Advances in Tobacco Control
Mass Media Campaigns and Public Education Programs
Mass media campaigns and public education programs are designed to educate the targeted audience(s) about the health risks of tobacco use, change norms about the acceptability of tobacco use, discourage individuals from starting to use, or provide information and resources to help people quit. Research has shown that mass media campaigns can be effective in changing tobacco use behavior.1
To reach large audiences, mass media campaigns can be delivered through television, radio, print media, film, social media, streaming services, and other digital communication platforms. The development of a campaign involves several steps. These include identifying the aim of the campaign and the target audience(s) by gathering information from different sources (e.g., surveys, articles, in-person interviews, etc.), creating appealing messages and focus-group testing them with the targeted audience, selecting appropriate media channels, and tracking and evaluating the media strategy. Evaluating whether a campaign has been effective can be challenging, however, because concurrent events or trends might also contribute to changes in smoking behavior during the campaign period. To be most effective, modern campaigns need to also consider the ever-changing media landscape and use of social media platforms by groups defined by sociodemographic and other characteristics. Current platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.) may allow targeting of audiences based on specific user characteristics.
To reach large audiences, mass media campaigns can be delivered through television, radio, print media, film, social media, streaming services, and other digital communication platforms. The development of a campaign involves several steps. These include identifying the aim of the campaign and the target audience(s) by gathering information from different sources (e.g., surveys, articles, in-person interviews, etc.), creating appealing messages and focus-group testing them with the targeted audience, selecting appropriate media channels, and tracking and evaluating the media strategy. Evaluating whether a campaign has been effective can be challenging, however, because concurrent events or trends might also contribute to changes in smoking behavior during the campaign period. To be most effective, modern campaigns need to also consider the ever-changing media landscape and use of social media platforms by groups defined by sociodemographic and other characteristics. Current platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.) may allow targeting of audiences based on specific user characteristics.
Box 6
The Real Cost
“The Real Cost” campaign by the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products targets teenagers at risk for using tobacco products, particularly cigarettes.1 It was first launched in 2014 and was expanded to include e-cigarettes in 2018. The campaign first collects data to understand teens’ beliefs and attitudes toward tobacco products, and…
Sources
- Bala M, Strzeszynski L, Cahill K. Mass media interventions for smoking cessation in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(1):CD004704.