A non-violent language approach to health content
Company Virgin Pulse
Team Head of Content, Engineering team, Content Operations team.
Role Content strategist
Challenge
Plan a scaled approach that supports health literacy
We were at risk of losing a major client if we did not introduce a non-violent language statement into our editorial policy. Non-violent language was a concern for several of our clients – particularly the use of certain phrases in our regular health challenges. We didn’t have a content management system, so didn’t know how much of our content contained words and phrases from a recommended list.
I led the content strategy for pivoting to this non-violent language approach. The core concerns we had were:
How changing/removing certain language could impact customers’ understanding of health topics
Managing the scale of changes with the time and resources we had
Solution
Risk assess the trade-offs
This significant update to our editorial policy needed to be handled sensitively, to avoid over-promising or negatively impacting customers. I conducted an extensive risk assessment of the list of violent phrases across a range of attributes, such as the likelihood that they existed in our content (to get a sense of the scale of changes), and whether an alternative, non-violent word/phrase would impact health literacy. Our writing tone and style were colloquial and jargon-free, to engage customers with health topics in an accessible, human way.
Understanding the scale of the search
I worked with the engineering team to understand the technical requirements for searching our huge library of static and dynamic content. The findings from the risk assessment helped us to prioritise higher-risk words and phrases and those most urgently requested by the client. Based on this, I shared our findings with the wider team to agree on a staged approach for the changes.
Making a case for ‘trigger’
The review process helped us build a persuasive rationale for retaining words or phrases that supported health literacy. ‘Trigger’ is not easily replaced with a plain language alternative in many health contexts. In general, this process helped us communicate and reinforce how language around health continues to evolve and is intrinsically tied to complex social issues.
What I’m most proud of
Balancing the needs of clients and customers
The client was very pleased with the revised editorial policy and changes we were making, which was a considerable win for the business. I’m proud we stayed true to our values and our customers by taking a thoughtful approach to changing health language. This experience renewed my appreciation for grey areas and cultural context in the emotional impact of words and phrases.