In our work for the American Lung Association (ALA), we were charged with targeting African Americans, Hispanics, Lesbians/Gays/Bisexuals/Transgenders (LGBTs), and at-risk youth. Because each audience had distinct motivators and a different set of values/beliefs, Elevation pursued a uniquely targeted approach for each.
For African Americans, we engaged local heroes, including NFL Hall of Famer, Darrell Green and NBA star Caron Butler. Calls to the Quitline rose more than 500 percent in 3 years, with 90 percent coming from African Americans and more than 50 percent from the Medicaid and under-insured populations. For Hispanics, Elevation focused on the emotional and psychological aspects of smoking. Ads portrayed the different demons Latinos face in terms of quitting, from immigrant loneliness and the need for support to the secondhand smoking impact on relatives who live together. For the LGBT community, testing showed that smokers wanted a more positive approach in messaging. Ads featured a diverse LGBT group of people in a positive light, extending their hands toward an individual who needed help to quit.
In all of these distinctly different campaign approaches, Elevation made it matter for each target audience.
