Social Marketing
Review of evaluation of social marketing
Client:
Inland Revenue Department
Project Background:
The Inland Revenue (IR) uses a range of strategies to improve voluntary tax compliance. Social marketing is one of the approaches IR is planning to use to influence compliance attitudes and behaviours. To inform evidence-based evaluation of its social marketing initiatives, IR wanted to first obtain a deeper understanding of approaches used nationally and internationally for evaluating social marketing initiatives in the tax area.
Our Involvement:
Litmus was commissioned to undertake a Review of Evaluation of Social Marketing. This involved a review of published and unpublished literature on:
- ‘Best practice’ social marketing research and evaluation
- Evaluated social marketing initiatives relating to tax and other areas with regulatory dimensions (road safety, biosecurity and the environment).
Key Outcomes:
The Review provided Inland Revenue with a summary of social marketing evaluation practices, including key strengths and limitations, and a process for evaluating tax social marketing initiatives.
Increasing use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in quitting smoking
Client:
Ministry of Health
Project Background:
Reducing smoking and the burden of tobacco use, particularly among groups with high smoking prevalence, is a priority for the Government, the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards. Despite strong evidence that Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) increases the likelihood of a quit attempt being successful, less than one in ten New Zealanders who smoke use NRT when trying to quit.
Our Involvement:
In 2010, the Ministry of Health commissioned Litmus to undertake a comprehensive multi-method research project on use of NRT by New Zealanders who smoke, particularly Māori and Pacific people who smoke. The research programme included:
- A brief evidence review Read more
- A stock-take of NRT resources
- Interviews with health providers of smoking cessation services and products
- Interviews with Māori and Samoan smokers
Key Outcomes:
The research found that awareness of NRT was variable and knowledge of the product (effectiveness, cost, how to access it, how it works, how it should be used) was poor. Perceptions of the cost and effectiveness of NRT, preference for quitting cold turkey, and access issues were identified as key barriers to using NRT. Previous experience of NRT, or knowing others who had successfully quit using NRT, appeared to encourage NRT-use. The research informed the Ministry of Health’s thinking on how to increase use of NRT among Māori and Pacific smokers. Further reading
Healthy Eating – Healthy Action: ‘Feeding our Futures’
Client:
The Health Sponsorship Council (HSC)
Project Background:
‘Feeding our Futures’ is a part of Healthy Eating - Healthy Action (HEHA), the Ministry of Health’s strategic approach to improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and achieving healthy weight for all New Zealanders. HSC engaged Litmus to provide research to help shape and inform its social marketing programme as party of the HEHA Strategy.
Our Involvement:
Litmus conducted:
- Stakeholder engagement research with New Zealand's public health nutrition community and members from the food industry to ascertain their views on the proposed direction and content of the HSC's healthy eating social marketing programme
- Focus groups with Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands, Niuean and Pakeha parents and caregivers to determine which of three branding concepts and which of three television commercial concepts best met the overarching objectives of the social marketing programme
- Follow-up focus groups with parents and caregivers to test television commercials and to understand the motivations, barriers, strategies and tips for healthy eating.
Key Outcomes:
Clear and insightful research enabled the identification and refinement of effective branding and communications for the healthy eating social marketing programme. Further reading
Txt2Quit
Client:
The Quit Group
Project Background:
Txt2Quit is a 26-week, fully automated quit smoking programme that is accessed via text messaging and is aimed at 16-24 year olds. Before the launch, the Quit Group wanted to determine the cultural appropriateness and relevance of text messages and pathways through which Māori and Pacific youth prefer to access texts.
Our Involvement:
Litmus conducted:
- four focus groups with Māori youth who had both low and high levels of te reo Māori frequency
- four focus groups with Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands and Kiribati youth who had both low and high levels of fluency in their Pacific nation languages.
Key Outcomes:
Insightful research enabled the Quit Group to launch the successful Txt2Quit programme grounded in Māori and Pacific youth’s quitting needs and behaviour. Early indications suggest the programme has been effective.
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