World Iron Awareness Week – a history
As World Iron Awareness Week marks its tenth year, we wanted to take the opportunity to dive into the history, themes and highlights along the way.
How did World Iron Awareness Week come about?
Research into the role of red meat in a healthy diet has always been a focus for Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and well before World Iron Awareness Week existed was a basis of some of our more notable campaigns.
This included the ‘Ironstein’ TV campaign which highlighted the importance of iron in brain development to parents of babies over six months old. This was one of the most popular TVC’s created by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and over 20 babies were filmed to get it just right!
In 1998 ‘Iron Brion’ was developed as a singing and dancing character who took the heatlhy eating message out to primary schools in a fun and interactive way. The Iron Brion BBQ Roadshow was a one hour show teaching children about the four food groups and the importance of iron in the diet. The show was followed with a BBQ cooking up burgers for the children. Iron Brion visited around 200 schools each year up until the end of 2011.
In 2005 we introduced the Iron Maidens who were our ambassadors for many years. From here, we gained more momentum with the iron messaging, and with collaboration with the International Meat Secretariat, it was agreed that the role of iron should be deemed a global focus. From here, World Iron Awareness Week was born…
Iron maidens Sarah Walker, Sophie Pascoe, Lisa Carrington and Eliza McCartney.
April 6, 2014 – First Iron Awareness Week
Campaign focus: Tagline created – ‘Are you getting enough’
Key activities/highlights
Launched with Beef + Lamb Ambassadors at the time, ‘The Iron Maidens’ - Sarah Walker, Lisa Carrington and Sophie Pascoe.
The Iron Maidens helped to spread the word via media about the symptoms of iron deficiency and how they can often be mistaken for a busy lifestyle.
Iron Awareness Week was also brought to awareness at the Dietary Iron Symposium which ran in collaboration with Auckland University.
Website ironweek.co.nz established.
2015
Campaign focus: overall awareness of iron deficiency and importance of dietary iron.
Key activities / highlights
In 2015 our campaign became global! Through connections with the International Meat Secretariat we turned Iron Awareness Week into World Iron Awareness Week. Norway, South Africa, USA and France were all involved in some sort of activity.
We also turned things up another notch by branding a vehicle! During the campaign week, we visited key media, foodies and ambassadors in a branded Iron Wagon, delivering ‘a gift of iron’. This included representatives from Cuisine magazine, Herald, Food magazine, iHeart radio in addition to visiting Iron Maidens - Sophie Pascoe during the swimming world champs and Lisa Carrington during a training session.
Media coverage was great, with a number of radio spots and an interview on TVOne’s Breakfast TV with an interview with Beef + Lamb New Zealand sports ambassador, Sarah Walker and a Registered Nutritionist.
2016
Campaign focus: overall awareness of iron deficiency and importance of dietary iron.
Key activities / highlights
Campaign website refreshed, and our free resources available on here were promoted.
Media kits (containing 200g each of eye fillet steak, lamb liver, lentils, kidney beans, broccoli, bok choy, and an orange) were delivered to key media contacts.
We took to the streets to ask people what their fav iron rich recipe is.
Qualified nutritionist, Claire Turnbull, appeared on TVNZ Breakfast to talk about iron deficiency, Claire received one of the media kits and used the ingredients in her segment.
The start of the iron survey – we commissioned Nielsen to run a survey of women, 18 years and older, with and without children, in regards to dietary iron intake. Results from the four question survey formed the basis of a press release.
Press release angle – watching for signs of iron deficiency in children.
Massey University became involved, and they coincided their first annual nutrition week with the campaign – meaning the focus of the entire Massey nutrition week was on iron.
2017
Campaign focus: ‘importance of iron during pregnancy’
Key activities / highlights
Activities from this year forward have become more digitally focused.
Ran ‘The Big Iron Four’ competition via social media where people were asked to choose one of four iron-rich recipes, cook the recipe and send in a picture to enter. Utilised spokespeople such as Toni Street, Niki Bezzant and Lisa Carrington to promote.
Massey University once again supported the campaign with their symposium covering topics as around iron in pregnancy.
2018
Campaign focus: ‘low iron levels causing low energy and concentration.’
Key activities / highlights
Changed the date to August to tie in with the Dietitians New Zealand Jubilee Conference. Dietitians were asked to write down their top iron absorption tip and have their photo taken which was posted to social media under the hashtag #worldironweek
Survey findings one in five respondents suffer from low energy with around 50% of those in that group not eating red meat.
We took to the streets once again, this time asking people if there were getting enough!
2019
Campaign focus: ‘importance of iron for adolescent females.’
Key activities / highlights
A Let’s talk food New Zealand podcast titled ‘The Silent Epidemic: Iron deficiency is suffocating our teen girls’ was targeted at parents, teachers, coaches, health practitioners and young people alike. Featured key New Zealand nutrition experts.
Quiz – could you be iron deficient? Co-designed with input from students at Westlake Girls High school and targeted at young women.
Promotion of WIAW through Massey University and AUT events in August.
2020
Campaign focus: ‘importance of iron for baby and toddlers.’
Key activities / highlights
Largely social media led, with video and graphical assets.
63% increase in resource downloads on the website.
TV coverage on Te Ao, Māori TV and Seven Sharp.
Massey University webinar - ‘Preventing iron deficiency in early life and addressing why some children are so fussy about meat and vegetables’.
2021
Due to COVID-19 disruptions it was decided to move WIAW to October for this year.
Campaign focus: ‘how much do New Zealander’s know about iron.’
Key activities / highlights
Online iron quiz of over 3,300 respondents. Average score of 56%, indicating a basic understanding. 92% recognised symptoms, 93% understood iron's importance; 33% knew iron needs of a 7-month-old, and 20% knew toddlers' iron intake falls short.
Social platforms used to deliver simple facts graphically and with fun video to demonstrate iron absorption.
Massey University webinar ‘The Veges First Study – Why is iron so important in early life?’
2022
Campaign focus: ‘iron’s role in energy’. The question posed to New Zealander’s was ‘Is low iron holding you back?’.
Key activities / highlights
Results from the online iron quiz from 2019 - 2022 which around 37,000 global responses were collated as the basis of the press release. 62% of the respondents state they are struggling to get out of bed in the morning, 42% reporting they feel weak or dizzy all the time and over half saying they are short of breath after walking up a flight of steps.
Partnership with Bountiful – our Nutrition Advisor answered questions from Bountiful followers about iron for babies, toddlers, and pregnant women.
Significantly larger global reach and engagement than previous years.
Two Massey University webinars. Each focused-on nutrition for two different age groups – younger and older adults, with a focus on the importance of iron.
2023
Campaign focus: ‘iron to move.’ Showcasing the important role iron can play in keeping physically active.
Key activities / highlights
Wahine Toa video with Stacey Waaka (world champion rugby player) and Sacha Bond (world record holding sheep sheerer) and Dr Claire Badenhorst.
Partnership with Bountiful – our Registered Dietitians answered questions from Bountiful followers about iron for babies, toddlers, and pregnant women.
Iron-themed Homeland Community Day with the Wahine Charatable Trust.
For more information on World Iron Awareness week, visit ironweek.co.nz