Introduction to Strategic Communication

1. Introduction to Strategic Communication Gary SaffitzCenter for Communication ProgramsJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

2. Section A: Introduction

3. Learning Objectives • Gain a better understanding of the role of communication in tobacco control interventions • Understand the elements of strategic communication and how it differs from a materials production mindset

4. Life from Many Angles • Is there only one way to see things? • Is there only one TRUTH? • How can we develop multiple perspectives?

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23. Why Invest in Strategic Communication? • Communication is happening all the time; our choice really isn’t whether or not we should participate • Is it wise to default? • U.S. tobacco industry marketing and advertising expenses • $15.4 billion every year • $42 + million every day • U.S. annual health costs related to smoking • Private and public health care: $89 billion • Productivity losses: $93.6 billion Source: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Tobacco’s Toll in the U.S.

24. So Does Good Communication Work? • The tobacco industry thinks so! • The whole advertising world thinks so! • Politicians, religious leaders, journalists, etc., think so! • Public health professionals: “We are not sure?”

25. So Does Good Communication Work? • There is overwhelming evidence that good communication is one of the most important tools for public health • While there is evidence that poor communication does not work, there are also instances where: • Government does not work • Medical mistakes cause death • Schools are ineffective • International agencies do more harm than good

26. Effect of Communication on Behavior • Analyzed the impact of 48 U.S. based programs: 1974-1997 Source: Snyder, L.B. & Hamilton, M.A. (2000).

27. Cost-Effectiveness of a Anti-Smoking Campaign • Baseline • Turkish speaking population: 74% of men and 45% of women smoked but knowledge of smoking risks was low • Interventions • A play, mass media, poster and leaflets • Results • 6.4% reduction in smoking • $194 USD per life year gained Source: Stevens, W. et al. (2002).

28. How Much Would You Pay to Live for Another Year? • Most of us would pay $194, no questions asked • But ask cancer survivors and their families who have suffered much, how much would they pay?

29. Coca Cola • How much would Coca Cola invest to increase sales by 1%?

30. The Tobacco Industry • How much would the tobacco industry invest to increase sales by 1%?

31. Which Communication Medium Is Best? • This is like asking which is better: • Leadership or management? • Prevention or treatment? • Interpersonal communication or mass media? • Good carpenters do not debate, “which is better, a hammer or a screwdriver?” • We need all tools and we should use them according to need

32. What Counts Is “Craftsmanship!” • There is no magic medium; there are no silver bullets • We need to learn how to use more effectively the wide spectrum of communication technology to achieve the following: • Significant reductions in smoking prevalence • Smoke free societies

33. What Is “Strategic Communication?” • Communication: • To make known; to impart • To have an interchange, as in ideas • To express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood • To be connected, to make common • To converse intimately, exchange thoughts and feelings

34. Strategic Communication Today • Strategic communication is a process carried out with the active participation of stakeholders and beneficiaries that addresses a long-term vision and affects the causes of, as well as the barriers to, behavior change

35. Strategic Communication Tools • Public policy advocacy and media advocacy • Behavior change communication • Social marketing • Entertainment-education • TV/radio spots, dramas, and music • Public relations • Provider promotion and client-centered counseling • Community mobilization • Individual and community empowerment

36. What Can Communication Do? • Simply look at the Framework Convention: • Advocate for: • Signature, tax legislation, advertising/promotion bans, smoke free workplaces, pack warnings, no sales to minors, anti-smuggling legislation, and enforcement of laws • Change the image of tobacco and smoking • Help smokers quit (cessation programs) and help non-smokers remain smoke free • Build self-efficacy and encourage enforcement • Change social norms