“Listening to Reason”: A Social Marketing Stop-Smoking Campaign in Nottingham

Abstract

Nottingham's high level of smoking (34% prevalence) is a significant contributor to its poor health profile. This article focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of a social marketing campaign which aimed to reduce smoking in adults living in its most deprived areas. The campaign was part of a comprehensive program of tobacco control and smoking cessation interventions. A local team of National Health Service staff coordinated the campaign. Insight into the smoking behavior of the target groups was developed through geodemographic profiling, literature review, and qualitative research in semi-structured sessions and street interviews. A marketing agency developed the intervention mix, which included billboards, bus and tram banners, posters, and beer mats. Lessons learned from the campaign are presented, along with early findings from its evaluation which suggest a modest impact on behavior. The difficulty of evaluating a small campaign at local level, particularly in an area such as tobacco control where there is a concurrent, multi-component program in place, is discussed.