Mass Media Communication Strategies
andposters.This2-yearcampaignhadminimalsuccess,relectedinthefactthatahigh proportion of the key target audience no longer recalled the adverts and only 49
believedtheycouldbemotivatedtoquitsmokingbythesecampaigns [78,82]
.
•
The“QuitforLife”campaignusedTVandradioadvertstodelivermessagesdesigned toencouragesmokingcessation,primarilywithpracticaltipsonquitting.Despiteposi-
tivepre-testing,theTVadvertswerenotsuficientlypowerfultostimulatesmokersinto takingaction,whereastheradioadvertswerereceivedmorefavourably
[78,82] .
•
Running from 1997–1999, the “Testimonials” campaign used older smokers to tell younger smokers about their tobacco-related illnesses in the hope that for younger
smokersthefutureconsequencesofsmokingwouldbebroughtintoamoreimmediate time frame. Special TV adverts also drew the attention of female smokers to these
problems.Surveysrevealedthat72ofwomenagreedthattheadvertswereaimedat peoplelikethemand67statedthattheadvertsmadethemrealisethepossiblehealth
risksofsmoking.Theadvertswereineffectiveamongyounger16–24-yearoldfemale smokers
[78,82] .
AsshownbydatafromthevariouscampaignsTable 10.3
,the“JohnCleeseCampaign” producedthemostsustainedeffect92recognition.Oneyearafterthecampaignended,
90ofthosesurveyedcouldstillrememberit. Smoking cessation programmes using a range of mass media were initiated almost
simultaneously in Holland “Quit smoking together” and in the USA Bellingham, Washington: “Broadcast cessation clinics”
[83, 84] ; these showed initial successes in
termsofsmokingcessation,withthecombinationofTVandradioprovingtobebeneicial andhavingalastingeffect
[84] .
Populationsurveysindicatethatthecombineduseofvariousmassmediacomponents TV, radio, billboards, print media, as in the California Tobacco Control Program, is
Question Campaign
“Cleese” 1992–1995
“Break” 1995–1996
“Quit” 1996–1997
“Testimonial” 1997–1999
Promptedawarenessofthe campaign
92 54
63 66
“Fedupwithseeingthe adverts”
20–22 16
– –
“Encouragedmetothink aboutgivingup”
– 50
44 57–60
“Moreconidencetogiveup” 35 42
49 41
“Mademefeelguiltyabout smoking”
42–43 38
38 49–55
“Unfairtosmokers” 20–24
19 23
20–21 Costin£millions
3,183 2,326
2,484 4,886
Table 10.3
ResultsreportedfromfourUKanti-smokingcampaignsandtheirassociatedmediacost [79–82]
–Questionnotasked;Statisticsfromvarioussurveys
advantageous:6.7ofthosesurveyedquitsmokingasaresultofmedia-ledmotivation. Amongex-smokers,69.1conirmedawarenessofthecampaignand34.3subsequently
citedthiscampaignasjustifyingtheirdecisiontoquitsmoking [85]
. AsshownbythesurveyresultssummarisedinTable
10.4 ,onlyaverylimitednumber
ofmessagescommunicatedinthemassmediahaveapositiveeffect,andthisneedstobe borneinmindforfuturecampaigns.QuitsmokingTVcampaigns“televisionclinics”in
theUSAhavebeenmoresuccessfulandinTexas,anabstinencerateof22hasevenbeen reportedwithonesuchcampaignovera6-weekperiod
[84] .Eventhoughnumerouspro-
fessionalgroupsworktogetherincampaignsofthiskind,theroleofthephysicianinper- sonalcounsellingassumeshighimportance
[86] .
Experienceindicatesthatyoungersmokersareunreachableorveryhardtoreachwith suchcampaigns,whereasmiddle-agedsmokersalreadyhavehealthissuesrelatedtociga-
rettesmokingandalsoexpressadesiretoquitsmokingforthemostvariedreasons.Elderly smokersarefrequentlyheavilydependent:theyareawareofthisandknowinsomecases
thattheyalreadyhavemajorhealthproblems.Lefttotheirowndevices,however,theyare notcapableofachievingsmokingcessation.Thisiswheremedicalinterventioncomesinto
itsown,withextensivecounsellingbeinganecessaryprerequisiteforlonger-termsuccess. Forex-smokersandnon-smokers,massmediacampaignsalsostrengthentheirresolvenot
tosmokeinfuture. Fewerthan10ofthenumerousstudies6outof63satisfythecriteriaofevidence-
basedmedicine [84,87]
.These6studiesalsousedacontrolledtrialdesign.Twoofthe studiesunderlinetheeffectivenessofmassmediacampaignsalsointermsofinluencing
adolescents.Ontheonehand,thesecampaignsreachseveraltensorevenhundredsof thousandsofpeople.Ontheotherhand,giventheconsiderablelevelsofmediaspendsee
Table 10.3
,theireffectivenessintermsofachievingsmokingcessationislowtomoderate, asalsoshownbynumerousstudiesinothercountries.Massmediacampaignshavebeen
conductedinHolland [83,88]
,California [83,89]
,Switzerland [90]
,theUK [91]
,andin Californiawithacentralisedtelephonecounsellingservice
[92] ,inChicagowithamedia-
basedworkplacesmokingcessationprogramme [93]
andinAustraliawithadirectlymailed smokingcessationintervention
[94] .Theresultsofthestudiesweregenerallynotvery
encouraging,aindingrevealedbytheanalysisperformedbytheCochraneGroup [87,95]
.
Messagecontent Adolescents
Adults Tobaccoindustrymanipulation
++ ++
Passivesmoking ++
++ Nicotineasapowerfuladdictivesubstance
+ +
Reasonsforandinformationonquitting smoking
± +
Easyyouthaccesstocigarettes −−
–
Short-termnegativeeffects −
−−
Long-termhealtheffects −−
–
Romanticrejection −−
−− Table 10.4
Assumedeffectivenessofvariousmassmediamessages [95]
:surveyof1,500adolescents andadultsinCalifornia,MichiganandMassachusetts
++Veryeffective;+effective;±uncertain;–minimallyeffective;−−noteffective
Thoughtalsoneedstobegiventothemessagescommunicatedduringthesecampaigns becausethesedeterminesuccesstoaconsiderableextentintermsofmotivatingpeopleto
quitsmokingortothinkaboutdoingso.Severalcampaignsfrequentlyfailedtoreach2 ofthetargetaudience,whileothersreachedupto10
[96] .Inthiscontext,thedetermining
factorswerefoundtobethetypeofprogrammeandtheprogrammesponsor,aswellasthe typeofcommunicationchannelusedincludingTV,radioandthesegmentationofthe
messagebystageofchange.Inonecampaign,thetelephonewasidentiiedasbeingapar- ticularly important recruitment channel: the number of smokers recruited was clearly
higherwiththetelephonethanwithpassiverecruitmentstrategies42.5vs.10 [96]
.