An Awareness Campaign for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Malaysia (PCAM)

Prepared By

Brilliance Mind PR Agency

Tiong Poh Yee

110078575 / 0901K71170

1.0INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Brilliant Minds Public Relations Co.

Started in the early 2009, Brilliant Minds is a small group of six PR practitioners, aiming to achieve what is beyond achievable. Carrying the ideology “The Sky is Our Limit” pushes them to do better each time.

1.2Situational Analysis and Purpose

The problem of cancer in Malaysia is evidently growing and is by far the forth-leading cause of death in Malaysia. (Chin. G, 2012)

The estimation of annual incidence of cancer is 30,000 and according to Chin, majority of the patients are found at a late stage of the disease.

Though Sothilingam and partners found out that the cases of prostate cancer in Malaysia are low compared to the west, prostate cancer is still ranked 6th among male cancers in Malaysia and expected to increase in the future. (Subahir, Shah & Zainuddin, 2009)

Relatedly, Malaysian Oncological Society (MOS) highlighted that Malaysian Chinese holds the highest prostate cancer incident recorded. There is also evidence that a diet high in fats increases one’s risk. Hence, the awareness should be around to remind all Malaysian men to have healthy diets.

This proposal carries the purpose of reinforcing the weak awareness of prostate cancer in Malaysia. This campaign will cater to men of young and old, and uses the symbolic Blue Ribbon to truly stand for something that can make a difference and move people to action.

2.0ISSUE AND CHALLENGES

Chart 1: Awareness level of Prostate Cancer among Malaysians

According to a survey done by the Brilliant Minds, the results showed that 20% of the participants have zero knowledge on prostate cancer and others are aware but have done nothing to it. The challenges that the campaign potentially face is that prostate cancer could be a sensitive and personal topic to be brought up to most men. Men are generally holds a stereotypical idea on digital rectal examination.

3.0OBJECTIVES

This proposal holds two smart objectives. The objectives are as follows: -

Objective 1

To reinforce the awareness of prostate cancer among men of all ages and races by 35% within the period of twelve months

Objective 2

To educate and encourage males of our targeted public to have their prostate examined

Table 1: Objectives of the Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Malaysia

It is learnt that prostate cancer may happen to men as young as 35 years old when most related campaigns only focuses on men above fifty years of age. Canales, the Founder of Blue Cure Foundation believes that prevention should begin from young and that man of all ages should be empowered and educated on ‘’anticancer’’ approach through preventative dietary and lifestyle habits, as well as knowledgeable about screenings. (Huffington Post, 2012)

The proposed objectives mentioned above carry different goals. Hence, each of it has different strategies and tactics planned out to achieve the prearranged objectives.

4.0TARGET PUBLICS

Latent Public

· Malaysian Citizen

Aware Public

· Family members of affected men who are suffering from prostate cancer

· Government (Health Ministry)

· Teenage boys

Active Public

· Existing prostate cancer patients

· Prostate Cancer Foundation

· Men above 50 years old

· Young men from 25 y/o – 49 y/o

· KPJ Hospital

· UKM Hospital

Table 2: Target Publics of the Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Malaysia

The publics will be categorized under latent, aware and active public. Though active public would be the campaigns’ main focus, however, it is also equally important to take latent and aware public into account.

Latent public are publics who has no concern for the campaign that is happening around them. As the campaign will be running throughout the peninsular Malaysia, the Malaysian citizens fall under the category. Aware public, in another hand, are publics who has the lowest concern for the campaign. The campaigns’ will solely focus on active publics.

It is essential to identify the campaign’s targeted publics as it maximizes the campaign’s strategies and tactics and contributes towards organizing a successful campaign.

5.0MESSAGES AND THEME

As prostate cancer is stereotypically introduced as an old man’s concern, the campaign is set to convey the message about how diet and lifestyle impact males’ chances of getting cancer starting at earlier age. Men of tomorrow should develop an adoptive attitude on preventative lifestyle and dietary habits.

The suggested theme for the campaign is to use emotional appeal in all publicity material throughout the 12 months campaign. The appeal will be used in various message vehicles. As the theme is closely ties with individuals’ emotion, the message for this campaign will be in relation with emotional appeal, to maintain consistency. The message or tagline suggested is “Get Your Bum Seen”.

6.0ACTIVITIES, STRATEGY AND TACTICS

Objective

Strategies

Tactics

To reinforce the awareness of prostate cancer among men of all ages and races by 35% within the period of twelve months

Strategy One

To run an awareness campaign on prostate cancer in Malaysia within a period of twelve months

Strategy Two

To provide testimony from credible people such as prostate cancer patients, survivors and affected family members

Tactic One

To produce effective PSA to reinforce the low awareness among young men and middle age men

Tactic Two

To invite individuals with past experiences to share about their life story and how if affected not just themselves, but people around them too

Tactic Three

To organize two concerts featuring local bands and artistes to gather as much people as possible

To educate and encourage males of our targeted public to have their prostate examined

Strategy One

To educate by organizing various activities / roadshow within the period of twelve months

Strategy Two

To plan a media marketing for the campaign period of twelve months

Tactic One

To conduct competitions such as home made videos regarding prostate cancer and channel to YouTube

Tactic Two

To invite external partners like YEO’S to give talks on prostate cancer and run exhibitions throughout the campaign

Tactic Three

To advertise, word-of-mouth, and invite local bloggers to blog about the event and the issue

Tactic Four

Provide flyers that help targeted publics to decide on whether to get a screening

Table 3: Activities, Strategies and Tactics Proposed for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Malaysia

7.0RECOMENDATION

This recommended 12 months campaign will to be collaborating with several external partners, established associations including government departments, related individuals and various mass media to have the campaign run better and successful.

