Tobacco MPOWER WARNING: Anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns

The media play a key role in shaping tobacco-related knowledge, opinions, attitudes and behaviors, and can be extremely powerful in influencing both individuals and policymakers regarding tobacco use and tobacco control issues. As a result, mass media anti-tobacco campaigns have become a key component of tobacco control programmes in countries.

Under Article 12 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Parties have agreed to promote access to effective and comprehensive educational and public awareness programmes on the health risks including the addictive characteristic of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. For each edition of the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, all Member States are surveyed about their anti-tobacco mass media campaigns that ran within the previous two years. One campaign is selected for reporting against this indicator.

• At least one national mass media campaign ran during the survey period: At least one anti-tobacco mass media campaign was run nationwide on television, radio, print media and/or billboards for at least three weeks during the most recent survey period.
• Campaign was part of a comprehensive tobacco control programme: The assessed campaign was part of a comprehensive national tobacco control programme.
• Campaign was pre-tested: The assessed campaign communications materials were pretested with the target audience and refined in line with campaign objectives.
• Formative research was conducted prior to the campaign: Before the assessed campaign was launched, research was undertaken or reviewed to gain a thorough understanding of the target audience.
• Campaign ran on both national television and radio
• Campaign utilized media planning: Airtime (radio, television) and/or placement (billboards, print advertising, etc.) for the assessed campaign was obtained by purchasing or securing it using either the organization’s own internal resources or an external media planner or agency (this information indicates whether the campaign adopted a thorough media planning and buying process to effectively and efficiently reach its target audience).
• Earned media/public relations were used to promote the campaign: The implementing agency worked with journalists to gain publicity or news coverage for the assessed campaign.
• Process evaluation was employed to assess implementation of the campaign: Process evaluation was undertaken to assess how effectively the assessed campaign had been implemented.
• Outcome evaluation was employed to assess effectiveness of the campaign: An outcome evaluation process was implemented after the assessed campaign was run to study the campaign impact.

Country reported data

commara@who.int

Alison Commar

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