Incorporating behavioural science into health communications
In conversation with:
Ruth Dale, CEO and founder of Hidden Voices Heard Ltd and host of the Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp podcast
Understanding health issues from the perspective of the people we serve is crucial, says Ruth. Behavioural science provides insights into how services fit into people’s wider lives, for interventions that are relevant, lasting and truly meet people’s needs.
How has your background shaped your work?
I studied communications and sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Studying sociology was so powerful for me. It changed my approach to the chicken-or-egg question of comms – like who leads the news agenda: the media or the audience? That was so important in allowing me to focus on why comms matters.
Sociology turned out to be a great foundation for public health campaigns and behavioural science. The focus on systems and social norms provides an understanding of not just what you want to communicate but why it matters, and how to do it effectively, rather than just diving straight in.
What took you into health communication and engagement?
My first job after university was communications officer at the charity Addaction, working across various London drug projects. I loved the dynamic nature of the role and connecting directly with the people we were helping. Collaborating with medics, clinicians and project workers gave me invaluable insights into frontline services.
From there, I moved into national conferences with Capita, Informa and the Department of Health. Later, I became head of communications at a London hospital, managing communication during challenges like an MRSA outbreak.
I later led the communications on the commissioning side with the primary care trust and public health. We were using behavioural science very early on, from 2011. I won the HSJ Award for social marketing, for our behaviour change work on skin cancer and the Antibiotic Guardian award for our campaign to reduce prescriptions.
I then moved on to Public Health England, supporting campaigns across the whole system (NHS, local government charity partners and pharmacies) for all the national campaigns, including Change4Life, Every Mind Matters, Be Clear on Cancer, and the first year of Covid.
So I worked across the health system: provider, commissioner, and then public health at local, regional and national level before leaving and founding Hidden Voices Heard and the popular Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp training.
What’s the most important principle for you when developing health content?
Investing in understanding the problem before taking action. We run qualitative research using behavioural science to understand the problem and the desired behaviours we are seeking to influence.
It’s vital to understand the behaviour in order to understand the possible interventions and where messaging fits – including the service users’ perspective. When you grasp that, you can shape offers that stand the test of time. That’s when comms can have a huge impact.
For example, in smoking cessation campaigns, there is the temptation to focus on the problem and just tell people what they shouldn’t be doing (including using images of cigarettes or people smoking). But when you deeply understand why people smoke, your narrative – and, therefore, your messaging – shifts. Smoking is an addiction and showing cigarettes is a trigger that can actually widen health inequalities.
Applying behavioural insights during the planning stage helps avoid these pitfalls. The result is communication that genuinely enables behaviour change.
What are the biggest misconceptions you see in your work?
That reducing health inequalities should focus on encouraging individuals to change their own behaviours. Behavioural science is clear that our environment and social norms have huge influence on our behaviour. If we focus only on individual change, without the social and environmental focus – the system change – we will widen health inequalities.
What trends are you noticing?
The world of marketing and communications has grown increasingly complex. Today’s professionals are expected to be generalists, mastering all channels and strategies. If I were starting out now, I would definitely specialise in one area.
There’s also an overwhelming amount of content. Organisations often prioritise quantity over quality, churning out content without fully understanding its impact.
Effective communication is about frequency and resonance – it’s about making sure your message reaches the right audience and prompts meaningful reactions. More isn’t always better.
What’s on the horizon for you?
Our mission at Hidden Voices Heard is to reduce health inequalities. We specialise in behavioural insights in health and have some very exciting plans lined up for 2025. One project is to publish our behaviour change in health insights to help health comms teams learn and grow. We’re also submitting an abstract to the Behavioural Science and Public Health Network.
We are also planning in-person Behaviour Change Marketing Bootcamp training events, building on our online training that has reached more than 400 communication and marketing professionals to date.
Three tips for using behavioural insights in your comms
1. Always measure change.If you can’t measure it, you can’t replicate it. Plus, you might even be exacerbating health inequalities. Words create worlds, so we must take responsibility for their impact.
2. Focus on your business goals. Stay aligned with your organisational priorities. Don’t over-extend, and remember, small wins build momentum. Your role is to deliver agreed objectives, not save the world.
3. Kickstart your 2025 with behavioural science! Habits are reward based, so to make your New Year’s resolutions stick, reward yourself early and often. Be compassionate with yourself and remember that setbacks are human. Make the journey a beacon of self-love!
Find out more about Ruth’s work
www.behaviourchange.marketing (training)
Look for Behaviour Change Bootcamp podcast on Spotify and Apple
Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn