Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
June 14, 2016

Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles

Wellness Rewards App Rolls Into Newfoundland & Labrador

Carrot Rewards, a free mobile app that rewards Canadians for living healthier lives, launched today in Newfoundland and Labrador. Harnessing the popularity of loyalty points and the prevalence of smartphones, Carrot Rewards allows users to earn points from participating loyalty programs for making better lifestyle choices.

“Our government has committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and youth wellness. Carrot Rewards is an innovative and interactive mobile app that supports this commitment by providing incentives and rewards for learning about and adopting healthier lifestyle choices.”
- The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development

Newfoundland and Labrador is the second province to launch the Carrot Rewards initiative. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can now collect loyalty points from participating points providers - Aeroplan and SCENE – simply for downloading the app, referring friends and completing health-focused activities, like participating in quizzes, learning about how to live better and achieving daily walking targets.

“Carrot Rewards is a great example of how governments are partnering across sectors to create innovative wellness tools. By harnessing the power of incentives, Carrot Rewards gives Canadians the extra motivation they need to engage in healthy behaviours. I’m so pleased to see this launch in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
- The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, Government of Canada

Carrot Rewards was developed with the support of founding partners, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Health. Other partners include the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and a cross-sectoral coalition made up of loyalty partners and three of the leading health charities in Canada, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association, and YMCA Canada.

“Promoting physical fitness and providing tips and information on how to make healthier choices is not only valuable for British Columbians, but for all Canadians. B.C. was proud to be the first province to launch Carrot Rewards, and it is great to see the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador follow our lead.”
- The Honourable Terry Lake, Minister of Health, Government of British Columbia

The Provincial Government has invested $187,000 to bring Carrot Rewards to Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The response to Carrot has been extraordinary and we are particularly proud to have Newfoundland and Labrador become the second jurisdiction in the world where Carrot is running. We are uniquely proud to have Carrot now running on both coasts of our country and we look forward to bringing this program to all Canadians later this year.”
- Andreas Souvaliotis, Founder and CEO of Social Change Rewards

The free app works on smartphones and is available for download on IOS and Android devices or by visiting: www.carrotrewards.ca or www.swsd.gov.nl.ca/carrotrewards. More information about Carrot Rewards is available in backgrounder below.

QUICK FACTS

  • Carrot Rewards, the first mobile app dedicated to helping Canadians lead healthier lives through rewards, launched today in Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • Carrot Rewards allows users to earn points from participating loyalty programs for making better health choices.
  • Users earn rewards from participating in quizzes, tracking their daily steps and learning about the many ways they can take care of their health.
  • With today’s launch, Newfoundland and Labrador becomes the second province in Canada to adopt Carrot Rewards as an innovative tool to promote healthy living.
  • The free app works on smartphones and is available for download on IOS and Android devices or by visiting: www.carrotrewards.ca or www.swsd.gov.nl.ca/carrotrewards.

- 30 -

Media contact:

Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
709-729-0928, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca 		Public Health Agency of Canada
Media Relations
613-957-2983
Kristy Anderson
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health, Government of British Columbia
250-952-1887 (media line) 		Elisa Birnbaum
Director, Communications
Social Change Rewards
416-994-3547
birnbaum@socialchangerewards.com

BACKGROUNDER
Quotes from other Carrot Reward Partners:

“YMCA Canada is proud to collaborate on this innovative approach to motivating Canadians to lead healthier, active lifestyles.”
- Peter Dinsdale, President and CEO of YMCA Canada

“We are pleased to be a founding partner in what is truly an innovative approach to improving the health and wellness of Canadians.”
- Rick Blickstead, President and CEO of the Canadian Diabetes Association

“We are proud to participate in this world-first initiative. This new platform is an incredibly innovative approach to health promotion. It will have a tangible impact on the health of Canadians, and aligns with our mission to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery.”
- David Sculthorpe, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation

Additional Information about Carrot Rewards:
Carrot Rewards is a free mobile app that harnesses the popularity of loyalty points and the prevalence of smartphones to let users earn points with participating loyalty rewards providers just for taking healthier steps in their lives.

Carrot Rewards was developed with the support of founding partners, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the British Columbia Ministry of Health. Other partners include the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and a cross-sectoral coalition made up of loyalty partners and three of the leading health charities in Canada, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Diabetes Association, and YMCA Canada.

Carrot Rewards users earn loyalty points every time they interact with the app. They are rewarded just for downloading the app and each time they engage with it – whether through taking a quiz, making healthy lifestyle choices or walking a few more steps each day. Even sharing it with friends and family earns them rewards.

The free app made its debut in British Columbia earlier this year where it’s been enjoying tremendous success. Since its launch, over one million health offers have already been sent to British Columbians, with millions of points being earned.

Canada is facing its highest rates of chronic disease. In fact, four out of five Canadians are at risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes - many of which can be prevented or managed with simple lifestyle changes. At over $45 billion annually, these preventable diseases come at a high cost; the negative impact to quality of life for Canadians living with these diseases is immeasurable.

Carrot Rewards is championing a completely new way of engaging citizens toward healthier behaviours. By leveraging people’s passion for smartphones and loyalty rewards, governments can more effectively reach, engage and encourage citizen behaviour.

2016 06 14                             10:20 a.m.