Wisconsin SNAP-Ed's FNV (fruits and vegetables) program is on a mission. The Mission? Get people to eat their fruits and vegetables! Buses, billboards, and social media feeds in Wisconsin have been getting a face lift, thanks to FNV.
“Over $2 billion per year is spent advertising food and beverage products to youth, but less than 1 percent is spent on healthy options. FNV was created to finally give fruits and veggies a little skin in the game.”
- Amber Canto, State Coordinator for University of Wisconsin-Extension’s FoodWIse program
About FNV
FNV is a social marketing campaign that aims to reach millennials, ages 18 to 34. Messages feature national celebrities like Stephen and Ayesha Curry. More than 30 agencies and 30 retail partners worked together in the first year of the campaign, which launched in 2017.
Wisconsin also created local ads that highlight unique parts of its culture. One message reads: Die Hard Fans Eat Green and Gold. Green and gold are the colors of the state’s football team, the Green Bay Packers. Green and gold are also the color of broccoli and yellow bell peppers!
Another message aims to support the use of SNAP benefits at farmers’ markets. The ad features bok choy, cilantro and kale and reads: At the market, a little bit of green goes a long way. FNV uses a strategy known as geotargeting. This strategy delivers digital ads to people’s computers and mobile devices when they are close to Farmers Markets that accepts SNAP and offer nutrition incentive programs. In 2017, FNV reached 55,546 people in 4 cities. In 2018, six additional communities were added.
Gathering Results
FNS has partnered with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to develop a multi-level evaluation plan. The plan includes:
- online pre and post-test survey questions of millennials to assess feelings and actions about fruits and vegetables
- assessment of fruit and vegetable sales in stores throughout length of the campaign
- surveying partners to learn about the impact on their programs
Early results suggest that FNV may be making positive changes in attitudes and behavior. People who remembered FNV ads reported more positive feelings towards fruits and vegetables than those who did not remember the messages. The people who remembered the ads also reported eating more fruits and vegetables, more often.
FNV has had a benefit for those working together on the project, too. Partners said that they:
- developed new relationships
- strengthened existing relationships
- benefited from having a shared goals across the state
For more information, please contact Erin Aagesen.