MAIN STORY

A SMOKE FREE ZONE

SOCIAL MARKETING AND ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGNS

Fenton Communications talks to Tom Carroll PhD.

Tom is a social marketing and research consultant whose experience in tobacco control began on the NSW Health team that developed the Quit. For Life campaign in 1983 and included the Drug Offensive tobacco campaigns from 1990 and Australia’s National Tobacco Campaign from 1997.

What is social marketing?

Social marketing is now recognised as the application of marketing principles to influence voluntary behaviours, most commonly applied to health, road safety and environmental conservation behaviours.

This incorporates target audience identification and segmentation; the application of research to assess target audience beliefs, attitudes and behaviours to inform strategy development; pre-testing of communications and promotional materials with target audiences; consideration of the marketing mix of product, price, place and promotion in strategy development; and comprehensive process and outcome evaluation of the social marketing intervention.

How is social marketing applied by governments in tobacco control?

A contemporary approach by government to tobacco control incorporates not only hard-hitting mass communications on the health effects of smoking, but also policy measures to restrict marketing and promotion of tobacco products, taxation measures to increase the price of tobacco products, smoke-free policies to restrict exposure to second-hand smoke, and promotion of cessation services to assist smokers to successfully quit. While the communications and promotions strategies are often referred to as the social marketing components of the comprehensive tobacco control approach, it can be seen that this total package really reflects social marketing principles.

The World Health Organisation is actively encouraging the adoption of this comprehensive tobacco control approach under what it calls the MPOWER package of measures. Within this comprehensive approach, the mass communications activities serve to not only encourage smokers to quit but also to increase the salience of tobacco-related harms and facilitate the implementation of sustainable tobacco control policies.

How can PR support such campaigns?

Public relations strategies can clearly serve an important support and reinforcement role within tobacco control campaigns by promoting broader media consideration and coverage of key campaign messages. Critically though, public relations strategies can build support for the introduction of policies that contribute to sustainability in tobacco control by generating greater community and stakeholder understanding and acceptance of the need for these changes.

In Vietnam, where I am currently consulting on tobacco control with The World Lung Foundation, there are significant efforts underway to engage with journalists and increase their awareness of tobacco issues to build support for tobacco control efforts there.

Has tobacco control been successful?

Smoking prevalence in Australia is now among the lowest in the world amongst high-income countries. National surveys have shown that the proportion of Australians aged 14 years or older who were current smokers has declined from 23.6 per cent in 1998 to 17.9 per cent in 2007, so significant progress is clearly being made.

Nevertheless, tobacco remains Australia’s leading risk factor for premature death and disability and there remains a significant need for continued tobacco control efforts to reduce the uptake of smoking and to promote and facilitate cessation amongst current smokers. Social marketing has a strong role to play.

Tom was interviewed by Anna Grutzner, Head of Sydney
anna@fenton.com.au

Issue One February 2010

Main story - A smoke free zone
Design focus - To refresh or rebrand?
Tip story - Incorporating new media into the media relations mix
Tip story - The ambassador advantage
Case study - Promoting debate about housing and homelessness
Case study - Helping to blitz biodiversity
Food for thought home