Don't Give Up: Four Apps To Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Like many Americans, I find it hard to stick to New Year’s resolutions.  This year, I resolved to do things to improve my overall wellness.  This means exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and maintaining financial wellness.  After struggling to keep my resolution for a month and a half, I decided to pull out the big gun… my iPhone.  Here are four mobile apps that help me keep my 2012 resolution: 

BitGym

BitGym is a mobile app that turns monotonous cardio machine exercise into a fun videogame.  The app uses the iPhone and iPad’s forward-facing camera and accelerometer to power and control a bike down an European bike trail or a gondola through a Venetian canal.

Go! To Sleep  

Sleep is critical to your physical and emotional health.  The Go To Sleep! mobile app helps users monitor sleeping patterns and learn how to optimize their sleep by improving their personal “Sleep Score.”

Morsel

Morsel is a mobile app that makes wellness resolutions a bit less daunting by offering easy-to-achieve micro wellness challenges that add up to a healthier lifestyle.

Mint

Mint is a mobile and web app that aggregates financial accounts online and helps users manage their personal finances.  This makes it easy to set and monitor budgets and achieve savings goals. 

Behavior change through technology is an increasingly hot topic in the health and wellness tech circles.  With raising health costs, corporations are resorting to innovative wellness programs like Keas, to keep employees healthy and costs low.  For these corporations, this isn’t just about keeping a resolution- it is about finding a business solution.  I suspect brands will start taking advantage of these new technologies.  First we will see hyper-relevant ads such as a sleeping aid advertisements that pop up whenever the Sleep Now! user routinely doesn’t get a quality night’s sleep.  Eventually, we will see more brands and agencies partnering together to build their own technology that is relevant, valuable and changes buying behavior.  In other words, who knows what technology we will be using in 2013 to help us stick to our resolutions!

Have you used any apps to help you keep your 2012 resolution?  Have you used any of the above apps in the past?  What was your experience?

Stay well,

Ryan Drumwright

Jr. Planner

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Defeating the Enemy of Wellness — You

Wellness has an enemy, and despite what you may have been told, it’s not Voldemort – it’s you. And me. It’s all of us. When it comes to wellness, we are often our own greatest adversaries. But don’t get down on yourself, because it isn’t really your fault. The fault lies in your unconscious – or rather in the way your brain has evolved to divvy up responsibilities between your conscious awareness and your unconscious. First, let’s recap some of the more staggering evidence that you are the enemy of your wellness. Then we’ll talk about how your brain gets you into this mess, and we’ll introduce some of the new research and technologies that are making it easier for you to get out.  Read more of Jacob Braude's post and join us at Social Media Week to participate in his experiment!

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Why can’t I change?

Every year I make many New Year’s resolutions, and some are easier to follow than others. Last year, it was to get myself to visit my poor lonely cousin in boring Clearwater, Florida. It wasn’t the most exciting vacation nor what I wanted to spend my money on, but I set a goal and timeframe, and I made myself do it. But why can’t I get myself to accomplish the New Year’s resolutions that require me to make a self improving behavioral change such as doing more writing when I get home from work versus stuffing my face with whatever I can find in the fridge and vegging out in front of the TV? Is it because I don’t have any self-discipline? Probably, but still, how can I get myself to change this awful behavior?

Most people believe that if you want to change a behavior, the key is to change your goals and intentions and your behavior change should just follow. But in fact, research on heroin addicted Vietnam veterans proves that I can essentially blame my environment for being lazy, overeating, not researching and not writing.
 

In the 70’s it was learned that 20% of our soldiers in Vietnam were addicted to heroin. This was shocking and horrible news because as we all know, heroin is the most addictive drug ever created and once you’re addicted it is impossible to quit. But research that President Richard Nixon funded showed us that heroin is not impossible to quit, you just need to control or change your environment.

The research was set-up to see what happened to the addicted soldiers when they returned home. There were two groups of heroin addicted soldiers. One group was treated in the U.S., and the other group was treated in Vietnam. What was discovered is that the group of soldiers that were treated in the U.S. had a 90% relapse rate, but the soldiers that were treated in Vietnam only had a 5% relapse rate.

