Stop the Sores: The Making and Evaluation of a Successful Social Marketing Campaign

Abstract

Although syphilis is a serious disease with long-term consequences if untreated, this increase is particularly worrisome because syphilis is known to facilitate the transmission of HIV (Fleming & Wasserheit, 1999). In Los Angeles, approximately 60% of MSM diagnosed with early syphilis in 2005 were also HIV positive (STDP, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 2006). Furthermore, a recent study suggests that acquisition of syphilis and HIV may be occurring concurrently among MSM (Taylor et al., 2005). As part of its public health response to this syphilis outbreak, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health STDP partnered with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and five other community-based organizations (CBOs) in 2001 to support a social marketing campaign. This article outlines the development, implementation, and evaluation of Stop the Sores, a social marketing campaign designed to increase syphilis testing, knowledge, and awareness among MSM in Los Angeles County. Special attention will be given to the role of social marketing principles in the success of the campaign. The evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the campaign, if any, on syphilis testing behavior among MSM. Specifically, MSM who were exposed to the campaign should be more likely to have had a syphilis test. Los Angeles County has experienced a rapid increase in early syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in recent years, with the number of cases rising from 126 in 2000 to 809 in 2005. As part of the public health response to this outbreak, a sustained social marketing campaign was launched in 2002, with the objectives of increasing syphilis testing, knowledge, and awareness among MSM in Los Angeles. This campaign, as implemented, exemplified key principles of social marketing, including market research, audience segmentation, and branding. A cross-sectional study conducted in 2004 to evaluate the campaign found that those MSM who were aware of the campaign were nearly twice as likely to have tested for syphilis in the past 6 months as those MSM who were not aware of the campaign. Those MSM who were aware of the campaign also had more syphilis awareness and knowledge in key areas.

Marketing the HIV Test to MSM

“…Research suggests that public health campaigns that use the principles of social marketing have proven effective in reaching underserved populations at high risk of contracting HIV (Martinez-Donate et al, 2009) and contribute to normalize stigmatized behaviors. However, formative research aimed at understanding appropriate sources is necessary to increase the likelihood that the target population will be exposed to the campaign (Plant et al, 2010). Thus, successful social marketing campaigns to increase awareness begin with the identification of the preferred venues or sources to receive information by target populations (Grier & Bryant, 2005).…”

Factors associated with late HIV testing for Latinos diagnosed with AIDS in Los Angeles

“…One successful example of a Spanish-language mass media social marketing campaign on the CaliforniaÁMexico border documented an increase in HIV testing using radio, print media, a web site, and a toll-free HIV-testing referral hotline (Olshefsky et al, 2007). In addition, a social marketing campaign on syphilis in LAC among MSM reported that the Spanish language portion resulted in an increase in HIV testing (Plant et al, 2008).…”

An Online Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating HIV Prevention Digital Media Interventions for Men Who Have Sex with Men

“…[13], [14] Since then, effective HIV prevention interventions geared toward changing high-risk behavior have been developed, [15] though many of these interventions have been in small-group formats, [16] which tend to be costly (i.e., labor-intensive, require many trained professionals), difficult to implement and sustain, and lack large-scale reproducibility. [17], [18] Thus, online behavioral interventions, particularly low intensity methods, hold much promise for the future of HIV prevention as part of a multifaceted approach to risk reduction, given their relatively low cost to implement and potential to reach a wide audience of at-risk persons efficiently.…”