If most people are engaging in healthy behaviors, such as eating a healthy diet or exercising regularly, that information can be used to motivate others to also engage in those behaviors. But when the reality is that most people don’t engage in healthy behaviors, how can consumers be motivated to start? New research by Aaron Garvey and colleagues finds that promoting increasing adoption of healthy behaviors, even when a majority of the population doesn’t engage in them, may hold the answer. Labeled the ‘uptrend effect,’ when consumers learn that others are increasingly adopting behaviors it motivates their own healthy choices.

Like Wayne Gretzky anticipating the puck, it’s not where things are but where they are going that is most important.

To learn more about Aaron’s research click here.