Prior to the strategies that are designed specifically fit for the objective, mass media usage is recommended in completing the strategies recommended. As mentioned in the tactic section, the media that are to be used throughout the campaign are as categorized in Table 4, followed by the justifications.

Tactics

Media/Tool Used

Tactic One

To produce affective public service announcements to reinforce the low awareness among young men and middle age men

Tactic Two

To invite individuals with past experiences to share about their life story and how if affected not just themselves, but people around them too

· Radio Stations

· Light & Easy FM

· Hitz FM

· Prints

· News Straits Times

· Sports Magazine

Tactic One

To conduct competitions such as home made videos regarding prostate cancer and channel to YouTube to generate viewership

Tactic Two

To invite external partners to give talks on prostate cancer

Tactic Three

To advertise, word-of-mouth, and invite local bloggers to blog about the event and the issue

· Social Media Platforms

· YouTube

· Facebook

· Blogs

Table 4: Recommended Media/Tools Used for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign Malaysia

7.1Radio Stations

According to the survey done earlier, it is studied that 30% of the participants prefer receiving information on prostate cancers through the radio.

Chart 2: Preferred media

As Malaysia is one of the few countries with traffic problems, radio allow its audiences to give their full attention to the message that will be conveyed in the Public Service Announcement. To support the recommendation, it is stated in the Annual Media Planning Guide that the media coverage among adults through radio is 77%; which is also the highest among all. (p.g 12, 2012)

Slots

Hitz

8am

9am

10am

11am

12nn

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

L&E

8am

9am

10am

11am

12nn

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

Schedule 1: Slots for radio advertisement

A total of 30 seconds Public Service Announcement will be aired during the prime times, which are the 8am, 1pm and 5pm slots. This is because the following highlighted timings are the jam peak timing in Klang Valley.

7.2Prints

In the same survey conducted, the results tabulated showed that 35% of the participants favor News Straits Times as their primary newspaper source in receiving information regarding health issues.

Chart 3: Preferred newspaper

New Straits Times may be one of the great choices in conveying the campaign’s message to the intended publics as the paper is read by professionals, managers, executives and businessmen daily in the age range of 20 to 39 years old. (NSTP, 2012)

The above advertisement will be published in the newspaper once a month followed by the roadshow. This is to create a hype of curiosity before the roadshow. For magazines, the advertisement will be featured in the first and last month of the campaign.

Prostate cancer affects more than just the father of the family. If a father dies, the children will suffer the loss of their parent for years to come. This advertisement was a push for men to get checked and ultimately get treated.

Campaign Month

Newspaper

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Magazine

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Schedule 2: Advertisement period in prints

7.3Social Media Platforms

For social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube and blogs are best to use for the campaign. In the tabulated results on the survey done, 45% of the participants chose Facebook as their preferred platform. The results followed by blogs and Twitter with 35% and 20% respectively.

Chart 4: Preferred social media

Tech Crunch also reported that Facebook is not only the biggest social network, but also the fastest growing online platform that grows 153% annually.

Visual 1: World map indicating the percentage increase of

Unique Facebook users in a year (June 2008)

Facebook and Twitter will allow users to share information including photos almost immediately. Conveniently, the micro blogging platform will help in circulating the campaign advertisement and also creates a space for people to share their thoughts and experiences with one another. YouTube, in another hand, circulates PSA videos and also videos on talks about prostate cancer.

Another platform that is recommended is blogs, which gives insights from different viewpoints and angles on an issue discussed. Blogs are faster in spreading as each bloggers has their own existing loyal readers.

8.0EVALUATION

The evaluation includes overall measurement of the campaign; summative and formative. The campaign will come to an end where: -

1. The number of people turning up for free health screening by 35%

2. The number of viewership reaches 1 million on Social Media Platforms like Facebook and YouTube

There are always improvements for the future campaigns nonetheless. Formative and summative evaluations are then made.

7.1Formative evaluation

There should be more activities that allow more engagement with the audience. Also, campaign could have more sponsors in order to help fund the prostate cancer research.

7.2Summative evaluation

The success was measured as follow: -

· There are more than 1 million viewership on the PSA showed in YouTube and a minimum of 35,000 Facebook “LIKES” on the campaigns’ page

· Teenage boys find out more about prostate cancer through social media platform

· People start to turn better their dietary and lifestyle and soon take prevention methods on prostate cancer

· People turning up for health screening and follows up annually

9.0CONCLUSION

Prostate cancer in Malaysia is indeed something most young men tend to overlook. When problem rises, we start pointing fingers and finding faults on why one is not educated at an earlier stage to take prevention steps. Little do we realize that one individual is responsible for himself or herself.

The Prostate Cancer Awareness Malaysia is the right campaign to reinforce the urgency to understand and be empowered with knowledge on the issue. This campaign is feasible, and should be taken into consideration to for execution, as it will contribute greatly to the society.

(1289 words)

Question 11: Have you ever read or heard anything on prostate cancer?Never = 20%Once or twice = 35%Seldom = 5%Often = 40%Always = 0%0.20.350.050.40.0Question 14: What is your preferred media mode of receiving information about health?_x000d_RadioNewspaperMagazineSocial MediaEmailsTelevision30.020.030.020.015.010.0Question 15: Which newspaper do you prefer where receiving information regarding health issue?_x000d_The StarNew Straits TimesThe SunBerita HarianNanyangThe EdgeOthers0.20.350.20.050.050.150.0

Question 18: Which social media would you say is the most effective in providing you information?

Question 18: What social media would you say is the most effective in providing you information?Facebook = 45%Twitter = 20%Blogs = 35%Instagram = 0%Computer Games = 0%Others = 0%0.450.20.350.00.00.0