FDA's Retailer Education Campaign: Reaching and Partnering with Retailers to Protect Kids from Tobacco

Every day nearly 4,000 kids try their first cigarette and 1,000 kids become daily smokers. To help combat this trend, on June 22, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued regulations (known as the 96 Rule) that limits the sale, distribution, and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Correspondingly, FDA recognizes that as point of sale contacts, retailers are uniquely positioned to reduce underage access to tobacco products by complying with the FDA rule. Therefore, it was vital that FDA undertake an educational campaign to ensure retailer awareness of FDA regulations and to enlist retailers as important members of communities working with FDA to protect kids from the risks associated with tobacco use.

In order to reach the retail community, FDA's Center for Tobacco Products utilized a complementary mix of innovative communication channels and tools that were never used at the Agency before. These communication channels and tools include: • Ongoing web dialogue and an ideation tool to learn about audiences' communication needs, campaign themes, and receive feedback on messages, materials, and mediums • A mobile texting contest with recognition prizes that allowed FDA to pilot new ways to target and engage hard to reach audiences

Embracing the principals of transparency, participation and collaboration, the Center for Tobacco Products' efforts resulted in a significant increase in web site visits, public participation, and high participant satisfaction – demonstrating the impact of a health communications campaign that aggressively and strategically uses a mix of new tools and emerging communications practices.