239138 Choosing Between Ads for Your Health Promotion Campaign: Using Theory and Evidence to Guide Pre-Testing and Evaluation

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 1:30 PM

Laura Gibson, PhD , Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Dina Shapiro, MPH , Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Heather Forquer , Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Joseph N. Cappella, PhD , Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Robert C. Hornik, PhD , Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Lorraine Dean, ScD , Tobacco Policy and Control Program, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Giridhar Mallya, MD, MSHP , Policy and Planning, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Background: In November 2010, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health launched a federally funded multi-media campaign focused on smoking cessation. To guide evidence-based selection of ads for the campaign, preliminary versions of the ads were pre-tested with members of the target audience. Methods: The subjects were 433 smokers aged 18 or older who were considering quitting, recruited through an internet-based convenience sample. Participants were randomized into one of three conditions based on medium (radio, n=102, television, n=120, or transit, n=139), or a control condition (n=72). Participants viewed four ads, each representing one of the following storylines: (1) Last Pack, (2) Smoking Alone, (3) Success Stories, and (4) Try and Quit. Data were collected on measures of eight constructs from theories of persuasion: recognition, comprehension, belief change, reactance, emotion, perceived effectiveness, engagement, and cue to action. Data were analyzed to determine each ad's relative success on the above criteria and to assess whether these outcomes were moderated by respondents' ethnicity or gender. Results: While several of the storylines fared well in the message testing, the Last Pack storyline was rated most highly by subjects on most constructs, and showed consistent positive responses across different media, regardless of a respondent's ethnicity or gender. Comprehension for the transit execution of the storyline was low, and the ad was subsequently revised based on this data. Conclusions: Public health practitioners often use the mass media as a tool for health promoting interventions. Pre-testing the ad storylines provides valuable information for developing persuasive messages.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. List ad attributes from theories of persuasion which can guide ad selection. 2. Describe how to choose a storyline that will be effective in different formats (e.g., TV, radio).

Keywords: Communication Evaluation, Evidence Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: My responsibilities as the Research Director for the Philadelphia Anti-Smoking Campaign Project include over-seeing and participating in the message testing design, as well as all parts of the data process (collection, analysis, and presentation).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.