Institute For The Future

Better eat your Wheaties . . . and tell the world about it

Okay, I confess, this post is really about Kashi Cereal, not Wheaties.  More importantly, it is about how this healthy food brand is using social media to build community around living well.  The company believes that "[w]ellness isn’t a race—it’s a journey. And every day is an opportunity to live life a little healthier than the day before. We truly believe when we eat well, we feel well."

The company must also believe in the power of social networks, because it has created one on its website. 

I checked out the list of recently posted accomplishments, and they included entries like: "Ate an apple instead of a hand full of jelly beans" and "i worked out 30 mins last night then i walked 3 miles with my dogs."  A "Community Round Up" feature polls members about specific ways they are working toward positive change.  So far this month, 920 people have indicated that they are buying locally-grown foods.

I found the "Challenge Yourself" section particularly interesting, because lately I've been looking at how elements of gaming—including the use of challenges to engage participants—can play a role in encouraging physical activity.  Kashi, in describing how its "community is built," observes that "[m]aking a positive change is easier if you have someone to share it with."  

 

Some of my colleagues in the Health Horizons Program have worked with Kashi folks in the past, but that has not at all influenced my decision to write this post.  Instead, I credit the Healthy Conversations blog for pointing me to the story.