The Tobacco Control Area Network located in the Eastern most part of Southern Ontario (TCAN-East) is comprised of six Public Health Units (PHUs). TCAN -East is responsible for the planning of regional tobacco prevention, cessation, and protection efforts in Eastern Ontario. These efforts have included mass media campaigns, resource development, program evaluations, etc. A Steering Committee made up of the TCAN staff and representatives from local PHUs provides direction to working groups which fulfill requirements for regional program planning, communication, and resource sharing. TCAN-East is staffed by a Regional Coordinator and a Youth Development Specialist.
Freeze the Industry (FTI) is a tobacco industry denormalization campaign that aims to educate young people about the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics used by the tobacco industry. Research has shown that tobacco industry denormalization leads to lower smoking prevalence rates amongst youth and young adults. The FTI campaign also empowers young people to believe that their collective voices can bring about positive political and social change. Previously FTI worked on campaigns to ban the use of flavours in cigarettes and advocated for plain packaging legislation.
In 2018, TCAN-East aims to use the FTI brand to reduce the use of emerging tobacco and nicotine products by young people. For this project we will be focusing on e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’. We are looking to unlock young people’s critical thinking skills to understand that ‘safer doesn’t mean safe’ and that there are still risks involved in using e-cigarettes and vapes. The marketing strategies being used to advertise e-cigarettes resemble tobacco cigarette advertisements prevalent before that type of advertising was banned in Canada.
Young people like technology and for many e-cigarettes are the ‘newest and coolest tech gadget’. The e-juice is also sold in enticing flavours like fruit and candy which smell and taste good. Recently emerging ‘vape culture’ glorifies blowing vape in big clouds and shapes. As part of the vape culture, there are an abundance of online and viral videos demonstrating vaping tricks. The top 3 reasons youth report for trying e-cigarettes are: curiosity or to try something new, for fun, and for the flavour.
The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (ODUHS) 2017 results showed that e-cigarettes are the 3rd most used substance after alcohol and cannabis among young people. The results indicated that 11% (~80,800) grade 7 to grade 12 students report using an e-cigarette in the last year.
Youth, for purposes of this project, will include those in grades 7 -12. There are two incorrect belief statements held by this population and our goal is to correct those statements:
- It’s just water vapour– E-cigarettes produce an aerosol containing toxic chemicals. Although e-cigarettes are likely safer than cigarettes this does not mean e-cigarettes are safe.
- E-cigarettes are harmless – Studies have shown nicotine is present in e-juice even when labeled ‘nicotine-free’. E-juices were shown to be mislabelled 25% of the time. E-cigarettes are not currently regulated (the devices themselves or the e-juice that is inhaled) and there is potential risk of harm associated with these products. Using e-cigarettes can lead to addiction and other health concerns.
The short-term goal for this phase of FTI is to develop key messages that resonate with youth in grades 7-12 and to build a social marketing strategy based on these messages. The strategy should engage young people and encourage them to share our messages amongst their own social networks. This proliferation of our message will boost our authenticity and allow us to reach more people. The long-term goal is to educate youth in grades 7-12 around the potential risks and harms of using e-cigarettes and encourage youth to engage their critical thinking skills about trying e-cigarettes or vapes with a goal of preventing more youth from initiation and use.
The focus of this RFP is on the development of a social marketing strategy. The working group is looking for a social marketing consultant (individual or organization), to take the belief statements that have been determined and create a social marketing strategy that will educate and resonate with youth to prevent the use and or uptake of e-cigarettes. The successful applicant will utilize the expertise of the TCAN-East FTI Working Group along with social marketing principles and practice to develop a comprehensive social marketing strategy.
The social marketing strategy will leverage existing and recently updated FTI logo design and online platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) and should include the development of comprehensive social media campaign with strategies to reach our target audience. The project should also include creative development of components such as tweets, Facebook posts, and other creative pieces (ie videos, posters, memes for different online platforms, etc). All campaign graphics and taglines should be focus tested with the target audience, and adjustments made as needed. The total budget for content and creative development for this part of the project should not exceed $15,000.
Please note - FTI will be adjusting the website www.freezetheindustry.ca. The current landing page highlights a previous campaign (Plain and Standardized Packaging) which is now complete. However the website does demonstrate the updated look and feel of the overall FTI brand with its current logo. Internally the website will have content and navigation updated to highlight the new focus on emerging products. The website design and maintenance is not needed as part of this RFP.
Additionally, not part of this RFP process, but as a potential add-on in the future, is the development and execution of a marketing plan for the purchasing of online and in person advertising.
Due to the vast geography covered by the working group, 75% of working groups’ planning time may be done via teleconference, online shared spaces, and emails (teleconference line costs will be covered by KFL&A Public Health).
