Overview #
Fuelling Performance: Social Marketing for Healthier Eating in Military Messes explores how the Go Food program used social marketing to support healthier food choices in an Australian military dining facility. The study links nutrition, performance and behaviour change, showing how the HITS framework can guide practical changes to food environments, messaging and decision cues.
Abstract #
This paper demonstrates the use of a new social marketing theory – Help, Inform, Train, Sell (HITS), which focusses on the practical actions that social marketers and stakeholders need to do to enable behaviour change. The study evaluated the ‘Go Food’ program. A multi-component, social marketing-based program implemented in an Australian military dining facility.
Despite the importance of a healthy diet to enable personnel to operate in physically and cognitively demanding environments, many do not consistently consume a nutritious diet. This risks both performance and long-term health. Developed using the HITS social marketing framework, the program aimed to encourage healthier eating through the delivery of integrated environmental cues. Including, motivational messaging and interactive elements aligned with performance goals. Using a pre-post experimental design, the team collected data through plate photography, direct observation, eye tracking, and surveys.
Results showed a statistically significant increase in total food selections post-program. For example, there was a significantly higher uptake of dishes classified as the most healthy versions of protein, complex carbohydrate, and vegetable dishes. Segmentation analysis revealed a shift towards more balanced plate selections. The survey data showed high baseline perceptions of support for healthy eating. Message recall was strong and eye tracking highlighted the need for more salient visual cues.
In conclusion, this study demonstrates the HITS framework enabled the design of a social marketing program that positively influenced dietary behaviour. The findings support the use of tailored, performance-oriented strategies to enhance nutrition in military settings to sustain health and readiness. The team identified social marketing is more effective when it encompasses actions that span more than one domain of influence (Carins et al., 2017; Lahtinen et al., 2020). The HITS framework (Rundle-Thiele & Carins, working paper) supports the development of theory-based programs.
Access #
Julia Carins, PhD – Griffith University (j.carins@griffith.edu.au)
Location #
Australia
Keywords #
Social marketing, theory, healthy eating, military, HITS, Go Food, WSMC conference 2025
