Sandra Mullin Introduction to Media Communications 41 st Union World Conference on Lung Health

1. How to Use Communications to Further Public Health Goals through Advocacy and Behavioral Change Communication Sandra Mullin Introduction to Media Communications 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health Berlin - November 2010

2. Presentation Overview 1. Advocacy 2. Branding 3. Risk Communication 4. Behavior Change 5. Social Marketing

3. Goal of advocacy communications • To strategically effect social and/or policy change by using the media and other communications tactics • To create debate and concerns around existing policy – to put the issue on today’s agenda • To stake a position in the debate that you become known for, branded with, that pushes issue and also furthers your organizational objectives • To engage those who benefit from being on same side of issue; strategically build relationships

4. Developing a media advocacy strategy: things to consider for target audience • What do you want (specifics of policy change, action)? • Who can give you what you want? (target audiences) • What does the target/partner need to know? • How can you reach your targets? (You or surrogate, who’s the best messenger?)

5. Health communications for advocacy purposes • Increase knowledge and acute awareness of a health issue and its solutions • Influence health perceptions, beliefs • Change social norms, refute myths • Create a sense of urgency, injustice, unfairness – need for change - - - Now!

6. Advocacy • Lobbying: Direct advocacy to policy makers • Grassroots advocacy: Mobilize community support with actions • Partnership development: Harness influence of other organizations • Media relations: Message delivery through journalists

7. Targets • Decision makers/politicians • Donors • Journalists • NGOs leaders • Health practitioners • Corporations • Public

8. Message development for advocacy • State the problem – why is this urgent? -- Second hand smoke is making workers in the hospitality industry (restaurants, bars, hotels)sick • Question a widely-held idea -- People should not be allowed to smoke wherever they want if their smoking harms others • Present a solution – preferably policy-oriented -- All workers should be protected from secondhand smoke through a law that prohibits smoking in workplaces

9. Tips for advocacy messaging • Offer your conclusion in clear, strong language • Avoid jargon and use plain, factual language that everyone can understand: smokefree laws protect workers and don’t hurt business; condoms protect against HIV; DOTS cures TB • Use carefully chosen national and local statistics to support your points • Use brief, real, local examples to bring the issue to life

10. Gaining support: Decision makers and the public • Different audiences usually require different communication mediums • An advocacy plan should be drawn up to help targeting, timing, specificity of tasks • Key decision makers, e.g. elected officials • Relationships, meetings, formal letters, opportunities to influence opinion, protest • Public • Mass media, deliberate and viral campaigns

11. 2. Strengthen your brand, organizational identity • Your organization’s values - what you stand for, want to be known for • Your organization’s image, mission, and activities • Clarifies internal and external expectations • Helps distinguish your organization from others • Successful companies/orgs have successful brands – we know what they do/stand for

12. Visual identities – logos of successful brands

13. Well-known, successful health organizations

14. Logos matter

15. Organizational branding • Events • Workshops and trainings • Conferences • Fundraisers • Templates • Presentations • Press Releases • Memos • Fax/ cover sheets • Programmatic materials • Resources and tools • Research and reports • Marketing materials • Advertising • Brochures • Website • Direct marketing • Branded items

16. But a good logo is not enough to make a good brand! • An organization’s success depends on much more than their logo, visual identity • But visual identity, marketing, communications essential to success – whether for advocacy, corporate positioning, efficacy • Successful organizations have a plan for all elements of marketing, even when on tight budgets • Remember, your brand is your values, what you stand for

17. 3. Risk Communication • Understanding why people feel a risk to be low or high and determining best way to communicate scientifically accurate level of risk with the aim of effecting appropriate behavioral response • Eg: Air travel – great fear not matched by real risk • Eg: Smoking – insufficient fear not matched by real risk • Job for BCC specialists: • How to make air travel less scary? • How to make smoking more scary?

