Operational Transparency in Social (Behaviour Change) Health Marketing

Here’s a radical thought.

What if all health-focused social marketing/behaviour change efforts by public sector organizations were required to show the strategy behind each campaign? I’m thinking of an actual “operational transparency” link at the bottom of any video, image, infographic, etc. This link would point to a downloadable folder that would have all the raw files, data, research, and draft documents that led to the current health approach being promoted (essentially an expedited, proactive version of ATIP “access to information and privacy”).

Perhaps that is exactly what we need in order to rebuild the deteriorating trust in public sector institutions. Of course, this link would not be for everyone, but everyone should at the very least know that it’s there. That, in and of itself would help.

Some people would welcome it with open arms, and others, of course, would proceed to criticize each and every decision that was made along the way.

But what’s worse? Informing people that increasingly don’t trust you and think you’re hiding information from them OR Informing people that increasingly don’t trust you but at least know that there is no malicious intent behind your decisions? Perhaps the latter will eventually reduce that decline in trust, which is far more important for the long-term health of a democratic society.

It would surely be an interesting approach. Something to ponder as we enter yet another pandemic-dominated year. Stay healthy out there folks.

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