The reason the rate of heroin relapse was so much lower for those soldiers physically treated in Vietnam, was because those soldiers returned to a place radically different from the environment where their addiction took hold of them.

When we do something in the same physical setting repeatedly it becomes second nature/automatic to us. Our environment comes to unconsciously direct our behavior. In fact, about 45 percent of what we do every day is in the same environment and is repeated. Our environmental cues become so deeply ingrained that they are very hard to resist. For example, let’s say a smoker usually smokes in front of the entrance to his office building, what happens is that the front of his office building becomes a powerful mental cue to go and perform that behavior. And so he ends up smoking whenever he goes near the entrance of his office building when he doesn’t really want to.

My 280 sq. ft Manhattan apartment is where I go to eat, watch TV, and sleep. When I try to get some writing done in there, I find myself being drawn to the fridge, cooking something up, turning on my TV and at the end of the day, no writing gets done.

So yes, creating an intention or goal and expecting your behavior to follow will work for one off resolutions like visiting your lonely cousin in Clearwater, Fl. But if you want to change a behavior that you repeatedly do, especially in the same environment, then you are going to have to change your environment. If you want to break a bad habit, then avoid the specific environment that you ordinarily entertain that habit. If you want to get yourself to do something more often, then create a new/dedicated environment for that behavior, insert yourself in that environment and go through the motions. This is exactly what I did. Instead of trying to write from home, I went to my local coffee shop with free wifi, I ordered a large latte with extra sugar, sat by a window, and wrote. Because now I know that if I want to get myself to write, it is never going to happen inside my apartment. The local coffee shop has now become a place where I will dedicate to writing, not eating, not watching TV, just writing. I’m pretty sure that this is the only reason I even finished this post, or maybe it was all the caffeine from the latte.

~Jessica Mendoza, Strategic Planner

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Beauty and Social Media

Social Media apps like StyleSeat allow you connect with style savvy people, view pictures, and even book appointments online! Learn more about what’s new in beauty and social media at Social Media Week.

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Support Through Gaming

The best way to stick to a healthy lifestyle is to have a strong support system. Engage in a strong network of support through social gaming. Learn more at “This game will make you healthier”

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Willpower

Researchers believe that persisting negative habits have to do with the environment surrounding that act. Participate in an experiment at the wellness hub to see how social technologies can help you break the cycle.

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Social Media and Beauty

We all find ourselves asking our friends where the best place is to get our haircut or makeup done for an upcoming event. But what happens when we ask these same things to an entire network of men and women in your city? Learn more about what’s new in beauty and social media at Social Media Week.

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Feedback Through Gaming

There’s more to gaming than meets the eye. Social gaming can challenge you to reach a goal and gives you feedback along the way, helping you learn and grow. Find out more at social media week.

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Wellness Hub of Social Media Week

88% of all New Year resolutions end in failure, mostly because people do not have the willpower to keep them. Explore how to train your “will power muscle” and keep those healthy eating habits or gym dedications in 2012 at the wellness hub of SMW.

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Five Reasons to Visit the Health and Wellness Hub

In 2012, Social Media Week New York introduces the first Health & Wellness Hub to serve as a platform to empower change in health through collaboration. Hosted by Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and co-curated by Luminary Labs, the Health & Wellness Hub will take place at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness's ground floor auditorium, and offers seating for 400 guests as well as a livestream. The event runs from February 13-17, 2012. Co-Luminary Labs CEO Sara Holoubek shares what’s hot at the Health & Wellness Hub on the Social Media Week Blog. Check it out

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There is only one Helayne Spivak, and she's ours -- but this month, she also wrote the 'Private View' column in MM&M, in this case about some current & breakthrough print work in Rx and healthcare. The magazine was lucky to get her and we're truly fortunate to have her as our own Chief Creative Officer -- read on!

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Is it time yet?

A new PwC survey is showing that 50% of Americans under 35 are using social media for healthcare purposes -- which can range from looking up information on YouTube to registering a complaint.

Yet the FDA continues to drag its feet on establishing clear guidelines for pharmaceutical companies in using social media channels and marketers (and yes, agencies) are still trying to figure out how to employ social media tactics effectively.

