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CDO Launches Innovative Public Awareness Campaign Strategy

Posted: September 26, 2023

Publié le 26 September 2023

Title protection of "registered dietitian" among key messages related to campaign's focus on protecting the public

Imagine you’re sitting in your doctor’s office, waiting for your name to be called, watching the digital screen on the wall. Suddenly, the logo for the College of Dietitians of Ontario appears, and you’re learning about title protection and protecting the public.

That will be the experience of Ontarians visiting multi-practice medical centres, medical laboratories and hospitals during the months of October and November. As part of our annual public awareness campaign, CDO is running digital videos on the display screens of the Canadian Health Media Network, with a focus on the College’s public protection mandate.

The three, thirty-second videos in rotation are:

• The College of Dietitians of Ontario is by your side
• How The College of Dietitians of Ontario works for you
• Are you looking for information about your dietitian?

Each video explores an aspect of public protection such as professional regulation, title protection and the Public Register to reinforce the message that dietitians are regulated health professionals.

The CDO public awareness campaign is based on demographic data
What is the purpose of the CDO public awareness campaign? The answer lies in Goal 2 of the College’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan:

Communicate effectively to support the public’s understanding of the College's mandate, services and resources.

In 2021, the College launched a brand awareness survey, conducted by the polling firm Angus Reid, to benchmark public awareness of CDO’s brand, mandate and regulatory role. The survey identified women aged 55+ as a key target market for the College’s public awareness message. Demographic data revealed that this group is most likely to expect information about dietetics directly from medical practitioners.

Younger demographic groups, however, were most likely to seek information from online resources and directly through the College. Working with an established marketing and outreach firm, we devised a two-channel strategy of:

1. Online advertising through digital ads on Facebook, Google, and Instagram.
2. Digital screen advertising in the waiting rooms of medical establishments.

Online advertising runs throughout the year and has driven triple-digit increases in traffic to key sections of our website. Digital screen advertising runs in October and November of this year in 200 clinics across Ontario with a focus on the Greater Toronto Area, and Northern Ontario, where the opportunity to grow our message is the strongest.

Send us your feedback and pictures of the campaign!
If you see the CDO public awareness campaign on the digital screen of a medical waiting room this fall, send us a photo or video by email to socialmedia@collegeofdietitians.org.

If you have any questions or comments about the campaign, send them to the CDO director of communications at the College by email.