18. 4. Behavioral Change Communication • Risk communication and social marketing needed • Challenge --- raising the sense of urgency when health risk is high (smoking) and lowering concern when health risk is low (some environmental exposures) • Do empathize and respect people’s concerns. • Do be honest about what’s known and not known. • Behavioral change communication not as simple as information dissemination – public education • People shrug off information that is not compelling, that doesn’t seem to affect them, that allows them to be in denial

19. 5. Social Marketing • The application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behavioral goals towards a social cause • Ultimate goal = behavior change National Social Marketing Centre 2006

20. What is Social Marketing? “The application of commercial marketingconcepts and techniques to target populationsto achieve the goal of positive social (behavioral) change.” - Kottler (1971)

21. Social Marketing • Unlike commercial marketing • Not focused on selling a product and raising profits • Focused on benefiting individuals and society • Like commercial marketing • Targets specific audiences/ populations (e.g. pregnant women, people with diabetes) • Uses research to guide messaging and measure results

22. The behavior change process • Become aware of the problem • Become motivated to make a change • Gain knowledge and tools needed for change • Initially adopt the new activity or behavior • Maintain the new activity and integrate it into the lifestyle • Change the social norm Owen and Lee (1984)

23. Channels to motivate behavior change • Population Level • (newspapers, radio, TV, Internet) • Ads/PSAs • News/editorials • Public affairs/talk shows • Chat rooms/blogs/social networks • Community Level • Educational materials • Group counseling • Personal Level • Hotlines • Patient counseling R e a c h

24. Social Marketing & Public Health Growing evidence and experience from a number of HMLI countries shows that, when applied effectively and within the appropriate context, social marketing is a powerful tool for achieving social change.

25. Effective Social Marketing Well-designed social marketing initiatives are… • Strategic • Collaborative and participatory • Targeted  audience-focused • Behavior-centered • Multi-level and integrated  IPC and Media • Monitored and evaluated  decision-making informed by research

26. Social Marketing Approach As such, effective social marketing • Uses data to set goals and develop strategies • Identifies and define specific target audiences • Conducts research on barriers, benefits and perceptions to facilitate compliance • Develops appropriate messages/creative approaches for specific communication channels • Uses strategic approaches to reach mass audiences

27. Mass Media in Tobacco Control • Extensive research associatesMMC with increases in adultcessation and decreases inyouth uptake • Controlled field experiments • Population studies So, we know… MASS MEDIA CAMPAIGNS WORK cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/19/m19_complete.pdf

28. MM and Public Education • Setting the Program Agenda – ‘Paid Media Advertising’ – Television, Radio, Print, Outdoor, Digital - online, mobile telephony • Supporting Political/Community Advocacy - ‘Earned Media’ – Launches/PR Activities/Media Events • Supporting Social Mobilization – Motivational messages, creative approaches and materials support • Supporting Community-Based Activities – Community Media – Publications, Signage, and Merchandise

29. MMC and Behaviour Change • MMC can produce positive changes or prevent negative changes in health-related behaviours 1 • Likelihood of success substantially increases with application of multiple interventions 2 Behaviour change can be achieved through using mediain a targeted manner thatcomplements and extends other investmentsin public health enhancements. 4.

30. Tobacco Control MMCs India – Significant differences in KAB on SF legislation Philippines – Increased awareness and changes in attitudes to SHS Turkey – High recall of SF legislation; reduced smoking incidence Mexico – Reduction in smoking in public places China – Changes in attitudes to smoking around others Russia – increased knowledge on health effects

31. Mass Media and Public Education:Paid Media Outdoor Billboards New/Digital Media Websites

32. Mass Media and Public Education:Community Media Community Signage Mobile Cinema Community Miking Merchandise

33. Mass Media and Public Education:Earned Media • Campaign Launch Activities • Media/Community Events • Media Releases

34. Mass Media and Public Education:Advocacy & Social Mobilization Building Partnerships & Coalitions Supporting Policy Development Seeking Advice and Gaining Ownership

35. Pitfalls • Poor technical capacity instrategic planning, devt of written briefs, and/or contracting appropriate vendors • Disregard for evidence-based approach  omission of devt steps for expediency/perceived cost savings • Poor media planning Media plans which fail to achieve adequate reach/frequency to target populations • Poor creative approaches featuring humorous or positive appeals which have been shown to have weaker impact

36. Opportunities • Agenda-setting function of mass media and media penetration can create significant short term gains • Most effective medium – cost per head – with good returns on investment • Provides synergies through comprehensive, integrated, multi-level approach  mass media supporting community level activities

37. Lessons Learned • Integration  multi-level, comprehensive communication approaches have best chance of success • MM social marketing campaigns can quickly set public health agendas and facilitate behavioural change • Evidence-based, strategic approach to planning, development and implementation is important

38. Thank You Sandra Mullin smullin@worldlungfoundation.org