California’s Tobacco Control Prog r am, Media Campaign and the Targeting of Ethnic Markets

1. California’s Tobacco Control Program, Media Campaign and the Targeting of Ethnic Markets Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Ph.D., MPH Director, Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Education Network, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, IPR, University of Southern California Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 24, 2000

2. California’s Tobacco Control Program • Nov. 1988 - Proposition 99 increased by 25 cents each pack of cigarettes,created a movement never before seen in public health • Expected Outcome = Prevention and cessation

3. California’s Tobacco Control Program • DENORMALIZATION • Focus on reducing social acceptability of • Tobacco use • Exposure to ETS • Availability of tobacco to children • Saturation of the community with tobacco images

4. Denormalization Strategy • Lasting change in youth behavior regarding tobacco can only be secured by first changing the adult world in which youth grow up ...

5. Strategies to reduce tobacco use • Reduce exposure to ETS and reduce tolerance to exposure • Counter pro-tobacco influences • Reduce youth acess to tobacco form retail or social sources • Provide cessation services

6. Outcomes • Decreased tobacco consumption • Decreased tobacco use prevalence • Decreases youth uptake of tobacco • Decreases exposure to ETS

7. DHS-Tobacco Control Program Statewide evaluation Statewide media campaign 61 Health Departments / Coalitions TOBACCO CONTROL SECTION (TCS) 4 Ethnic Networks 11 Regional Linkage programs 150-200 competitive grantees Clearinghouse

8. California’s population estimates • American Indian…………. .3 million • Black……………………… 2.2 million • Asian/Pacific Islander……. 3.7 million • Hispanic………………….. 9.8 million • White…………………….. 16.3 million • TOTAL…………………. 32 million

9. The Partnership • TCS Statewide media campaign and Ethnic Networks • Advertising: • Asher and Partners (General market) • Carol Williams Advertising (African Am.) • Imada Wong (Asian) • Ad Americas (Latino)

10. The Partnership • Public Relations • Rogers and Associates (General market and American Indian) • Young Communications (African Am.) • Durazo Communications (Latino) • Imada Wong (Asian/Pacific Islanders)

11. Research / Focus Groups • Since 1990, advertising agencies have conducted hundreds of focus groups • SIMILARITIES IN ETHNIC COMMUNITY • Protective over families • Respond to emotional and heart wrenching messages • Angered by targeting of their children and communities by the tobacco industry • Quit smoking for their family, but not necessarily for themselves

12. Ethnic public relations - Unsung heroes of the campaign • Crisis management • Spokesperson training • Press conferences and press releases • Op ed pieces, news articles • Reposition tobacco with ethnic press • Work with ethnic press to break historical financial ties to tobacco

13. Role of the Ethnic Networks • 4 Ethnic Networks • Asian/Pacific Islander • Hispanic/Latino • American Indian • African American Work Jointly and Individually addressing particular population issues

14. Role of Ethnic Networks • Provide expertise on local, regional and statewide activities at grass roots level • Provide input on proposed strategy of overall campaign and ethnic specific themes • Provide feedback on scripts, storyboards and other creative concepts • Provide a “cultural reality check” of the impacted community • Provide community spokespersons • Hold media events to counter pro-tobacco advertising

15. Role of Ethnic Networks • Why important to work with the various culturally specific Networks? • Mission is to build leadership which become allies in tobacco control • California has a very diverse population makeup • Latinos, for example, represent over 48% of some counties, such as Los Angeles

16. Role of Ethnic Networks • In 1997 Philip Morris (Marlboro spent $12.5 million advertising in the Latino community) • Latinos are specifically targeted by the tobacco industry because • Have a youthful population • Large purchasing power • In 1998 Latino purchasing power was $348 billion, and is expected to increase to $965 billion in 2010)

17. Examples of California’s Programs support Cessation • Ethnic Networks promote in language CA Smokers Helpline • CA Smokers Helpline 1-800-NoBUTTS • Second Hand Smoke Protection is a priority -work, home, and public places is mandatory • Tobacco Education Clearinghouse

18. Media Campaign Program Examples • Make 2000 Year to Quit (Y2Quit) Smoking • Outreach kits for local projects • Driven by public relations, but implemented locally • Tailored to general population and for ethnic populations • Designed assist local projects in cultural and significant dates (s/as Valentine’s day)

19. California’s Media Campaign Example • For a Voice Campaign • 1-800 4 A voice • telephone response system and website • Media driven designed to give the public an opportunity to tell their story about how tobacco has hurt their lives or loved ones • Callers can leave their stories or ask for cessation referrals and materials or become involved

20. Lessons Learned • Ensure media activities support and work in tandem with other tobacco education and prevention programs for a synergistic outcome. -Colleen Stevens Head of CA Media Campaign

21. Lessons Learned • “Of all programs administered by the Tobacco Control Section, the media campaign seems to be the one component that inspires an opinion in just about everyone.” • Colleen Stevens, Head Media Campaign

22. Lessons Learned • Find the best advertising and Public Relations agencies possible for the job and build a strong and close partnership with them • Agency will have an understanding of the strategic and political reality of your tobacco control universe and of competing demands • Will understand their role as partners clearly

23. Lessons Learned • Media Agencies will have and secure superior creative expertise, producing powerful, effective, daring advertisements and marketing tools • Size and fiscal capacity of agency is important • No conflict of interest

24. Lessons Learned • Integrate the media campaign with local activities • Acknowledge the work of the public relations groups in the campaign

25. Conclusions • Coordinate media and local programs • Empower community advocates • Be culturally sensitive and use power of the community and its people • Oversight and accountability are keys to success • Provide strong leadership and allow for program flexibility

26. Conclusions • Build environments that support tobacco control, cessation • To get kids to quit, change adult behaviors • Second hand smoke messages work in tandem with exposing industry tactics • Don’t get caught up in media glitz only - Local programs must be well funded • Media is to support and work in conjunction with local activities

27. Countering Pro-tobacco messages • With our MSA settlement the Tobacco Industry is Morphing! • Be able to adapt • “We’ve always opperated in a restrictive environment. We are really quite agile in our ability to adapt”. Phillip Morris, 6-14-99 Ad Age