Wellness program success stems from customization; Tailored programs boost engagement among employees.

Byline: MATT DUNNING

The success of a company's wellness program depends greatly on its ability to cater to the specific needs of its employees, wellness experts say.

Communication of a wellness program's offerings, events and especially its rewards in which delivery methods and content are tailored to employees could mean the difference between a wellness initiative that takes off and one that sputters, consultants and wellness program providers say.

"Understanding the culture of your organization and recognizing the communication channels you already have in place are really important for a successful strategy," said Michelle Baade, vp of business development at the Omaha, Neb.-based wellness program provider SimplyWell L.L.C.

There are essentially two realms of wellness communications: high-tech and traditional. In most cases, a blend of both is best, Ms. Baade said. But she also said benefit communications should track closely with employee preferences and working conditions.

A workforce that spends most of its day in front of computers is more likely to want wellness program information communicated by emails, text messages, online chat forums with physicians or vendor specialists, and secure social media platforms, experts say.

Where workers' computer access is limited or nonexistent, more traditional posters, brochures, newsletters and "table tent" displays may be more effective in providing wellness information, she said.

However, Ms. Baade warned that employers should avoid making assumptions about employee preferences. Without surveying workers on their preferred methods of communication, an employer may be surprised to find that many workers are not getting the message.

"Ironically, a lot of the newest technology is having success in populations that were harder to reach five years ago when everyone switched from paper to Internet portals," Ms. Baade said, adding that tools such as text messages and smartphone applications (see story, next page) are in some cases becoming popular on construction sites, manufacturing plants and other lines of work far removed from a desktop computer.

Companies not well-positioned to leverage technology at the worksite still can experience success with their wellness program with the right combination of Web and email tools and traditional printed materials.

According to a survey by New York-based Buck Consultants L.L.C., more than 75% of U.S. companies with wellness programs still use posters, fliers and newsletters distributed at the worksite, and more than 50% use on-site health fairs, employee meetings and mailings to the home.

For the highest probability of success no matter which communication channel is used, the material should be personalized as much as possible, said Barry Hall, principal of clinical health consulting at Buck.

"Delivering highly personalized support and interactions to individuals will really help get and sustain their attention much more so than traditional 'generic' communications," Mr. Hall said, adding that one wellness information communications method that has outlived its usefulness is the long-form program guide.

"People just do not have the time, and the old-fashioned, thick print booklets are simply overwhelming," Mr. Hall said. "It's fine to embed wellness-related messaging with enrollment messaging, but the old style won't get the message conveyed and absorbed."

Even as technology spawns new information channels, one of the oldest methods--face-to-face contact--is still among the most effective, Mr. Hall said. Still, more companies are forgoing the direct approach as the challenging economy forces companies to prioritize productivity and bottom-line savings over personal touch, he said.

"Studies show that face to face remains one of the most powerful ways to get and keep attention, and these events are now sufficiently unique that they're actually a novelty," Mr. Hall said. "If we really want to pursue a 'culture of health,' we need to build trust, and face to face is a powerful way to build that comfort about management's motivations for the program."

Just as important is the content of the messages themselves.

LuAnn Heinen, vp of the Washington-based National Business Group on Health, said employees are more likely to respond favorably to simple, relatable instructions and peer success stories than cold statistics on illness, injury and health care costs (see box).

"Research shows that most employees already want the same thing their employers want--to be healthy, to exercise, etc.," Ms. Heinen said. "So communication focused on why something is important is not as necessary as identifying easy ways for them to get started."

Companies also should consider the source of their wellness program's communications.

Eric Zimmerman, chief marketing officer of Minneapolis-based RedBrick Health Corp., said wellness information most likely to be absorbed and acted upon comes from an employee's "inner circle," typically another co-worker or team leader. Providers including RedBrick also are seeing increased engagement in programs where they can involve an employee's physician directly in relaying information, he said. The next most effective communication sources are the wellness provider, followed by the employer's senior management and the company's health insurer, he said.

"When we look at engagement rates as a proxy for message effectiveness, there is a demonstrated and systematic difference between companies that have an independent health management partner and those that manage their own program," Mr. Zimmerman said. "It's an even bigger difference once you include companies that just use their insurance carrier."

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