Implementing Effective Media Strategies on a Shoestring Budget

1. Implementing Effective Media Strategies on a Shoestring Budget Part one: Promoting Tobacco Treatment Services Presenter: Elizabeth Connelly-Sylvia pcamn@hotmail.com

2. Presentation Goals • Review components of successful Partners Campaign (New Bedford area) • Share evaluation results of campaign success • Share highlights of Fallon Campaign (Worcester area)

3. Partners Campaign • Focused on encouraging adult smokers to attempt to stop smoking. • The campaign targeted smokers in the New Bedford area • Additionally, focused on healthcare providers to increase their referral rates into the three local programs. • Multi-media approach employed to raise the level of awareness and the utilization of existing tobacco treatment services in the area.

4. Southcoast of Massachusetts, 60 miles from Boston, 30 miles west of Cape Cod Population of close to 100,000 50% of population does not have a high school diploma Third highest smoking rate in the state New Bedford

5. Collaborated with Partners • Local news outlets • American Cancer Society • Immigrant’s Assistance Center • Local tobacco treatment services • Area physicians • Health care facilities • Former clients of treatment services

6. How did we promote it at little or no cost? • Flyers/brochures/resource lists in health care facilities, churches, libraries, and community based organizations • Mailings and follow up calls or personal visits to area medical practices with promotional materials • Events calendar in local newspapers/ magazines • Civic sponsored ads in local daily newspaper

7. How did we promote it at little or no cost? • Cable Access community bulletin boards • Radio Public Service Announcements • Radio cable television talk shows • Feature article in daily newspaper

8. Collaboration It improved the implementation process and secured a featured article in a daily newspaper

9. Partners Campaign Accomplishments • Lasted from November through June • Increased the utilization of the treatment programs to beyond each program’s capacity • Waiting list of 10 in January grew to over 25 by April and to over 50 by June • We increased the number of referring physicians from from 1 to 10

10. Partners Campaign • Kept it simple • Judged results by four criteria • Access to services • Increased utilization • Waiting lists • Increased referrals

11. Waiting List-Partners

12. Physician Referrals-Partners • 1 physician made referrals prior to the start of the campaign • After 3 months 6 made referrals • After 6 months 10 doctors were making referrals

13. Lessons Learned: Partners Campaign • Build on pre-existing relationships both professional and personal • Continue to network and develop new partnerships • Research available resources and how you can utilize it • Develop materials in collaboration with partners to maximize results

14. Lessons Learned: Partners Campaign • Utilize a multi-facetted approach • Build relationships with editors at local newspapers - the right article is the best ad • Learn how to “pitch” a story and what attracts interest from editors and reporters

15. Fallon Campaign Promotion • News Conference and coverage in print radio and cable television • Radio advertisements- 89 sixty second spots on 3 radio stations • Print advertisements- 12 quarter page ads in 2 daily and 5 weekly papers

16. Fallon Campaign Accomplishments • Three-week media campaign • Increased calls to local tobacco treatment programs • Increased community awareness of high smoking rate in Worcester • Paved the way for future collaboration with key stakeholders.

17. Fallon Evaluation • Press conference • 3 newspaper articles, 3 radio reports, 1 cable TV story • Increased awareness of tobacco treatment services • Measured by calls requesting treatment • Increased utilization of services • Measured by enrollment in tobacco treatment programs

18. Results Fallon Campaign

19. Lessons Learned: Partners Campaign • Implement project in phases • Try not to over-extend your project • Partner – you can’t do it alone

20. Implementing Effective Media Strategies on a Shoestring Budget Part two: Smoke-Free Workplace CampaignUtilizing Local ETS Survey Data Presenter: Barbara Grimes-Smith barbara.grimes-smith@spectrumhealthsystems.org

21. Presentation Goals • Review components of the Smoke-Free Workplace Campaign • Review survey results • Share strategies for incorporating survey results into a comprehensive campaign

22. Worcester, Massachusetts • Located in Central Massachusetts • Third largest City in Massachusetts • Population of 172,648 • Ethnically diverse • Socio-economically diverse • City Council form of government

23. Political Climate • Opposition to major health issues - Fluoridation - Needle exchange • Libertarian philosophy of major local newspaper

24. Components of the Worcester Smoke-Free Workplace Campaign • Phone survey • Newspaper ads • Letters to the Editor • E-mail campaign • Postcard campaign • Public hearings

25. Project Goals • Assess public opinion regarding smoke-free workplaces • Promote survey results • Increase community support for smoke-free workplaces • Increase decision-maker support for smoke-free workplaces

26. Significant Community Partners • YMCA of Greater Worcester • Worcester District Medical Society • Worcester restaurant owner • President/CEO of a Worcester manufacturing company • Chair of the Worcester City Council Health Committee

27. Target Audience Survey: • Worcester voters Campaign: • Worcester residents & workers • Health Board/City Council members

28. Phone Survey • The entire Smoke-Free Workplace Campaign was designed around the phone survey results. • 1,030 Worcester voters were surveyed to assess local opinions regarding smoke-free workplaces, including restaurants and bars.

