Overall findings
Participants had strong reactions to the picture in this concept, but felt the information was not new or intriguing. The picture caught smokers’ attention because it was perceived to be disgusting and scary. Some of its impact was, however, reduced because it was similar to the warning messages currently on cigarette packs. Participants’ first impressions were all about the picture of the lung and the headline “lung cancer.”
Specific findings
Initial impressions:
The picture opened up the discussion about this concept, but the feedback most often was that this was a variation on an old theme that they often no longer felt was very effective.
“Nothing really, they’re trying to shock us again. The older ones have desensitized me to it. It’s gross I won’t keep my pack on the table. It’s gross.”
Ability to get attention and motivate reading:
Smokers were drawn to this image because they said it was disgusting and scary. The impact of it was reduced, however, because it was similar to the warning messages currently on cigarette packs.
Understanding of the message and meaning:
The fundamental message that smoking causes lung cancer is clearly understood. However, the statistics were sometimes misinterpreted by participants. Some believed the numbers describe smokers’ propensity to get lung cancer, or that the point was that male smokers are at greater risk of getting lung cancer than female smokers. Still, others accurately pointed out
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the statistic referred to the proportion of lung cancer deaths attributable to smoking.
Quality and effectiveness of the text:
Those who did read the subtext and the statistic said the specific information was new, but they did not understand the relevance of featuring separate
“It’s like so many other things. It’s tough to associate yourself with that but maybe if they could actually connect the smoker with that type of thing. They should show the good and bad lung.”
Ability to inform and educate:
Those who did read the subtext and the statistic said the specific information was new, but they did not understand the relevance of featuring separate percentages for men and women. The general information about smoking causing lung cancer, however, was not new and therefore not very educational.
« Je suis fatiguée de me faire parler du cancer, c’est toujours de ça qu’on nous parle quand on parle de cigarettes. »
Credibility:
That smoking causes lung cancer is accepted by all as fact, but the statistics led to some confusion, and as a result, some questioned about the message’s credibility.
Readability and visibility:
In terms of readability and visibility, there were no issues with this concept.
Cohesiveness of the headline and sub-text:
The headline was clear, but the sub-text caused confusion for some participants. Some misunderstood the statistics and started wondering about the meaning of and importance of the difference by gender.
Quality and effectiveness of the picture:
Although the picture was effective for most, some participants likened it to a steak, noting that a stronger message could be conveyed if a healthy lung were compared to a cancerous one. This notion was seconded by other
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participants who were unfamiliar with what a healthy lung should look like and therefore found the severity of the picture hard to grasp.
“Instead, they should show the downsides of the images: their face, their hacking cough.”
Cohesiveness of picture and text:
Participants’ first impressions were all about the picture of the lung and the headline “lung cancer.” There was very little mention about the rest of the sub-text until prompted, as many were turned off by the picture immediately.
However, the text and picture did appear to tell a cohesive story about lung cancer.
« Déjà la photo n’est pas très jolie, ça revient à ce qu’on a déjà, cancer du poumon, on est déjà au courant, le texte exagère encore un peu, et on le sait déjà, on a assez de pression comme ça, si à chaque fois qu’on fumeon se fait dire ça, moi je ne trouve pas ça nécessaire. »
Ability to be memorable:
The image was the element that made this concept at least somewhat memorable, but for the most part, few described this as a memorable concept, as it was often seen as “more of the same” as they had been seeing on cigarette packages for years. .
Flip-Top vs. Slide-and-Shell:
No noteworthy difference was found between flip-top and slide-and-shell formats.
Suggestions:
• Participants would prefer that the sub-text show the overall statistic instead of a separate statistic for men and women.
• Although the picture was the first thing they noticed, the image was redundant from past warnings and many are desensitized to it.
Showing a sick person or someone with symptoms related to smoking could have greater impact for many participants.
• Comparing the sick lung to a healthy lung would enable participants to make comparisons between the two and increase the effectiveness of the message.
Concept Classification:
Best concepts (overall) - needs only minor adjustments Good opportunity - needs some improvements
Needs major improvement
Least effective - needs complete rethink/rework
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