Media activities for disparate groups - 6/5/07

Q: Rhode Island was one of 11 states to receive funding from CDC to address tobacco-related health disparities. Last year, we formed a Disparities Workgroup, which consists of representatives from community and state agencies in our state. Together we identified the following at-risk populations in Rhode Island: African American, LGBT, Low Education Attainment, Mentally Ill, Native Americans, Pregnant Women, Unemployed, Uninsured, and Young Adults (ages 18-14) and developed a Strategic Plan that we are in the process of getting published. Additionally, we are also planning to fund tobacco control initiatives targeting the above priority populations.
 
To help us with the media planning and communication process,  we are seeking information and technical assistance from other states who worked on the Disparities grant, specifically regarding media activities. We're also interested in hearing other tips or useful information that will be useful to us as we begin to plan our media activities.

A:

1. California: California has had extensive experience using various media vehicles and activities to address disparate groups.
    
2. Colorado: The Colorado tobacco education program (STEPP) has done market research and created many campaigns for disparate groups. Brief media summaries from all the campaigns are listed below; all evaluation metrics will be added by August 1. In addition, all new media campaign materials created this year will be available by August 1, such as a GLBTQ campaign. Media campaign materials:
    
   1. African-American QuitLine Campaign
   2. College QuitLine Campaign
   3. Latino QuitLine Campaign
   4. Low SES QuitLine Campaign
   5. On-line Campaigns
   6. Pregnant Women QuitLine Campaign
   7. SHS - Childcare Campaign
   8. SHS - Healthcare Campaign
   9. Spit Users QuitLine Campaign
   10. Straight to Work Campaign (18-24 year-olds not in college)
   11. Youth Prevention and Cessation Campaign
   12. Youth Tobacco Free School Sign Campaign
        
3. Indiana: Indiana used the following documents to promote/support the implementation of the disparities plan:
    
   1. The agenda for the stakeholders meeting that Smokefree Indiana held in order to promote the plan to the state and local public health leaders.
   2. A disparities grid that identified organizations and their action plan activities that would fall under the disparities plan.
   3. A logic model for Indiana’s disparities plan.
   4. An agreement form that we had requested all the attendees of the stakeholders meeting to sign in order to commit their organization to address disparities.
       
4. Maryland: Maryland’s disparities team is still in the process of developing the plan, but we have not yet looked at media efforts targeting these populations per se.  Our media budget has been cut so much that it currently is limited to promoting our Quitline.  Most, if not all, of the groups that will be identified are already target populations of the Quitline as well and for the most part we have reached out through Spanish and local print media (African-American, pregnant women).  We are in the process of collaborating with NCI to get zip code data to do some targeted postcard mailings that can focus on areas w/high prevalence, low education, low SES, etc.
    
5. Michigan: Although Michigan has a disparities reduction plan and various funded projects and ongoing strategies in this arena, to date Michigan has not focused paid media on disparate populations.  We don't have any paid media funds this year.  We have conducted quitline and secondhand smoke mailings to new Medicaid enrollees and Foster Care homes, presentations and materials to Head Start families and Head Start teachers.  Our multicultural network also has a variety of policy and educational efforts and media advocacy but no paid media. Our multicultural network recently taped some public service announcements about asthma and secondhand smoke.  Our local contractors are advocating that local television stations play them.  The disparities plan is also available for viewing.
    
6. Mississippi: Mississippi was awarded the disparities grant this year, and we are currently working with our workgroup to develop a strategic plan. To that end, we have not moved into the media/promotion stage of our plan as of yet.
    
7. Nevada: Nevada is going through the same process, not as close to the marketing and media process as Rhode Island, but would love to get the feedback as well.
    
8. North Dakota: North Dakota did not do any media, however we do a nice executive summary which can be viewed.
    
9. Ohio: Ohio received a supplemental grant from CDC to address disparities. Our website is under construction now but the results of our work through the CDC grant can be viewed at www.ohiocctca.org. A copy of our action plan is also available. We have not done specific media per se with our alliance, but we are in the process of developing the website, a brochure and (hopefully) a post card for outreach to include more persons in the movement.
    
   One thing that was helpful was that we conducted focus groups among 13 different populations and will be finishing up on two new populations by the end of June and their information will be posted on our website.  Out of these populations, some had more tobacco-specific data than others, but it gave us a chance to learn more and to further confirm other "widely held" beliefs among populations. Overall, in comparison to mainstream, generalizable data among these populations (focus groups are not generalizable) is still lagging behind in Ohio, but we do have some feedback to use.
    
   Another effort we've made was to give mini-grants to agencies serving populations that currently are not involved in tobacco now. As a result we've connected with the LGBT community in Cleveland, the Russian Refugee community in Columbus and one Community Action Agency in Erie-Huron Counties who focused on Head Start.  They have agreed to do a counter-marketing campaign, education and infrastructure building, and data collection, respectively.
    
10. Oklahoma: In Oklahoma we have not done any media activities specific to the plan. Our disparities plan was incorporated as one of 4 sections in our state strategic plan.  Any media activities are in conjunction with the activities being carried out in the state strategic plan.
     
    There are three ethnic tobacco education networks and four special population grantees who use earned and paid media as part of their programs.  However, the media relates to their activities rather than to the state disparity strategic plan.
     
11. Vermont: In Vermont’s plan, there are some recommendations about media and community interventions but the focus was on creating partnerships competencies and services.
     
12. West Virginia: Through the National Assoc of LGBT Community Centers Tobacco Control Program's Final Report of focus groups across the country there is very rich information in how to communicate and reach this group; click to access the document.
     
    One of my peers (long time in health promotion) has observed that we may be doing ourselves a disservice when the basic media message we put forth is "smoking/tobacco kills you and it is very addictive."  Instead we should focus on positive messages:  thousands of smokers/tobacco users have quit---they did it and so can you, and they feel good about it!  Help the smokers to feel confident in their decision to quit, to guide them to resources to help them.
     
13. Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s plan to has focused mainly on marketing its disparities plan that has provided guidance for that process.  As far as paid media strategies, this past year our media around the Quitline and other treatment options have been more focused on special populations.  We also have two minority firms that have been working with our ethnic networks and poverty network to provide marketing support to their initiatives.

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