29. Phone Survey Costs • List of registered voters $0 • Cole Directory $262.95 • Youth volunteers $1,400 (mini-grant) • Local phone calls, space $0 • Snacks $30 • Total $1,692.95

30. Worcester Survey Results • 75% prefer workplaces with no smoking allowed • 69% support a local ordinance that requires all workplaces to be smoke-free

31. Uses of Phone Survey Results • Survey results were presented to the Worcester Health Board. • Results of the survey appeared in an article about the Health Board public hearing. • Results were mentioned in a Letter to the Editor written by the President of the Worcester District Medical Society.

32. Uses of Phone Survey Results • Excerpts of the Letter to the Editor were reprinted in local agency newsletters & websites. • Select survey results appeared in 3 different newspaper ads promoting smoke-free workplaces. • Survey results were presented to City Council. • Survey results could also be included on the postcards or e-mails directed to City Council, and press releases.

33. Smoke-Free Workplace Ads

34. Paid Media Costs • Photographer $2,430 (mini-grant) • Volunteers for ads $0 • 6, ½ page newspaper ads $8,713 • Newspaper ad layout $0 • Postcards $275

35. Lessons Learned • Plan sufficient time to complete the survey. Volunteers averaged 7 completed calls per hour. • It was extremely helpful to have a partner that organized the survey volunteers. • It would have been helpful to add a question to the phone survey to assess if voters thought they would patronize restaurants & bars more often, less often, or the same amount if there was no smoking allowed.

36. Lessons Learned • Surveys are an important tool to influence decision-makers. • Start close to home in terms of identifying supporters. • Do not assume that just because influential people did not support other health issues that they will not support yours. • Who conveys the message is just as important as the content of the message.

37. Implementing Effective Media Strategies on a Shoestring Budget Part three: Project to Promote Support for Smoke-Free Restaurant Policy -A Web-Based Raffle Presenter: Diane Knight dknight@glfhc.org

38. Presentation Goals • Review web-based raffle project’s methods including background of tobacco issues in target communities and implementation strategies • Discuss project’s results including challenges and successes • Share readiness strategies and necessary tools for implementation in other communities

39. Methuen – population 43,789 Mayoral form of government August 2001 BOH passed a 100% smoke-free restaurant regulation, effective March 1, 2002 Haverhill – population 58,969 Public hearing held July 2001 for smoke-free restaurants BOH passed smoke-free restaurant, bar & workplace regulation in September 2001, effective March 1, 2002 Methuen & Haverhill • Similarities • Simultaneously implementing tobacco control regulations • Demographics • Border towns (NH)

40. A Comprehensive Transition PlanSmoke-Free Methuen & Haverhill Restaurants • Advertisements in local papers to raise awareness & support for SF establishments • Marketing of regional website to increase understanding of new policy • Raffle of gift certificates to Methuen & Haverhill restaurants • Banners in cities announcing, “Come taste the difference of Smokefree Air – Smoke-free Methuen March 1, 2002” • Table tents in restaurants • Smokefree dining coloring placemats

41. RAFFLE Project - Goals • Increase support for & awareness of SF regulations among residents, community leaders and restaurant owners • Decrease restaurant owners’ fear of negative economic impact • Promote Methuen & Haverhill as dining destinations • Promote awareness of the MTCP Networks’ role in both communities

42. Target Audience • Residents and the adults in surrounding communities • Restaurant owners • Community leaders

43. Action Steps… • Develop raffle application for Network website • Create flyer for use as newspaper insert • Write letter to send to all Methuen & Haverhill restaurants explaining campaign & offer the opportunity to donate a dinner to the raffle • Design postcard to mail to known supporters & community leaders in both towns • Cable TV advertisements

44. Web-basedRaffle Application

45. Promotional Strategy + OR - Eagle Tribune Newspaper Thursday insert • Cost effective • Thursday Edition reached 39,000 Tagged onto bottom of weekly newspaper ads • Included information on survey data, ETS facts Postcard Mailing • Worth the postage Cable TV Public Service Announcement • Easy and no cost Flyers • Inexpensive PROMOTION of Raffle

46. # Results 778 Total number of submitted raffle applications 91% Support for smoke-free public places 73 People willing to get involved in smoke-free efforts 228 People who may be willing to get involved Raffle RESULTS

47. Raffle APPLICATIONS by Area Area Frequency Percent METHUEN 304 39% HAVERHILL 224 29% Other GLTFN community 148 19% Other NETFN community 24 3% Other NE Region community 24 3% NH 37 5% Other 17 2%

48. How applicants heard about raffle: Promotional Strategy Frequency Percent Insert in Eagle Tribune 544 70% Flyer 82 11% Word of mouth 69 9% Postcard 54 7% Eagle Tribune Ad 48 6% Haverhill Gazette Ad 31 4% Website 20 3% Other 13 2% Cable 4 1%

49. Support & Involvement of Applicants Support Involved Response Frequency Percent Frequency Percent YES 704 91% 73 9% NO 26 3% 419 54% Maybe 38 5% 228 29% Missing 10 1% 58 8%

50. Number of Supporters Identified for Mobilization Area YES to being involved in SF efforts MAYBE to being involved in SF efforts METHUEN 19 84 HAVERHILL 20 72 Other GLTFN communities 16 52 Other NETFN communities 2 5 Other NE Region communities 4 6 NH 11 4 Other Areas 1 5 TOTAL 73 228