SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Pinckney Hugo Group’s “It’s Not Just” campaign was recently featured in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease journal. Developed in partnership with Tobacco Free New York State, the campaign aims to educate people across New York State about the tobacco industry’s historically inequitable marketing and promotion of menthol-flavored tobacco products to specific communities.
The peer-reviewed article, “It’s Not Just: Evaluation of a Media Campaign to Motivate Action Around Targeting of Menthol Tobacco in Black Communities,” highlights the findings of a study that examined the association between awareness of the “It’s Not Just” campaign and audience reactions and campaign-related beliefs. Researchers concluded that media campaigns – like the “It’s Not Just” campaign – “can play an important role in raising awareness of menthol tobacco product targeting in Black communities and building public support for local and statewide menthol restrictions that may be implemented before federal product standards are in place.”
The statewide campaign, which PHG first launched in May 2021, focuses on ending the misconception that menthol is just a flavor and raising awareness of unjust menthol-flavored tobacco product marketing targeting Black communities. In addition to public relations, PHG supported the launch with paid media across the state, including audio, print, social media, digital video and digital TV, display, and gas station TVs. The campaign was extended in 2022, and additional iterations focus on other communities affected by tobacco industry marketing, including youth and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Click here to view a campaign case study.
