Peer crowd-based targeting in E-cigarette advertisements: a qualitative study to inform counter-marketing.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2458 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712458 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Peer Group*; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems/*economics ; Marketing/*methods; Adolescent ; Adult ; Advertising ; Age Factors ; California ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Qualitative Research ; Social Environment ; Young Adult

Background: Cigarette lifestyle marketing with psychographic targeting has been well documented, but few studies address non-cigarette tobacco products. This study examined how young adults respond to e-cigarette advertisements featuring diverse peer crowds - peer groups with shared identities and lifestyles - to inform tobacco counter-marketing design.
Methods: Fifty-nine young adult tobacco users in California participated in interviews and viewed four to five e-cigarette advertisements that featured characters from various peer crowd groups. For each participant, half of the advertisements they viewed showed characters from the same peer crowd as their own, and the other half of the advertisements featured characters from a different peer crowd. Advertisements were presented in random order. Questions probed what types of cues are noticed in the advertisements, and whether and how much participants liked or disliked the advertisements.
Results: Results suggest that participants liked and provided richer descriptions of characters and social situations in the advertisements featuring their own peer crowd more than the advertisements featuring a different peer crowd. Mismatching age or device type was also noted: participants reported advertisements showing older adults were not intended for them. Participants who used larger vaporizers tended to dislike cigalike advertisements even if they featured a matching peer crowd.
Conclusion: Peer crowd and lifestyle cues, age and device type are all salient features of e-cigarette advertising for young adults. Similarly, educational campaigns about e-cigarettes should employ peer crowd-based targeting to engage young adults, though messages should be carefully tested to ensure authentic and realistic portrayals.

Soc Mar Q. 2017 Dec;23(4):302-319. (PMID: 30271276)
Prev Chronic Dis. 2016 Jan 14;13:E07. (PMID: 26766848)
Psychol Addict Behav. 2016 Feb;30(1):106-12. (PMID: 26618797)
Nicotine Tob Res. 2019 Jan 1;21(1):127-131. (PMID: 29444275)
Addiction. 2015 May;110(5):862-7. (PMID: 25639148)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Oct 20;13(10):. (PMID: 27775630)
Addict Behav. 2018 Jul;82:28-34. (PMID: 29477904)
Health Educ Res. 2005 Aug;20(4):430-8. (PMID: 15572439)
Nicotine Tob Res. 2011 Sep;13(9):860-7. (PMID: 21571692)
Nicotine Tob Res. 2016 May;18(5):1331-9. (PMID: 26574551)
Tob Control. 2015 Nov;24(6):588-93. (PMID: 25564287)
Health Commun. 2014;29(10):1057-66. (PMID: 24447056)
Nicotine Tob Res. 2019 Jan 4;21(2):212-219. (PMID: 29126126)
Am J Public Health. 2017 Mar;107(3):389-395. (PMID: 28103067)
Tob Control. 2016 Apr;25(e1):e3-5. (PMID: 26546151)
Am J Prev Med. 2017 Sep;53(3S1):S78-S85. (PMID: 28818250)
Health Educ Behav. 2019 Apr;46(2):286-294. (PMID: 30353748)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Feb 06;13(2):203. (PMID: 26861379)
Tob Control. 2019 Mar;28(2):146-151. (PMID: 29853561)
Tob Control. 2019 Nov;28(6):603-609. (PMID: 30377241)
Patient Educ Couns. 2017;100 Suppl 1:S3-S10. (PMID: 26830515)
J Res Adolesc. 2011 Mar 1;21(1):166-179. (PMID: 23730122)
Am J Public Health. 2014 Apr;104(4):751-60. (PMID: 24524502)
Tob Control. 2016 Oct;25(Suppl 1):i83-i89. (PMID: 27697952)
Health Educ Behav. 2019 Feb;46(1):40-52. (PMID: 29540080)
Addiction. 2019 Oct;114(10):1834-1841. (PMID: 31183884)
Am J Prev Med. 2018 Feb;54(2):284-288. (PMID: 29129463)
Am J Prev Med. 2015 Jan;48(1 Suppl 1):S78-85. (PMID: 25528713)
Am J Health Behav. 2003 Nov-Dec;27 Suppl 3:S227-32. (PMID: 14672383)
Tob Prev Cessat. 2016;2(Suppl):. (PMID: 28393129)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Jan 11;14(1):. (PMID: 28085031)
Health Promot Pract. 2014 Jul;15(4):530-7. (PMID: 23628591)
Health Commun. 2015;30(5):521-4. (PMID: 25204200)
Sociol Health Illn. 2018 Jul;40(6):1037-1052. (PMID: 29664119)
J Adolesc Health. 2016 Dec;59(6):627-634. (PMID: 27720358)
Lancet. 2013 Jan 12;381(9861):133-41. (PMID: 23107252)
Addiction. 2008 Feb;103(2):322-8. (PMID: 18042190)
Nicotine Tob Res. 2009 Jan;11(1):25-35. (PMID: 19246438)
N Engl J Med. 2013 Jan 24;368(4):341-50. (PMID: 23343063)
JAMA. 2002 Jun 12;287(22):2983-9. (PMID: 12052128)
J Health Commun. 1996 Jul-Sep;1(3):267-83. (PMID: 10947364)
Br J Soc Psychol. 1990 Jun;29 ( Pt 2):97-119. (PMID: 2372667)
J Adolesc. 1990 Jun;13(2):171-83. (PMID: 2387919)
Addict Behav. 2007 Aug;32(8):1602-27. (PMID: 17188815)
J Adolesc Health. 2016 Aug;59(2):222-9. (PMID: 27265423)
Addict Behav. 2018 Mar;78:51-58. (PMID: 29127784)
J Mix Methods Res. 2010 Sep 20;4(4):342-360. (PMID: 22167325)
Am J Public Health. 2002 Jun;92(6):908-16. (PMID: 12036776)
Subst Use Misuse. 2012 May;47(6):757-66. (PMID: 22458850)
BMJ Open. 2017 Mar 7;7(3):e014990. (PMID: 28270392)

P50CA180890 The Food and Drug Administration; R01 CA141661 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; U54 HL147127 United States HL NHLBI NIH HHS; U54HL147127 The Food and Drug Administration; P50 CA180890 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; R01CA141661 The National Cancer Institute

Keywords: E-cigarette advertisements; Peer crowd; Psychographic targeting; Targeted communication; Young adults

Date Created: 20200124 Date Completed: 20200420 Latest Revision: 20200807

20221213

PMC6977342

10.1186/s12889-019-8126-x

31969114