Not addressing how people get and channel information through social media is a healthcare issue in the United States: we live in an information-driven society and we're ignoring the very channel where people are more & more getting most of their information. The question is when will it be time to start addressing social media and its role in healthcare head-on?

We think the time is now, and that's why Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness is pleased to be hosting Social Media Week next month for all Health & Wellness forums; we believe it is important to take a leadership role in the discussions that will drive the evolution of this issue, and we plan on doing just that.

Take a look at the PwC findings at the link below, and we hope to see you here on Hudson Street in February.

Ned

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/study_predicts_growing_use_of_social_media_in_heal.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29

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Some Insights About Insights

If that handsome man on today's adage.com landing page looked familiar, it is because it is one of our resident superstars -- Jacob Braude -- giving the competition from unfair advantages by espousing some of his insights to getting to better customer insights. In our business, resonance and relevance equal economic growth, and there is no one better than Jacob in this regard. Enjoy the column and please let him know your thoughts (jacob.braude@saatchiwellness or @rowdybraude).

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One of a kind. . . .

I got an email last night from my good friend Andrea Alstrup saying that Pete Tyrrell had passed away.

Pete ran J&J's Corporate Advertising Group for many years and was a vocal proponent for the advertising and pharmaceutical industries at a time when the world was beginning to change. But to me he was an incredibly valuable mentor and friend.

Pete embodied the credo of J&J: his first priority was clearly to the customers all J&J brands served, and he was transparent in his agenda and goals. He knew what he knew -- and he knew what he didn't, and his greatest strength may have been his ability to build trust in others to compensate for what he didn't know and -- in so doing -- create a better product. Pete wasn't one for process -- if it interfered with good thinking or work -- and he was willing to put his own neck on the line and go for it.

For instance, a few months after the national launch of Acuvue Disposable Contact Lenses, we learned that one of the teams in that year's Super Bowl was wearing the product: we took an idea, from concept to airing on the Super Bowl, in 11 days. Pete used his connections to push this through, both J&J corporately and the network airing the game that year, which miraculously "found" the time on the game long-ago sold out (we even got billboards in the pre & post-game shows!). Many believe that the lift in patient inquiries & fits that came from running that spot put Acuvue on the trajectory that made the brand a global success. No one would ever have approved it in an annual plan, circumstances took us to an opportunity and we went for it.

We didn't always agree -- we did a corporate spot called "A Mother's Touch", which Adweek named one of the best spots of the '90's, and Pete pulled it off air just after it started because he felt that the spot made J&J look old (the talent was a grandmother holding her grandchild). No one could understand why he became so sensitive to this (it was, after all, the idea we sold to him), but everyone trusted Pete's judgement enough to leave it alone.

Pete wasn't an easy client -- there was a reason he held that big job -- but he was fair and if you earned his respect and trust, he rewarded you big time. He was a class act. I will miss his opinion, his enthusiasm, his friendship.

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Promoting Wellness vs. Illness: It’s All About We vs. I

Marketers are starting to wise up to the importance of the "we-ness" in wellness.

Check out today's Forbes' Leadership Forum where Jacob Braude, Saatchi Wellness's VP of Strategic Planning, discusses the role our friends and connections play in our health and wellness:
Promoting Wellness vs. Illness: It's All About We vs. I

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American Business Awards- Acorda.com

We received word this week from our Acorda clients that our Acorda.com site won best pharmaceutical company website at the American Business Awards ceremony held on June 20th in New York.

We have always been proud of our work on Acorda and the passion it has ignited in our team for people living with MS. But I think everyone should take special note that the high level of our work extended beyond the ads, beyond the events and digital programs we created with our Acorda partners for Move Over MS and "I Walk Because",which continue today -- and into a corporate site, which for a start-up company like Acorda is really important to how they attract investments to fund their growth.

The work has been recognized as best-in-industry again. Congratulations to Kim Olson, Paul Schmidt, William Martino, Jacob Braude, Sarah Hall, Tim Mingle and everyone else who had a hand in this work. Nicely done!

Ned

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Monkey see, monkey do

Warning! - You might get fat while reading this.

