The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #59362

Cornelia Pechmann, PhD, Graduate School of Management, University of California Irvine, Room 331, Irvine, CA 92697-3125, 949 824 4058, cpechman@uci.edu and Ellen Thomas- Reibling, MA, Health Education Center, University of California Irvine, 206 B Student Center, Irvine, CA 92697.

The number of U.S. states that use paid antismoking advertising targeted at youth has increased from one in 1986 to more than 21 in 2002. The sponsors of antismoking advertising use very different message themes and, while there is widespread agreement that choice of theme matters, there is considerable disagreement as to what choice to make. Three basic themes -- health, social and tobacco marketing --- are in use, but there are numerous subthemes. The proposed paper would have four learning objectives. First, we would present a taxonomy of twelve antismoking messages to assist practitioners in understanding what their options are and which messages are most common. Second, we would describe how to conduct randomized trial experiments to determine whether ads that convey a particular message significantly bolster youths’ antismoking beliefs and/or weaken their intentions to smoke (vs. a control group). Third, we would briefly report the results of two such experiments, involving over 3,500 9th and 10th graders, to provide some guidance to practitioners on which messages they might want to use and why. Fourth, we would discuss the efficacy of using lower cost rating-scale measures of advertising effectiveness, such as a one item “perceived ad effectiveness” scale and a five item “message sensation value” scale, by comparing the results of our experiments to the results we obtained using these measures. Here, our goal is to assist practitioners in assessing the costs and benefits of running randomized trial experiments versus using lower cost methods of advertising pretesting.

Learning Objectives:

• First, we would present a taxonomy of twelve antismoking messages to assist practitioners in understanding what their options are and which messages are most common. Second, we would describe how to conduct randomized trial experiments to determine whether ads that convey a particular message significantly bolster youths’ antismoking beliefs and/or weaken their intentions to smoke (vs. a control group). Third, we would briefly report the results of two such experiments, involving over 3,500 9th and 10th graders, to provide some guidance to practitioners on which messages they might want to use and why. Fourth, we would discuss the efficacy of using lower cost rating-scale measures of advertising effectiveness, such as a one item “perceived ad effectiveness” scale and a five item “message sensation value” scale, by comparing the results of our experiments to the results we obtained using these measures.

Keywords: Smoking, Health Communications

Related Web page: www.antismokingads.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.