Marketing Campaign and Effectiveness of Advertising Activities - Essay Example

Marketing Campaign and Effectiveness of Advertising Activities Advertisement: the “Act FAST’ campaign. Introduction The “Act FAST” campaign is a March 2014 TV campaign sponsored by the “the Stroke Association and Public Health England”, to inform the British people about the importance of acting speedily, so as to save the lives that would be taken by stroke (Stroke Association, 2014). The Stroke Association is a charity organization working in the UK, towards the prevention of stroke, and offering support for the people affected by stroke. The organization, also, campaigns and funds the research aimed at promoting the rights of stroke survivors, irrespective of their race and age (Stroke Association, 2014a). The partner organization, Public Health England is an executive organization operating under the directives of UK’s Department of Health. The agency started its operations in April 2013, and its formation was caused by the reorganization of the NHS (National Health Service), following the directives of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. In the UK, more than 152,000 stroke cases are reported annually, which translates to the reporting of more than a case for every five minutes (Townsend et al., 2012, pp. 57). There are more than 1.1 million stroke survivors living in the UK, and it is among the number one cause of disability among adults (Townsend et al., 2012, pp. 58); the incapacitation of stroke victims leaves them dependent on the community, family and friends, for everyday activities (Adamson, Beswick and Ebrahim, 2004). High blood pressure is one of the major contributors to the increasing incidences of stroke infections; it contributes about 50 percent of the stroke cases reported (Lawes, Vander Hoorn and Rodgers, 2008). One out of five stroke cases is of a fatal nature, and it contributes about 7 percent of the deaths of men and 10 percent of the deaths taking place among women (Townsend et al., 2012, pp. 72). As of 2010, stroke was a major cause of death in the UK, coming in at fourth position, after cancer, coronary conditions and respiratory illnesses (Townsend et al., 2012, pp. 21). More importantly, out of all stroke cases examined and treated using thrombolysis, 80 patients will live independently of others, which compelled the stroke association and Public Health England to launch the campaign for the interest of the public (Sandercock, 2012). Campaign strategy: Rationale The campaign strategy refers to the methods used by the advertiser in convincing the target audience to act in accordance to the message of the campaign. In the case of “the Act FAST” campaign, the advertisers relied on the persuasion strategy in the media planning of the advertisement, by showcasing the impacts of stroke, which are adverse in nature (Dombrowski et al., 2013, pp 915). The impacts include loss of facial composure, control of limbs and the deterioration of speech; the advertisers capitalise on the adverse effects of stroke to catch the attention of viewers. After catching the attention of the viewers – noting that no one prefers to suffer from the adverse effects showcased – the advertisers left the responsibility of seeking medical advice to the viewer. The advertising campaign relied on the health belief model, which was developed during the 1990s, emphasizing that people react and participate in disease reduction programs, only when they expect the adverse effects of the disease (Melkote and Steeves, 2001, p. 132). The association developed between the expectations of the adverse effects of disease and taking action can be related to the expectancy theory, which is based on the assumption that people take the measures required to prevent the disease in question, after perceiving themselves as susceptible to it (Melkote and Steeves, 2001, p. 132). For example, through highlighting the loss of facial control, limb movement and control and the impairment of speech, the campaign appealed to all people to act against becoming victims of stroke. The first impact of the campaign was that it highlighted that stroke is real and that it is possible to affect anyone, which increased the stroke awareness of the viewers. Secondly, the campaign strategy highlighted the symptoms of stroke, which many did not know; the campaign persuaded them to take action, in the cases that they experienced any of the symptoms highlighted (Dombrowski et al., 2013, pp 915). Thirdly, the advertisers checked that the persuasive nature of the message – though presented from a negative point of view – would most likely impact the behaviours of the target audience (Glanz et al, 2002, pp. 51). This includes that it changed the viewers’ perception of symptoms and offered them the solutions to take in responding to the situation. Evaluation of the campaign – application of advertising concepts and framework The application of advertising concepts and framework is evident from the advertisement, taking into account that the message of the campaign was effectively situated, including highlighting the benefits to accrue for the consumers that act in accordance to the campaign. From the Act FAST campaign, the advertisers were keen to highlight the adverse effects that arise from suffering from a stroke. More importantly, the campaign offered the hope that detecting and reporting the symptoms of a stroke can help to save life, stay fit and mobile, and also avoid the death that arises from stroke (Lecouturier et al., 157). The emphasis of the campaign is that, the reason necessitating acting is that a stroke can affect anyone, but acting fast will save them from suffering the adverse effects that accrue over time. The tonality of the campaign, as would be expected, is a serious one; there is no usage of teasing words throughout the campaign, and this is mainly because the message that life or health is at stake was being approached in a more sensitive and respectable manner (Dombrowski et al., 2013, pp 915). The criteria incorporated into the making of the advertising campaign, which were aimed at increasing its success, include that, it emphasized on the life-threatening issue of the damage caused to health, so as to catch the interest of the audience. Further, credibility was maintained through ensuring that the message remained relevant to the issue of stroke and its effects on the health of the affected person. Thirdly, the retentive nature of the campaign was improved through emphasizing the importance of acting in response to