Many states use paid media campaigns as one component of their tobacco control program. Given the cost and visibility of these programs, outcome evaluation becomes critical. However, paid media programs bring special evaluation challenges. Residents of one state will be exposed to national campaigns and to campaigns of other states as well as their own state campaign. Media campaigns are conducted in the context of other programs designed to influence policy, price, and the community. Thus, determining the extent to which the state's paid media is responsible for measured changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behavior is difficult.
First, we will outline some of the challenges states may face when they need to evaluate their paid media programs. Then, we will present a simple logic model which can be used to identify the critical evaluation questions. Finally, we will describe some simple evaluation designs which can be used as part of a comprehensive outcome evaluation to answer the critical questions. In each case, we will discuss the advantage and disadvantages of each. Briefly, we will discuss designs which compare levels of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors by level of recall, which examine changes over time, which relate change in attitudes and beliefs to changes in behavior, and which have quasi-experimental elements.
Learning Objectives: After the session, participants will be able to (1) identify the challenges to the evaluation of tobacco paid media campaigns, (2) apply a logic model to paid media campaigns, and (3) list several evaluation design alternatives.
Keywords: Communication Evaluation, Media Campaigns
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I provide evaluation services through the Academy for Educational Development