Unhealthy food and beverage marketing are often cited as adding to the health inequities burden and obesity problem in low-income communities and communities of color. Running an impactful public health media and public education campaign addressing sugary drinks, for example, requires a broad array of skills. These include clinical, business, leadership, management, and?probably most importantly of all?communication skills. Communications designed to combat unhealthy food and beverage marketing must address the issue in a way that the targeted communities understand, while simultaneously providing a succinct call to action.
In order to effectively interact with the communities that you are serving, as well as clients, staff, and stakeholders, you must be able to engage in direct communication and meaningful dialogue, addressing not only day-to-day concerns, but also serious issues that inevitably arise when working on visible and potentially political health issues (such as healthcare access and health insurance). If your tendency is to avoid challenging conversations, you are not alone. Frequently, the cause of such avoidance is either lack of skills or an aversion to conflict and confrontation. The ability to have uncomfortable conversations that are effective is a skill that most of us must acquire.
what are some unique communication methods and strategies which may be successful?
