Raising awareness amongst young adults: Vegetables 2000 V2

An awareness-raising campaign on the web targeted at young adults. “Vegetables 2000” is proof that by adopting an appropriate tone and using relevant tools people can be motivated to take action!

Forty-six percent of young people eat less than one vegetable a day while The government recommends that we eat five fruits and vegetables a day. This surprising figure demonstrates how important it is that we take steps to change eating habits among the young!

The "Vegetables 2000" campaign is a tangible expression of the Foundation's commitment to young people. By adopting an appropriate tone and offering recipes adapted to their lifestyle, "Vegetables 2000" is proof that the right tools can motivate people to take action.

Developing campaigns that can be duplicated.

In order to change dietary habits, the Foundation has established a goal of creating campaigns that can be adapted to each target audience, to serve as proof that we can take concrete steps to put vegetables at the heart of each meal. "Vegetables 2000", a campaign targeted to students, boasts an innovative style and materials:      

• A specific website (over 7,500 recipes downloaded in just a month!)
• The caricatured "70's" look used at the campaign's website
• Recipes designed specifically for young adults that reflect both their headset-wearing lifestyles and the limitations they face (e.g., no access to advanced cooking equipment).
• Games, films and gadgets that enliven the site and attract the curiosity of Web visitors

Thanks to all these factors, this second edition of "Vegetables 2000" has borne fruit and yielded convincing results.

The "Transferotron" for dressing up your t-shirt!

Results of an omnibus poll conducted in collaboration with the polling firm LH2

• Nearly 46% of young people eat vegetables less than once a day
• Profile of vegetable consumers: Men eat fewer vegetables than women. Among the 46% of young people who eat vegetables less than once a day, those aged 18-21 eat fewer vegetables than adults aged 22-25
• Regions [Greater Paris vs. the rest of France]: no significant difference in consumption
• Size of metropolitan area [population greater or less than 100,000 inhabitants]: no significant difference in consumption
• Perception of vegetables : 97% of the young adults surveyed agree with the following statement "There are lots of different vegetables, so you can prepare a variety of dishes" . 96% of the young adults surveyed agree with the following statement: "You can cook vegetables in many different ways".  
• The vegetables most commonly eaten: In response to the question "Can you tell me the five vegetables that you eat most frequently" the answers were as follows: 1) Carrots; 2) Tomatoes; 3) Green beans 
• 67% of those surveyed considered vegetables expensive.

Results of the "Vegetables 2000" campaign [LH2 poll]

• Number of recipes prepared:   68% of visitors to the website had prepared at least one recipe. One month after the site was created, visitors who had viewed the Recipes page on the "Vegetables 2000" website had prepared an average of 3.72 recipes.
• Perceptions regarding recipes prepared :Question: What was your opinion of the suggested recipes?: Thoroughly explained (98%), Prompted a desire to use them (96%), Unique (95%), Easy to prepare (94%)
• Impact on vegetable consumption : Question: Do you think the fact that the recipes are available in a downloadable audio format has encouraged you to eat more vegetables? Total Yes: 48%, and especially men and the 18-20 age bracket.
• 68% of Web visitors had made at least one recipe = proof of the campaign's effectiveness.

Conclusions

The wealth of information provided by the LH2 (Louis Harris) survey will help us determine the criteria to bear in mind in our efforts to put vegetables at the heart of each meal: 

1. Adopt a playful approach. A playful, enjoyable approach to learning is an essential factor for success. During "Vegetables 2000", it was the campaign's "70's" style that attracted Internet visitors and proved effective at conveying the message. 

2. Recipes adapted to lifestyles. These days, less and less time is spent preparing meals, and the number of meals eaten "on the run" is increasing. In order to encourage vegetable consumption, today's recipes need to reflect these new demands. Most of the recipes in "Vegetables 2000" are quick and easy and don't require a lot of kitchen tools. These factors have been helpful in reaching those who eat very few vegetables.

3. Innovation. Among all the recipes that are downloaded, those in MP3 (audio) format have been the most popular. This inspired innovation of offering recipes on the website that can be downloaded to MP3 players was a gamble that paid off.

4. Preconceived notions. It must be acknowledged that certain preconceptions persist, notably with regard to price: nearly 70% of those questioned stated that vegetables are expensive. This notion no longer reflects reality: Between fresh vegetables available in season and processed vegetables (frozen or canned), there is a wide selection of vegetables available year round at prices that everyone can afford. 

Download all the results from the vegetables 2000 survey conducted by LH2