Framing Health Messages

The weekly reading assignment that was easier to understand and follow this week was titled: The Systematic influence of Gain- and Loss- Framed Messages on Interest in and Use of Different Types of Behavior. An example of a marketing tactic that utilizes both loss and gain- framed messages has been the anti-tobacco campaign. This campaign has been successful in decreasing the consumption of tobacco use. http://www.thetruth.com/ This campaign has incorporated videos, billboard, television and the internet to reach an array of segmented audiences. They even have a tactful apparel store.

An example of how they use a gain frame message is by letting individuals know not only the harmful effects of tobacco smoke but also the how the tobacco company strategiezes carefully who they want to impact to increase their sales.

For framed messages to be successful research still needs to be conducted to asses perceptions of individuals. There must also be a clear understanding of who the community or that target audience is. What might work for one population might not be as successful in another. I think in this case the truth campaign is n excellent example of an integrated health frame approach utilizing various components in reaching an audience collectively.

Overall I really enjoyed the presentations. The topics were intrested and I will even look further at some of the key components that were presented such as the bone marrow transplant information that was provided.