Evaluation of a promotional strategy for Operation Smokestop

Abstract

THIS study concerns the evaluation of the communi cation of a message to the population of a defined area. The message was a new one: that self-help groups were available locally to smokers who want ed help, and that they were a credible helping service. It arose from a review at the mid-point of the three year term of Operation Smokestop in Wessex, when it became clear that group leaders were looking for central co-ordination and promotion of the service in order to enhance recruitment to local offers of the service.

A six-point promotional plan was devised which attracted funding from Wessex Cancer Trust and the Health Education Council. The majority of the pro motional work was carried out in the period January to May, 1984. In order to evaluate the impact of the various forms of communication on the population, a street survey was carried out in December, 1984 by students from the Southampton Institute of Higher Education. The questionnaire was designed to test levels of awareness of posters, leaflets and bus front advertising in the City of Southampton.

The 708 completed questionnaires show that re spondents appear fairly representative of the general population in terms of sex, smoking status and occupation. There was some over-representation in the 16 to 25 age group.

'Smokestop' was recognised by nearly eight per cent of respondents without a prompt, and break down of responses with prompt shows that respon dents' recall of posters and bus front advertising was in the region of 15 per cent for each method.

Recruitment during the period January to May 1984 increased by about 60 per cent over the previous year, some of which may have been due to the impact of the central promotional work.