Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Tobacco Control 2001;10(Supplement 1 ):i33-i40; doi:10.1136/tc.10.suppl_1.i33
Copyright © 2001 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Tob Control 2001;10(Suppl 1):i33-i40 ( Winter )

Test of "Light" cigarette counter-advertising using a standard test of advertising effectiveness

Saul Shiffmana, Steven L Burtonb, Janine L Pillitteric, Joe G Gitchelld, Michael E Di Marinod, Christine T Sweeneyd, Paul A Wardleb, Gary L Koehlerb

a Pinney Associates and University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, b GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, c Pinney Associates, Seattle, Washington, USA, d Pinney Associates, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Correspondence to: Saul Shiffman, PhD, Pinney Associates, 201 North Craig Street, Suite 320, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA shiffman{at}pinneyassociates.com

OBJECTIVE---To evaluate systematically the effectiveness of six advertising strategies (two message strategies presented in three different contexts) designed to promote smoking cessation by addressing smokers' misperceptions about Light cigarettes.
DESIGN---Smokers viewed one of six, 30 second test television concept advertisements, which varied by message (one emphasising how the sensory effects of Lights can be deceptive, the other describing the effects of vent blocking) and by ad context (non-commercial public service announcement (PSA), promotion of unbranded nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or promotion of branded NRT). The effectiveness of each advertisement was determined using a validated advertising testing system in which ads were viewed in the context of reviewing a pilot television programme. Response to ads is assessed through shifts in subject choices of products offered as prizes before and after viewing the test advertisements. Included among the possible prizes were cigarettes and various pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation.
SUBJECTS---Daily smokers (n = 1890) of Regular (34%), Light (47%), and Ultra Light (19%) cigarettes recruited from eight US cities.
MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES---The primary outcome of interest was the shift away from cigarettes as the selected prize following exposure to the test advertisements. Secondary outcomes of interest included movement away from Light cigarettes and movement towards assisted quitting products.
RESULTS---Smokers who saw the advertisement emphasising the sensory characteristics of Light cigarettes were more likely than subjects who saw the advertisement emphasising the effect of vent blocking to move away from cigarettes (OR = 1.97, 95% confidence interval CI 1.25 to 3.09; chi 2(1) = 8.69, p = 0.003). Similarly, subjects who saw the advertisement framed as a PSA, rather than as a promotion for either a branded or unbranded NRT product, were also somewhat more likely to move away from cigarettes (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.40; chi 2(1) = 2.97, p = 0.085). The effect was observed regardless of sex, age, or type of cigarette smoked.
CONCLUSIONS---Addressing smokers' sensory perceptions of Light cigarettes and presenting this information in an impartial way is likely to be an effective communication strategy for counter-marketing Light cigarettes.


Keywords: Lights; advertising; counter-marketing

© 2001 by Tobacco Control
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • McDaniel, P. A, Malone, R. E (2007). "I always thought they were all pure tobacco": American smokers' perceptions of "natural" cigarettes and tobacco industry advertising strategies. Tobacco Control 16: e7-e7 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Biener, L., Bogen, K., Connolly, G. (2007). Impact of corrective health information on consumers' perceptions of "reduced exposure" tobacco products. Tobacco Control 16: 306-311 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tindle, H. A., Rigotti, N. A., Davis, R. B., Barbeau, E. M., Kawachi, I., Shiffman, S. (2006). Cessation Among Smokers of "Light" Cigarettes: Results From the 2000 National Health Interview Survey. Am. J. Public Health 96: 1498-1504 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pechmann, C., Reibling, E. T. (2006). Antismoking Advertisements for Youths: An Independent Evaluation of Health, Counter-Industry, and Industry Approaches. Am. J. Public Health 96: 906-913 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kozlowski, L T, Edwards, B Q (2005). "Not safe" is not enough: smokers have a right to know more than there is no safe tobacco product. Tobacco Control 14: ii3-ii7 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hughes, J. R (2001). Do ""Light"" cigarettes undermine cessation?. Tobacco Control 10: i41-42 [Full Text]  
  • WILKENFIELD, J. (2001). Concluding remarks. Tobacco Control 10: i45-47 [Full Text]  

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

BMJ Careers