The Truth Campaign

1. The Truth Campaign Craig Anderson Scott Bittinger Shefali Desai Allison Hearty Kate Seguin

2. Background • The largest public-health crusade in U.S. history is being financed with $1.5 billion from the 1998 legal settlement between tobacco companies and all 50 states. • The ad is part of an effort coordinated by the American Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit group that plans to use television, radio, magazine advertising, the Internet and grassroots campaigns to discourage smoking. • Central to the group's strategy is the creation of a brand for teenagers named "Truth." They hope the brand will compete with the cigarette makers' iconic Marlboro, Camel and Lucky Strike brands. • Objective of the campaign : • Target teens 12-17 • Reduce youth tobacco use by changing the attitude of teens about tobacco and the tobacco industry; • Reduce the availability of and youth access to tobacco products; • Reduce youth exposure to second-hand smoke; and • increase youth empowerment through community involvement.

3. Television Commercials The Survey The Replacement Smokers Coroner Epidemic The Smoking Machine Hair Fire Laffin’s Kids Print ads Cha Ching Billboard Ammonia The Truth Campaigns

4. Teens 12-17 • Generation Y, Echo Boomers • Generation Y is a confident, self-reliant, optimistic and positive generation • To reach Generation Y, Marketers need to: • Craft products and pitches that are more realistic • Make their campaigns more subtle and more local to regain trust • Use national TV Campaigns that are funny, unpretentious, and often confusing to older consumers

5. Marketing Strategies • This marketing campaign, which used teen input in every phase of its development, included 33 television commercials, seven billboards, eight print ads, and four posters. • The ads depicted real teenagers taking on the tobacco industry at the Teen Tobacco Summit and statewide Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) functions. • In order to engage teens, the campaign incorporated a variety of in-your-face styles, using everything from edgy humor to high technology • Other forms of Marketing: • youth advocacy groups; • the enlistment of celebrities and politicians to encourage petitioning of the entertainment industry to portray smoking more accurately and to denormalize its use.

6. Brand Positioning • The Truth Campaign Brand builds a positive tobacco free identity by countering the marketing efforts of the Tobacco industry. • They compete with the brands such as Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man • They compete with Philip Morris Think: Don’t Smoke anti smoking efforts • Consumers attitude to the brand is positive because 70 percent of smokers want to quit. Only about 5% actually succeed every year.

7. Changing Attitudes • The Truth campaign turned smoking cigarettes from a form of rebellion to a form of conformity • The truth campaign showed teens how they were being coaxed into smoking and how they were expected to smoke. • So, instead of turning against parents and smoking, teens turned against cigarette companies and refused not to smoke • The desired state for the teens remains the same: independence/rebellion • However, the truth campaign changed the perceived actual state of teens so instead of believing they were being "controlled" by parents, health officials, gov, school, etc... the truth campaign convinced teens that they were being manipulated/ controlled by cig companies and that that was "the truth"

8. Analyzing Consumer Behavior • Number of teenagers increased during much of the 90s and is expected to rise • Marketers are directing ads to teenagers, who are increasingly given the task of buying products for the family • Consumers fit the classification s of actualizers or experiencers • Acutalizer: successful, active, sophisticated consumers with many resources and high self esteem. They place high importance on image • Experiencer: young,enthusiastic, impulsive consumers who like to take risk, variety, and excitement. Because of their age, they have not formulated life values, behaviors, or political affiliation. • Behavior is easier to change when they are younger

9. Exposure • This particular campaign has chosen the routes of the Internet, television, and magazines. • Their "shock factor," is a great idea for avoiding zapping • They are able to avoid overexposure • Orange dot acts as a stimulus • Use of real people in a bold and honest way represents the surprise factor • Location may also have an important role to play because all the ads that are filmed in NYC are impacting the "real" crowds watching them being filmed.

