The Second Phase of a Social Marketing Approach to a Successful Oral Cancer Case-Finding Pilot

Abstract

This is the second phase of a successful social marketing intervention for mouth cancer detection. The objective is to implement a social marketing oral cancer pilot case-finding service for an at-risk population. Phase two enhanced the original project, which used specific awareness-raising techniques in a defined catchment population to engage with those at risk for oral cancer. It also encouraged them to seek early case-finding and diagnosis or elimination from follow-up in a uniquely designed case-finding/referral intervention based on social marketing techniques. Phase two features included on-street recruiting and mapping of the target audience. The total target population for the intervention was identified, and a significant proportion was reached and drawn into contact with the service. The system developed proved that it is possible to define, identify, and engage with a hard-to-reach target population at risk for a serious disease and draw significant numbers into case-finding/health service contact. This intervention illustrates the value of complex target population tracking systems, the value of using techniques to map target populations, the application of social marketing techniques in drawing in a hard-to-reach target audience, and how much social marketing is about the product or service, rather than just the communication strategy.