Ash Wales Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate; Conference 2010

Plenary Speakers

Becky FreemanResearcher and PhD Candidate - School of Public Health, University of Sydney

Abstract Title: Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) 2.0: Turning off the TAPS in the digital world.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) bans all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. However, despite near universal adoption of advertising bans, the tobacco industry has a history of exploiting novel and emerging advertising methods. The comprehensiveness of these bans has yet to be tested by online social networking media like Facebook. Explosive rises in use of social networking and user generated content websites is fuelling tobacco product promotion through electronic media. In contrast, there is a very limited body of public health research on these “new media” advertising methods. Two detailed case studies of tobacco industry marketing through Web 2.0 platforms will be presented. The first will explore how this technology has blurred the line between marketing and market research and the second will detail the promotional activities of a transnational tobacco company on the popular social media site, Facebook. Additionally, the initial results of a research project built on these same principles of online community building and engagement to monitor TAPS will be presented. Challenges for tobacco control policy development and implementation will be discussed in light of these technological and marketing advances.

Author Biography:

Becky Freeman has been working in tobacco control since 2000. She is an early career researcher and PhD candidate at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. Her research interests include tobacco advertising and promotion and the influence of Web 2.0 technology in both promoting and reducing tobacco use. A key focus of Becky’s PhD thesis is on the tobacco control implications of the increasing popularity of electronic media and social networking websites. She was recently appointed the assistant editor of new media for the international journal, Tobacco Control. Becky has also published research on tobacco packaging and tobacco industry promotional activities. She has had the good fortune of being able to blend her passion for tobacco control and travel. Prior to pursuing her research interests in Australia, Becky held tobacco control positions in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with both government and not-for-profit organisations. She was also the Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) New Zealand from 2004 through 2006.