(CC) licensed:euthman

How about "More active, more often"

Does anyone really know what the key message is? We are currently being bombarded with "key messages" from a host of different interest groups with a host of different agendas on key issues such as healthy eating, physical activity and 5 a day.

Everyone is trying to jump on the communications bandwagon to put across their key messages to the media.

Here are some of the organisations we came across communicating their agendas, in no particular order:

The Food Standards Agency through www.eatwell.gov.uk
The NHS through www.5aday.nhs.uk
Sport England through www.sportengland.org
The British Heart Foundation through www.bhf.org.uk

And the Government trying to fulfil manifesto promises made in 1997 to tackle childhood obesity.

Confused?

Then there are the key messages:

5 a day 5 hours physical activity for children at school every week Top tips for Top Mums Find the sport for you

Not to mention the calls for action from pressure groups:

• A 9 pm watershed for junk food advertising
• Make cooking a compulsory element of the national curriculum
• Traffic light food labelling
• Tackle the healthy foods claims by "unscrupulous" food manufacturers

One of the key principles of good communication is to find a simple message and then sing from the same hymn sheet.

Is this happening right now with the healthy eating and physical activity agendas? We do not think so. We believe there are confusing messages being put out, while the problems are still there, in terms of childhood obesity (on the increase), poor health (on the increase) and a strain on the health service (on the increase).

How about one key message?

More active, more often

Whatever your key message is, we can help you to keep it simple and communicate it through the media.