Business4life preparing to ramp up activity under loosened restrictions
Brands signed up to the Change4Life campaign can look forward to a more permissive regime under the new Coalition Government, Marketing Week has learned.
Private partners supporting the healthy living initiative introduced by the last Government, which include Tesco, Danone and Cadbury, had seen activity stall as officials failed to get agreement on how they could use campaign branding.
Health and charity partners had expressed concern that consumers would see Change4Life branding on sugary or fatty food and drink products as a “health marque”.
However, companies under the Business4Life umbrella, which is managed by the Advertising Association, are now likely to be able to ramp-up activity.
The Business4Life coalition is also understood to be set for a PR relaunch to maximise opportunities under the new regime.
Change4Life launched with a multimedia blitz created by M&C Saatchi in January 2008. Since then, a number of sub-brands including Bike4Life and Walk4Life have been developed to encourage people to get active, while a wider social marketing campaign has taken the brand into schools, GP surgeries, community centres and supermarkets.
Marketing Week understands the new Government is keen to usher in a more cooperative era as it looks at the future of Change4Life itself. Business4Life partners have been asked to provide the Government with evidence that their involvement has delivered public health benefits to ensure it can maintain support under new austerity rules.
The Government recently set strict criteria under which any marketing spend must be measured to get funding amid severe budget cuts.
Brands are now expected to boost their marketing support across media over the next six months. Campaign sub-brands such as Swim4Life and Breakfast4Life, supported by Kellogg, and Play4Life, supported by Cadbury, will become much more visible as a result.
