Challenge:

Many patients with sedentary lifestyles opt for screen time and inactive behaviors, leading to adverse health effects such as increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and weight gain.

Project:

I designed an intervention to encourage physical activity among patients with a history of heart disease and sedentary habits for a line of wireless-enabled wearable technology, mainly physical fitness monitors and activity trackers

Strategy:

Identifying Key Behavior: My research identified that users often struggle with maintaining consistent exercise habits due to lack of motivation and accountability. Research in behavioral science suggests that individuals are more likely to adhere to exercise routines when they have social support, competition, and tangible goals.that setting and achieving daily step goals is a key behavior that drives user engagement. Based on this insight, “Challenges” was introduced to encourage users to maintain consistent exercise habits by participating in goal-oriented challenges.

Segmentation based on Motivators: Userss were categorized into intrinsic or extrinsic motivators based on their values and motivations. For example, individuals motivated by competition were grouped separately from those who valued personal achievement or social connection.

Crafting Messaging and Positioning: Challenges was positioned as a fun and motivating way to stay active and compete with friends, family, and other product users. Messaging emphasized the benefits of accountability, social support, and friendly competition in achieving fitness goals. Tailored text messages were sent to users according to their motivational profile. Extrinsic motivators received messages encouraging competition or comparison, while intrinsic motivators were reminded of personal reasons for engaging in physical activity.

extrinsic motivator example: "You're just 2000 steps away from breaking your group’s record. That’s just 10 minutes of walking to reach the top of the leaderboard!"

intrinsic motivator example: "A small stroll today means more playtime with your granddaughter tomorrow!"

Creating Incentives and Rewards: “Challenges” was designed to offer rewards and incentives for participation and achievement. Incorporating gamification elements, users earn badges, virtual trophies, and other rewards for completing “Challenges” and reaching milestones.

Optimizing User Experience: The user experience was optimized by making it easy to join, participate, and track progress. The app analyzed a user's activity and provided real-time feedback on progress towards personalized goals.

Results:

Within one month, patients increased daily activity (primarily walking) by 4000 steps.

At the 3-month mark, 81% of patients had formed a habit of regular physical activity. Approximately 20% of these habit-formers increased their daily physical activity from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Key Takeaway:

By leveraging insights from behavioral science and implementing an effective product marketing strategy, this feature drove user engagement, fostered community, and helped users achieve their fitness goals.