Do you watch television? I'm assuming a large percentage of you at least watch some television on a regular basis, right? Please, please say yes and don't make me feel bad for watching as much as I do.
If you've been watching television recently, you've likely run across a series of ads that are being run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the dangers of smoking. The campaign is more about the dangers of tobacco, but the ads focus more on smoking. If you haven't seen one of the ads, check it out:
I think we can agree that it's a pretty powerful spot, right? What I didn't realize is how the CDC is leveraging the power of social channels to continue spreading the word. They have a relatively robust Facebook, Twitter and YouTube presence that you should see. I'm not currently doing any work with the CDC, or this campaign, but this feels like an excellent use of social media that hits the reader/viewer in a moving way.
At this point in the post you might be asking yourself why on earth is the analytics guy talking about a social media case study. Quite frankly, I can't remember a time when I've written about a company, government agency or anyone else's use of social media. I think I jumped on the Dominos thing a few years back, but that's about the extent of my recollection of any posts like this... So why?
Truth be told, this is a very personal campaign for me. I lost my grandmother in her 60's due to emphysema, and my uncle in his early 40's from mouth/throat cancer. Both were lifelong smokers (with periodic quitting as so often happens) who got started in an age where it was (more) socially accepted. They both wanted to quit, but after that many years habits are very difficult to break. Trust me when I say it's a very difficult thing to watch two relatives you love very much deteriorating right before your eyes due to something they know is deadly but can't stop.
To be totally transparent, I love cigars. I don't smoke them often (like maybe 2-3 times per year), but I do enjoy them. After watching Rick Stoddard's commercial (and the other campaign ads), though, all I can think about when considering smoking one is my grandmother and uncle. What would they think after they preached to me that I should never start smoking something so toxic?
I may still smoke a cigar now and then, but it's going to be hard to do so without seeing Rick's face. When you get a chance, go over to the Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and check them out. Consider subscribing, liking or following. It's a worthwhile cause... If you don't do it for me, consider doing it for someone you love that is smoking. You never know what that like, follow or subscribe might lead too.
