Point-of-Sale Strategic Concept Testing - Focus Groups with Current Adult Smokers
Principal Investigator: Kara Marsh and Chaunetta Jones
Funding Mechanism: Research Contract
ID number: HHSF223201210039I
Award Date: 9/20/2013
Institution: Fors Marsh Group
Tobacco industry marketing efforts occur at the point-of-sale (i.e., at retail stores where tobacco is sold); point-of-sale marketing is associated with smoking experimentation, unplanned tobacco purchases, and urges to smoke. The goal of this project is to assess strategic concepts for a point-of-sale campaign to encourage tobacco cessation. The campaign’s target audience is current cigarette smokers (ages 25-54) who have made an attempt to quit smoking within the past year. Specific aims are: (1) to determine strategic concepts that resonate most with the target audience, and (2) to provide a deeper understanding of how to optimize messaging that can encourage and support smoking cessation. To accomplish this, 24 focus groups will be conducted with up to 144 participants who fit the target audience. Focus group participants will be asked to respond to a range of topics, including questions about their in-store cigarette purchasing behaviors, personal experiences with quit attempts, and emotional and cognitive reactions to the strategic concepts. This study is the first part of a phased approach to formative research that will inform a point-of-sale tobacco cessation campaign designed to encourage future quit attempts.