spf stalkerHow to Use Social Technology and Triggers

to Form Sun Protection HabitsStephanie Carter & Yin Yin Wu

habits.stanford.edu . April 17-May 2, 2010

Introduction

Encourage ten college students living in the same dorm to develop the habit of wearing SPF lip balm Students were selected because they were motivated to wear SPF lip balm as long as it was simple, which in this case primarily meant that it had to be provided. They are all on facebook, providing a technology medium for triggers. They are all in a common social network and therefore influence each other’s daily habits and behaviors.

Phase 1 (of 2): Selecting a good user & creating a powerful trigger

3

Technology: Tag participants in funny, personal facebook images that will remind them to wear SPF lip balm.

Why this way? At the least, facebook tagging gets 100% of those tagged to click through and view the image. Every additional time the user is tagged, s/he sees the set of photos with SPF lip balm imagery. Regardless of the user’s feelings towards the campaign, the passive visual reminder is a light-hearted and consistent reminder of what to do.

Phase 1

Users are tagged in iconic and personally

relevant images in which SPF lip balm has been inserted

Phase 1

Findings, Part 1: Unusual images are memorable

I love the contrast between the pink lip balm and black/white image -Daphne

Some of the pictures

are so ridiculous. The

images are artistically

very well done!

-Lilly

Phase 1

Don’t make me unfriend you…

Is there a subliminal message for me to exercise?

Pressure to be cool: de-tagging from images

Findings, Part 2: Odd images can lose people

Phase 1

What worked People vividly remember the funny lip balm imagery Product placement Facebook newsfeed alerts friends, creates social pressure

What didn’t work Facebook tagging time of day did not always correlate with a good time to apply lip balm‣ a more timely trigger is needed

Many people don’t get facebook notification emails so the response to photo tagging was not instant ‣ a physical reminder is needed for when the

reminder is not present

Phase 1

Introducing gum/mints, the action triggers

Phase 2 (of 2): Improving the trigger

Phase 2

Technology: Develop an association between gum/mints and SPF lip balm by taping lip balm to packets of gum/mints

Why this way? During the day, after eating, many people pop in some gum or mints. Daytime is the proper time to trigger SPF lip balm application, and after meals, people are more willing to put something with flavor on their lips. The attachment of the item to be used (the SPF lip balm) to a physical trigger (the gum/mints) is training wheels for habit formation. Eventually, the user will naturally apply SPF lip balm after meals or whenever they chew gum or eat mints, even though it is not physically attached to the gum/mints.

Phase 2

Findings Part 1: Funny and tasteful online triggers that ask an easy

question have a low barrier to entry and will generate

discussion

Phase 2

Findings Part 2: Online Triggers are hard to avoid and their redundancy

serves as a frequent and constant reminder

What were your impressions of spf stalker?

“I felt guilty whenever I didn’t wear SPF lip balm because I would see all these updates on facebook reminding me that my friends are wearing lip balm”

“I normally don’t wear lip balm, but I now wear it 3-4 times a week. It’s hard to ignore the message when you see it everyone on facebook”

“I love to chew gum- and you can’t ignore the lip balm when it’s on the gum package”

Conclusion: User feedback, future compliance, next steps, summary

Will you continue wearing SPF lip balm?

Responses

YesMaybeNo

“It’s easy”

“It’s still attached to my gum”

“My lips feel better… and I’m used to putting it

on whenever I take out my

gum”

“I probably won’t continue because I don’t like the taste”

TARGET THE “MAYBES” IN FUTURE STUDIES

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Conclusion

The Future

1. Easier and more natural way to attach lip balm to gum“How do I put on the lip balm if its attached to gum?”

2. Match frequency of use“I’ll chew through this pack in two days”

3. Does SPF lip balm use translate to SPF sunscreen use?“This probably wouldn’t encourage me to wear sunscreen because I just don’t get burned”

Conclusion

SummaryA well-timed physical trigger (gum/mints) and tasteful but funny facebook photo tagging led to the beginning of what could be true habit formation in the application of SPF lip balm.

Conclusion

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