Let’s Move!
Michelle Obama is more than just the first lady of the United States. She has been known over the last few years as an advocate for children’s nutrition. Her campaign, Let’s Move!, was inspired by the increasing numbers of obesity in children in our nation. Obama paired with the Department of Education, the USDA, and the US Department of Health and Human Services to work towards improving the health and lifestyle of America’s children. Let’s Move! began in February 2010, and since then has expanded to include more programs such as Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties, and also Chefs Move to Schools, for both children and their parents for living a healthier life. Each of these programs offers different ways for not only families, but also communities to get involved in a healthier lifestyle.
One of the programs within Let’s Move!, the Chefs Move to Schools campaign, is one that I found very interesting. There has been a lot of controversy on school lunches and the foods that are served to our nations children. This program worked to pair Chefs with schools to help the schools provide healthier foods for the children. Chefs are not hired though, but volunteer their time at the schools to help children learn more about food and how it can help them become healthier. The program also incorporates a challenge, the HealthierUS School Challenge, to encourage more schools to participate in this program and get children involved in eating healthier, while having fun! The schools benefit from their kids being healthier by receiving monetary awards that can used towards creating healthier possibilities in schools.
Something that I like about social marketing is the ability for someone to convey a message to a larger population. Michelle Obama took an idea and a passion for children and their health and turned it into a nationwide campaign for not only her children, but also the Nation’s children. She uses many forms of social marketing such as a website which further provides ways for people to get involved in their community, and also to get involved in this campaign. I believe that it does not matter that she is the President’s wife, but that she is a woman with a passion that she turned into a program that went nationwide. She used her instincts as a mother to create a program to help other children and convey her message to the nation.
One con to social marketing is that it can create controversy because some people may not agree with the provided social marketing. For example, Mrs. Obama’s campaign is only geared towards children, not adults who also suffer from obesity. Some may see this as unproductive because she is only focused on one part of the United States population. Social marketing can come off in many ways to a population, and as everyone is entitled to their opinions it can create controversy no matter the issue.
Overall I think that social marketing has greatly improved over the last decade and has greatly benefited from the modern technology we are surrounded by. The use of websites and social media can help anyone get a message across that they are passionate about. Michelle Obama took an idea as a parent and an ambassador to our nation and turned it into a program that has changed the lives of many children. Without the use of social marketing her campaign may not be as successful as it is, and thus not affecting our nation’s children and their health.