International Stevia Council (ISC)

Growing Influence and Awareness


Challenge

A key element of the International Stevia Council’s (ISC) strategic goals was to reach healthcare professionals to promote the benefits of stevia as a sweetener. Stevia leaf extracts and steviol glycosides are no-calorie sweeteners which help food product manufacturers in reformulation and innovation to reduce the number of calories in consumer products. With the support of Kellen and in cooperation with the Calorie Control Council, another Kellen client, the ISC implemented a communications strategy to educate healthcare professionals on the benefits and science behind stevia.

Solution

ISC sponsored a symposium, Stevia: An Ally to Support Nutrition and Health, at the International Union of Nutritional Sciences’ International Congress of Nutrition (ICN), held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2017. At this global summit, Dr. Keith Ayoob, Associate Clinical Professor Emeritus at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, addressed dieticians and nutritionists from around the world, focusing on the health and wellness benefits of stevia as a sweetener. Dr. Ayoob discussed stevia’s potential role in helping manage diabetes, blood pressure, weight management and the specifics of global health recommendations to reduce intake of added sugars as well as the role played by zero-calorie sweeteners in achieving these recommendations. To further support outreach to the healthcare community, Kellen developed a digital ad campaign leveraging the ICN presentation to target dietitians and healthcare professionals in conjunction with the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in the United States.


Results

  • Mentions of stevia increased 250% in English and Spanish speaking countries, based on a 2019 Conversation Analysis conducted by ISC.
  • The digital advertising campaign targeting dietitians and healthcare professionals in conjunction with the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) garnered more than 2,500 website views during the three-day event.
  • Traffic to the ISC website increased dramatically.
  • News release targeting the healthcare community reached more than 4,000 highly relevant professionals.




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