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

Abstract #60914

Christopher H. Cooke, MA, MS and C. Michael Newton-Ward, MSW, MPH. Divsion of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services, 1915 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1915, 919-733-4038, christopher.cooke@ncmail.net

The Turning Point Social Marketing National Excellence Collaborative (SMNEC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Office of Communication and Academy for Educational Development have designed a practical tool (CDCynergy-SOC) for planning, implementing and evaluating social marketing programs. This new tool is based on CDCynergy, a CD-ROM for health communication that can easily be used on a personal computer. CDCynergy-SOC is based on a logic model researched and developed using a variety of formative research methods. A panel of social marketing academicians, practitioners and experts was assembled for a one-day review of CDCynergy. This computer-assisted event provided critical information about revisions necessary to ensure that the tool would be as valid and reliable as the original. SMNEC also undertook formative research with potential end-users to develop strategies to promote use of CDCynergy-SOC in public health settings. CDCynergy-SOC provides a peer-reviewed, self-contained social marketing planning tutorial and work plan template with the potential to significantly advance the quality of social marketing programs in public health. The potential of a field tested, stand-alone tool for planning and evaluating social marketing programs has much significance for the field of social marketing as well as public health practice. When used correctly, this tool will help to assure that a core set of social marketing best practice principles support the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health social marketing programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how the Social Marketing National Excellence Collaborative (SMNEC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) conducted formative research in order to develop CDCynergy-SOC.
• Articulate how CDCynergy-SOC can assist the public health practitioner in the development, implementation and evaluation of a "best practice" social marketing program.

Keywords: Social Marketing, Computer-Assisted

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CDC Academy for Educational Development
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.