Public relations campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public relations campaign - Essay Example The current topic of the report is well-advertised and publicized Government campaign against smoking. Practically all types of the media were used in this PR campaign (ranging from traditional ones -TV, radio and newspapers) to more modern types- such as Internet. In December 1999 the department of health (NHS) of the United Kingdom has been conducing aggressive PR campaign to induce British population to stop smoking. With the effect to persuade British people to give up smoking by the year 20102. New web site managed by NHS- givingupsmoking.co.uk provides population with essential information on the negative consequences of active and passive smoking. The web site provides statistical data on the number of death caused by the smoking in the United Kingdom and also tries to emphasize positive effects that abandoning of smoking might produce. So how potential smokers are encouraged to abandon their harmful habits In order to stop smoking one should understand the reasons of this habit. On the page "Habit" 3 several reasons and explanations of smoking habits are given (ranging from Pavlovian reaction to Freud's observations). In spite of the fact that some scientific observations are necessary, one should understand that smoking is most widespread among young people aged between 20 and 344 and very technical information on this subject might not reach the targeted audience of potential smokers. In my opinion, more simple and straightforward language should be used in explaining potential harm that smoking might cause and effective methods to fight this harmful habit. I guess that current version is more suitable for educated, experienced, older smokers who have decided to quit smoking and need some additional motivation to do it, rather than for group aged between 20 and 34. Apart from mentioning, the reasons of this harmful habit the site also provides detailed information on physical, social, financial and emotional consequences of the smoking. Well known facts such as that smoking might deprive person of sleeping, increase the risk of fire at the apartments of the smokers and increase financial outlays (this is especially true for the students, ones of the most financially vulnerable group of the population) are mentioned on the web site. The web site even provides its visitors with special calculator so they would be able to calculate the sum they could save if they stopped smoking. It is clear that by putting this advertisement the company is trying to induce the persons to stop smoking as this might save them much money. Apart from factual information that encourages potential smokers to quit smoking the company also provides its customers with some useful tips on how to stop smoking. It also describes some actions that should be taken in order not to smoke. In my opinion the content of the message focuses more on psychological impact rather than physical one. In the article Alternatives to smoking 5 the company encourages those who quit smoking to shift to other tasks, more emphasize should be given to physical difficulties of fulfilling this task. However apart from this the company also advertises the negative consequences of the smoking on TV, for instance in June 2005, it cooperated with Public Health Minster Caroline Flint in well publicized advertisement campaign where the damage that smoking migh