10. Exposure: Magazine • Magazine advertising schedules for the leading tobacco brands produce a high level of "effective reach" among teens 12-17. Effective reach is simply the percentage of people in the target audience who receive the advertising message frequently enough (usually five times or more in a year) that they become aware of the message and comprehend its content. • The leading tobacco brands reached a majority of teens with five or more exposures, which almost ensures that their brand advertising will be memorable and impactful

11. Attention • The Truth Campaign gains attention by its hard hitting facts with humor. • It appeals to Generation Y because of its use of real people, and real problems • Use of the orange dot can be easily recognized with the Truth Campaign • Use of the orange strain of yarn

12. Comprehension • The ads were easy to follow and understand but did not address the following: • The Truth recognized that although everyone knows about the Surgeon General's warning on cigarettes, very few seem to comprehend why the warning is actually there. • There is high awareness among the general public and among smokers of the health risks of tobacco. • Most are aware of the harm caused to smokers and by second-hand smoke. • However, the public views the effects of light/mild cigarettes as less serious than those of smoking in general. • Smokers are less convinced that non-smokers of the health risks of smokers in general, the effects of light/mild cigarettes, and the effects of second-hand smoke. • There is some confusion about light and mild cigarettes and considerable skepticism of industry motives in this regard. • Most think that the tobacco industry labels cigarettes as light or mild because the industry wants to appeal to smokers who are concerned about their health and wants to suggest that light/mild cigarettes are healthier.

13. Attracting/ Retention/Behavior • The Truth Campaign attracts those who have been exposed to smoking. • Evokes feelings • Facilitates Memory due to repetition of exposure, aids personal linkage by using real people, and it uses humor to affect behavior. • 15.6 billion fewer cigarette sales, a decline of 3.8% • Approximately 3.9 billion cigarettes are given away annually since 2000

14. Shock Factor Surprise Factor Well targeted Imitating WOM makes it trustworthy High level of exposure, and extensive reach Risky- limited control over how public will react Messages perceived as offensive Strength/ Weakness

15. Hierarchy of Effects • High Involvement Hierarchy • Cognition Affect Behavior • First Consumers are made aware of the brand • They become affected by the message, and the image displayed on the ad • They make a decision whether to continue to smoke or quit

16. Foote Cone & Belding Model • Motives for buying into the Brand • High involvement, High Thinking, High Feeling • The Truth Campaign is an informative message, that appeals to the self, and maintains awareness

17. Debate with Phillip Morris Campaign • Think, Don’t Smoke • Targets those who already do not smoke • Neglects the long term health effects • Least effective • Relied on opinions, as opposed to facts. • Due to the loss of market share, companies are no longer obligated to fund the campaigns.

18. Success of the Truth Campaign • The Truth campaign, as a whole, seems to do a fair job at constantly reminding consumers through repitition, elaboration (especially self-referencing), consistency, and easy-to-remember stimuli • 75% of all 12-17 year olds in the nation could accurately describe at least one of the truth campaigns. • 90% said the ad they saw was convincing • 85% said the ad gave them good reason to not smoke • “Body Bags” was the most effective Truth Ad • Simple and direct

19. Interesting Facts • 75% of all 12-17 year olds in the nation could accurately describe at least one of the truth campaigns. • Teenagers smoke more than a billion cigarettes a year resulting in retail sales worth over $400 million. • It is estimated that 55% of young men and 51% of young women who started smoking by age 15 will die before age 70 if they continue to smoke. • Each year, 2,204,837 are introduced to smoking for the first time • The average beginning age for smokers is 14.5 years old. Few individuals take up the smoking habit after the age of 20. • About 1 out of every 5 deaths in the US can be attributed to tobacco products • Every eight seconds, someone in the world dies due to tobacco.

20. Recommendations • Use of Radio to get message across • Find another source of funding for the campaigns • Extend the brand line by implementing Anti Drinking ads • Take the idea of localizing the campaign to different countries and have a world wide campaign • Reduce the knowledge gap that exist between consumer and the Brand • Use of more Non-traditional Marketing • Use of more then just one way broadcast. Try direct mail, event sponsorship

21. Questions???