Public Sector: Agency to help Newham stop smoking

by Gemma O'Reilly, PR Week UK 21-Mar-08

Newham Primary Care Trust has called in a PR agency to roll out a smoking cessation campaign across the borough.

Guerilla Communications is charged with specifically targeting white
British, Eastern European and Bangladeshi smokers.

The trust has seen more than 3,500 people each year sign up to its

smoking cessation service over the past four years, but smoking among

these three target groups is not decreasing at the same rate as other
groups.

Comms activity will focus on the local press and the agency aims to
avoid the mistakes of previous campaigns.

Guerilla's new business development director Sophie Netwon said: 'The
shock tactics of previous advertising campaigns are too far removed to
be effective. We are not telling them to stop smoking. We are trying to
encourage voluntary change in behaviour by promoting the positive
benefits of stopping smoking.'

The win follows two smoking cessation campaigns by Guerilla for
Nottingham PCT and Derbyshire County PCT. The comms activity in
Nottingham included a choir as part of the 'Listen to reason' campaign.