the discovery of stroke symptoms, noting that the message is relevant to all groups of people – young and old, as well as sickly and healthy (Stoklossa, 2007). The duration of the advertisement, in particular was set with a reason, noting that the length of the campaign is 60 seconds (Peters, Ruiter and Kok, 2013). The choice of the length of the campaign shows that the advertisers intended to take the audience beyond the point of noting the name of the campaign or the issue, to the point of understanding the technical information being communicated. For example, through taking the viewer through the various symptoms of stroke, the advertisers end with the emphasis that the important activity is seeking expert advice, so that their condition can be controlled. The theory of reasoned action (Ajnez and Fishbein, 1975) can also be used to explain the advertising concepts and the framework of the campaign, by examining the beliefs, attitudes, the behavioural intentions, and the acts expressed by the viewers. The theory maintains that the actions of individuals can only be changed by acting on their intentions; intentions are influenced by both positive and negative feelings, leading to the change of behaviour (Stokloss, 2007). From the Act FAST campaign, the advertisers capitalised on appealing to the negative feelings of the viewers, which are related to the fear of losing their facial control, limb control and speech abilities. Further, it highlighting the fact that seeking assistance early can mitigate or help an individual to stop the progression of the adverse effects, and that calls for the viewers to act, immediately they notice the initial symptoms of stroke. Theories of emotional response propose that emotional response influences and conditions the attitudes and the cognitive responses of individuals. The emphasis of the theory is that delivering a highly emotional message is more likely to trigger behavioural change, than the delivery of messages with low levels of emotional attachment (Piotrow et al., 1997, pp. 22). In the case of the Act FAST campaign, the message was very impactful, because it emphasized the physical impacts of stroke, including the loss of mobility, disability and death. For example, during the campaign, the advertisers showcased the apparently happy woman lose their smiling face after losing facial control, and the control of her hands. Further, the loss of speech is more threatening to the viewer, mainly because it limits one of the primary channels of human communication. Due to the effects of stroke highlighted through the campaign, the viewer acts without much thought, due to the fear of suffering from the adverse effects of stroke (Lecouturier et al., 157). The objectives of the Act FAST campaign a) Creating awareness – the advertisers sought to create awareness about the negative effects of stroke, and the fact that they develop in a progressive manner. Further, the advert sought to inform viewers that the progression can be intercepted (Hanan, 2003). These objectives are in line with the concept of social marketing, where it is emphasised that the design, adoption and the management of programs should be aimed at influencing the acceptance of the behaviours sought (Melkote and Steeves, 2001, pp. 137). b) Intensifying or reinforcing behaviours and attitudes – the advertisers sought to solidify the fear of viewers about stroke, especially among those who did not know how it develops and its effects (Dombrowski et al., 2013, pp 915). c) Converting the behaviours to new ones – the advertisers sought to change the ignorance of the viewers about stroke, to fear, caution and control over the development of symptoms. d) Building relationships – seeking help from the stroke association among other medical institutions (Fergusson, 1999, p. 76). The factors that proved that the campaign was effective include the use of supporting material – the video demonstrated the effects of stroke; presenting a two-sided argument, where the campaign presented the option of contacting a specialist or allowing the effects of stroke to continue uncontrolled. Visuals were used – the advertisement used video demonstrations of the FACE connotation (Peters, Ruiter and Kok, 2013). The advertisers make a positive emotional appeal, as the voice used by the advertisers is very clear and professionally articulated. Other factors include reference group consideration, as the advertisers considered all the people that can suffer from a stroke; there was the repetition of the message, as noted from the beginning and at the end. Also, the campaign emphasizes the health implications of stroke and the duration of campaign is enough to allow viewers to absorb the technical information. More importantly, the content presented is absolutely informative (Lecouturier et al., 157). Recommendations and Conclusion The Act FAST campaign was sponsored by the stroke association and Public Health England. The campaign sought to create awareness about the effects of stroke among the viewers, and more importantly to compel those experiencing symptoms to seek professional assistance. The two agencies created the campaign, following the realization that cases of stroke were increasing in the UK and the statistics are devastating. The rationale of the campaign was informing the general public about the effects of stroke and to call them to action. The campaign was effective, as evidenced by the relevance of the content, the compelling nature of the message and the fact that it changed the behaviours and the attitudes of the public. Mass media campaigns about the effects of stroke should be, further optimised, so as to improve the impacts of the message, for example, by highlighting the institutions specialising in the diagnosis of stroke. The message should be more articulated, so as to improve the response and the impact of the campaign at the personal level; the impact level was less. For example, symptoms coverage could be offered more coverage. Reference List Adamson, J., Beswick, A. and Ebrahim, S., 2004. Stroke and Disability. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 13(4), pp. 171-177. Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M., 1975. Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley. Dombrowski, S., Mackintosh, J., et al., 2013. The impact of the UK ‘Act FAST’ stroke awareness campaign: content analysis of patients, witness and primary care clinicians’ perceptions. BMC Public Health, 13, pp. 915.  Ferguson, S. D., 1999. 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