Do you often get the munchies while watching long hours of TV or playing video games? Do you find yourself craving a snack midmorning after a few hours on your computer? Well that’s because activities like these trick our brains into thinking we are being physically active so much so that they’ve been proven to cause fluctuation in our blood sugar and hunger hormone levels. They even agitate our appetite for sweet treats such as cookies and chocolate cake.

So are you getting hungry yet? If not, allow me to introduce you to mirror neurons. About twenty years ago in Italy, a group of scientists were doing an experiment with monkeys to learn how the brain controls our actions and discovered that certain neurons in the monkey’s brain would fire up when the monkey would grasp or manipulate a peanut. They then discovered (by accident) that those same neurons would also fire up when the monkey saw an other monkey grasp or manipulate the peanut i.e. as far as the brain is concerned, seeing can be as good as doing. A number of other experiments have shown that humans have a similar system. We call such neurons mirror neurons. These bad boys can explain why our brains think we’ve worked off many calories requiring replacement when we watch TV, movies, sport, surfing the web etc.

But mirror neurons do a lot more than just trick our brains and cause us to overeat. They affect our day to day lives more than you may realize. They make us empathetic by helping us feel other individuals’ actions, sensations, and emotions as if we were in their shoes. They help us learn by seeing instead of actually having to try something ourselves. For instance, if one of your friends tries a glass of milk and makes a repugnant face, chances are you are not going to make the same mistake. You would probably get grossed out just by imagining the sour taste of curdled milk.

These shared circuits can also explain our buying behavior, and the power that desirable experiences have in advertising campaigns. When consumers see another person using a product or a brand, they share the experience of the person they are watching. Men started smoking cigarettes just by seeing a rugged cowboy in nature enjoying a cigarette (Marlboro Man). The Snuggie was able to net over $100MM just by showing an entire family cozy and happy watching TV while dressed in ridiculous oversized blankets with sleeves. It’s crazy what vicarious thrills we get from seeing others enjoying a product, or a brand.

Another manifestation of this ‘to see is to do’ phenomenon is the application of computer games to improve health related behaviors; for example race car games promoting seat belt protection and safe driving by penalizing the racers if they don’t wear their seat belts. And there are other emerging games that aim to control tobacco use, improve nutritional habits, and even help prevent certain diseases such as HIV.

So, although our mirror neurons have added to our love handles, it’s still inspiring to know that there is something inside each of us that connects us to each other, and causes us to identify with each other, care about each other, learn from each other, and can even help prevent diseases.

Jessica Mendoza
Strategic Planner

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Social Media Week presentation now available on SlideShare

Convergence in technology is all around us—whether it's our mobile phones that serve many purposes (phone, camera, address book, GPS, etc...) or the continued evolution of platforms like Facebook (who announced this week that they were entering the movie distribution business). It's a topic we explored during Social Media Week and one that we will continue to keep our eyes on in the future.

As the expression goes, "You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been." We hope that our event, "Convergence: How Social Commerce and Mobile Change the Way We Make Decisions and Shop," shed some light on the current state of convergence, and are happy to make the presentation available on SlideShare. Enjoy!

Saatchi Wellness - Social Media Week 2011

View more presentations from Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness.

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Today's "Snapshot" in USA Today

Everyone is familiar with the little graphs that appear on the front page of every section of USA Today.

Well, this morning's paper had a chart from our very own 2011 Wellness Survey that we fielded with the Time Inc. books. While this exposure is not significant in itself, the fact that we're being sourced as a information base for cultural and attitudinal changes in something like USA Today is exactly what we mean when we say our company will be a thought-leader in Wellness. You should expect that you'll be seeing our name (and our people) sourced for a lot more this year and beyond.

Take a look at our little "snapshot" from today's paper. . .

~Ned

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DiGiDAY Live Streaming

Join our Managing Director, Ned Russell at the DiGiDAY: On Media Conference as he participates in a panel discussion about Creativity in Digital Advertising (And The Lack Of It). Live streaming is available below, and you can also participate on twitter by following the hashtag #DIGIDAY.

Watch live streaming video from digiday at livestream.com

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