Mobile marketing efforts to motivate students to seek tobacco use cessation services: Process findings, challenges, and successes from Text KICKBUTT

Background: Successful smoking cessation services (SCS), offering such products as nicotine replacement therapies and individual counseling, are a staple on many college campuses, yet many students are unaware of these services. Innovative marketing strategies are needed to raise awareness of, and link users to, existing SCS. Purpose: To develop/test strategic methods of disseminating SCS information via a mobile marketing campaign. Significance: Since young people are early adopters of such technologies, the mobile phone may be a critical tool for promotion of SCS. Methodology: A low-cost mobile marketing campaign was implemented to promote campus-based SCS. The campaign consisted of a text message opt-in mechanism (text KICKBUTT to a specific number). Students opting-in were surveyed on current smoking habits, their readiness-to-quit, and linked to student health SCS. Multiple promotional efforts were employed, including flyers, e-bulletins, class announcements, digital screen advertisements, a Facebook page, and t-shirt giveaways, encouraging students to text-in. Findings: From June 2010 to February 2011, 189 students opted-in and 103 indicated they were current smokers. Of current smokers, 81 (78.6%) were planning to quit, 38 (36.9%) reported they previously tried to quit, 30 (29.1%) reported they were not ready to quit, and 82 (79.6%) reported they were not sure if they can quit. Conclusions/Recommendations: The mobile marketing campaign was successful in recruiting students to use the opt-in to gain SCS information. Similar media tools may be useful in health promotion programs/services among mobile phone users. This modality provides awareness of services, identifies students' readiness to quit, and encourages behavior change.