enough to support an on-site event at the location where it will be offered? 9

Identifying the Most Effective On-Site Health Promotion Events for Your Company V. On-Site Health Promotion Events Once you ve determined that an on-site health promotion event is right for your company, the next step is to clearly define the goals of the event and what you wish to achieve. This will help you determine which type of on-site health promotion event will align with your goals. Here are some different types of on-site events: Health screening events: Employees have the opportunity to receive certain screenings, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. Educational events: An expert on a health topic (such as nutrition or fitness) may speak to employees or conduct one-on-one consultation sessions with employees. Visibility tables: Materials, such as flyers and giveaways, are set out in a common area of the company to create awareness about a specific program, benefit or topic. Using Promotional Materials at Your On-Site Health Promotion Event You can use certain items from this kit as promotional materials for your on-site event, such as: General Program Information flyer or postcards Know Your Numbers flyer with information card to record blood pressure, cholesterol numbers, etc. Program wallet card Recipe cards We can customize these items for your on-site event or create items that meet your needs (such as posters, giveaways, etc.) for an additional fee. Contact your Aetna representative for more information. 10

VI. Planning A Successful Launch VI. Planning A Successful Launch This section outlines the recommended steps necessary to help complete a successful roll-out of the program. It focuses on the three launch phases: Pre-Launch, Launch, and Post-Launch. The Planning Worksheet, located on pages 15-17, can help you identify key tasks and the amount of time that may be needed to complete each step. This worksheet can be a useful guide but may need to be tailored to reflect the unique processes that exist in your organization. Use the checklist on the following pages to learn about the key planning steps that can help you successfully launch the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. 11

A. Pre-Launch This is the planning stage that is essential to a successful launch. Starting about eight to 12 weeks prior to the launch of the program, you should begin to develop your communications and promotional strategy based on your company culture, your resources, and the communication vehicles that garner the best response by your eligible population. VI. Planning A Successful Launch Task Review CD-Based Promotional Kit. Set a target launch date Identify any other health-related benefits and programs that exist within your organization. Determine if they can provide a valuable link to the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. Contact health-related business areas to inform them of the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program and generate interest and support. (Invite leaders to participate in your wellness team as appropriate.) Identify recommendations to integrate program offerings. Clearly define the eligible population. Identify any population groups that will be excluded from accessing the program. Set a goal for registration and Health Assessment completion. Once you have launched the program, you will be able to use the aggregate management reports to track the number of participants who register and complete the Health Assessment. Timeframe (Prior To Program Launch) 8-12 weeks 8-12 weeks 8-12 weeks 1-2 weeks Develop a communication strategy. Take an inventory of the communication vehicles available in your organization. (See Communication Inventory Checklist on page 16). Determine the communication methods that will be most effective for your target population. Identify core messages you wish to communicate. You may want to select from the examples of core messages provided on page 5 or create your own. Create your plan and timeline for the three phases of the program launch: Pre-Launch, Launch, Post-Launch. Select the communication pieces from the samples provided and customize as needed for your organization. (See documents located on the promotional kit CD). continued on next page 4-8 weeks 12

VI. Planning A Successful Launch Task Timeframe (Prior To Program Launch) Develop a communication strategy. (continued) Identify any internal review process that may be required within your organization. Identify any internal groups who may need advance notification of program communications. If possible, identify a senior level manager willing to communicate support for the program. Use the worksheet provided to develop a schedule of communications and target timelines (See page 17). Determine if your program will include incentives. Seek assistance from your Aetna representative. Plan for wellness program partners or other key program coordinators to preview the program prior to launch date. Coordinate a training program to educate key individuals within your organization about the program prior to program launch. Consult with your Aetna representative. Consider optional services such as an on-site event (health screening, information fair, etc.) to kick off the program. Send out two communication messages to introduce the program so you can begin to generate interest. One message should be directed to management, the other should be directed to your eligible employee population. 8-10 weeks 2-4 weeks 2-4 weeks 8-12 weeks 1-2 weeks 13

B. Launch Launch is when you begin to execute your communications strategy and aggressively promote the program. Your timeline might include messages delivered weekly or bi-weekly through a variety of communications vehicles. During this phase, companies often see their highest surges in participation and Health Assessment completions. You should try to meet a good portion of your overall participation/health Assessment completion goal during the launch phase, since this is the time when the buzz about the program will be at its peak. The launch phase typically runs for approximately eight to 12 weeks but can vary depending on the size of your company s overall participation and Health Assessment completion goal. The CD promotional kit contains several communication and promotional templates that can be customized to your specific needs to help you effectively communicate and promote the program during the launch phase. VI. Planning A Successful Launch C. Post-Launch An effective communication strategy will continue beyond the launch of the program. Use ongoing communications to highlight different features within the program to keep the messages fresh, and entice new participants to enroll. These post-launch efforts can help to encourage employees to stay motivated and engaged with the program. Employees that remain engaged are more likely to continue to take steps toward enhancing their health and stay focused on their wellness goals. This kit provides customizable sample messages that you can use during the post-launch phase (see the E-mails/Articles section of the flash presentation located on the promotional kit CD). 14

VII. Planning Worksheet VII. Planning Worksheet Use the planning worksheet on pages 15-17 to help you develop a promotional strategy that works for your company. About your eligible population There are a number of items that can impact your program communication efforts. This form will help you plan an effective promotional strategy for the Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program. About The Target Audience 1. Number of employees eligible for Simple Steps To A Healthier Life program: 2. Estimate the percentage of employees with Internet access at work: 3. Estimate the percentage of employees with Internet access at home: 4. Rate how comfortable you think eligible employees are with using Web-based programs similar to Simple Steps To A Healthier Life: 1 - not at all 2 - only slightly 3 - somewhat 4 - for the most part 5 - very much so 5. Where are the eligible employees located? (circle one) Centrally located in one location. Located in multiple locations; Number of multiple work locations: 6. Identify any potential restrictions employees may have with Internet use at your worksite. 7. Gender of employees: % males; % female 8. Average age of employees: 9. Age ranges: a. Percent of employees less than 35 years b. Percent of employees 35 44 years c. Percent of employees 45 54 years d. Percent of employees 55 years and older 10. What is the estimated percent of employees in each racial/ethnic background? % Black/African American % Hispanic/Latino % White/European American % Asian American % Native American % Other 11. What is the percent of employees in each job occupation? % Labor % Professional % Other %Technical % Service % Managerial % Clerical 15

Communication Inventory Checklist This checklist can help you better understand the promotional methods that work best for your company, based on your company s culture and other factors. From this information, you will be able to identify which promotional materials from this kit can help you develop your promotional strategy. VII. Planning Worksheet Check off the following promotional methods that your company uses. Rank them in order from most effective to least effective (1 being the most effective). RANK E-mail at work Direct mail to the home Interoffice distribution (printed materials flyers, postcards, etc.) Visual displays (posters and break room displays) On-site events Company intranet Company newsletter Incentives Other 16

Developing Your Timeline An effective campaign with well-timed promotions can help you reach your health goals. Giving employees a reason to go back to the program can help keep them interested and motivated. One way to accomplish this is to create an ongoing promotional strategy that you may want to update annually. The promotional strategy may include incentives, on-site events and promotional materials that are launched and distributed each year. The worksheet below can help you create a strategy that meets your company s wellness goals and aligns with your corporate culture. VII. Planning Worksheet PROMOTIONAL TIMELINE Communication/Promotional Method Release Date Pre-Launch Launch Post-Launch 17