Multifaceted media campaigns were strongly recommended in the Guide
to Community Preventive Services. Moreover, the Guide noted that
the strongest evidence of effectiveness of such campaigns comes
from settings where they were implemented in the context of multi-component
programs. Further, the relevant research showed that such programs
increased cessation across a variety of populations, indicating
their widespread impact. Featured Partner Activity
Last year, the American Legacy Foundation launched
a national media campaign called EX® which aims to change the
way smokers think about the difficult process of quitting, and
guide them to valuable free resources to build a successful quit
attempt. EX encourages smokers to approach quitting smoking as
"re-learning life without cigarettes." EX provides smokers with
information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1)
"Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking
and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice
and preparation; 2) "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction
and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success;
and 3) "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and
family members can play a critical role in quitting.
The EX campaign included advertisements on television,
radio and online and via out-of-home promotions. The program also
offers smokers a new Web site, http://www.becomeanex.org/,
which features action-oriented tools and information to help smokers
prepare for quitting by developing a personalized plan, as well
as a virtual community, where smokers can share stories and best
practices about their quit attempt.
A recent evaluation examined awareness of and
receptivity to EX as well as traffic to www.BecomeAnEX.org. Overall:
- Aided awareness of EX was higher than other national cessation
campaigns.
- Confirmed awareness was comparable between most socio-demographic
groups; however, further investigation is warranted to examine
the differences by race/ethnicity.
- There was a high demand for web cessation services.
A longitudinal study is currently being conducted to assess impact
of EX.
The EX campaign is currently not running TV or radio ads nationally,
but is in a new phase of online promotion, including banner ads,
that will last for 6-9 months. After this phase, a new creative
phase will be launched. State members continue to air TV and radio
ads on a local level.
Other Partner Activities
NTCC partners are currently conducting many
activities related to this priority. For a list of these NTCC
partner activities, click here.
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