Client: Department of Health
Entrants: Partners Andrews Aldridge, MCBD, MEC
Authors: Kate Waters, PAA; Andy Nairn, MCBD; Pete Kemp, MEC
Contributing authors: Ben Armistead, MCBD; Jonathan Buck, Pau Torres, Fuel; Andrew Black, Glenn Granger, DoH
Credited companies - Creative agency: MCBD; digital agencies: Agency Republic, Reading Room; DM agencies: PAA, Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw; integrated agency: EMO; PR agency: Blue Rubicon; partnership agency: Iris; client partner: COI
Media used: Ambient, couponing/leafleting, direct marketing, magazines, newspapers, online display, outdoor/poster, PR, radio, search, TV, viral/social media, website/microsite
IN A NUTSHELL
The campaign directly stimulated more than three million quit attempts, raising payback by 54 per cent.
SUMMARY
The Department of Health decided to take a novel approach to one of society's oldest ills. This is how it successfully engaged a new "routine and manual" audience - a group of more entrenched and addicted smokers. An improved two-pronged strategy was developed, focusing on the emotional harm to the smoker's family, and portraying the NHS as a supportive and non-judgemental environment which can help smokers quit more successfully. This halted an alarming decline in motivation and directly inspired more than three million quit attempts. A new channel strategy was devised, making greater use of direct-response techniques and community partnerships, and directing quitters towards NHS support services. Over two years, the CRM programme increased quitting success rates among participants by 57 per cent, the payback was increased by 54 per cent and the cost-per-quit was reduced by nearly a third.
JUDGE'S COMMENT
Faced with a group of entrenched, hardcore smokers, this campaign used incredible insight, multiple channels and marketing techniques to successfully change public behaviour.
John Petter, managing director, BT Retail Consumer.