What are tobacco ads saying in African American communities?

What is it about?

Tobacco retailers and advertisements are found more frequently in African American communities, increasing exposure to ad messages. But, what specifically are the messages saying? This paper explores the messaging strategies used in retail tobacco ads in a sample of African American communities in NC and whether messaging strategies differ across the range of products.

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Photo by Diego Carneiro on Unsplash

Photo by Diego Carneiro on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our findings show differences in the frequency of messaging strategies based on product type. Ads for products to which African Americans are most frequently exposed, such as cigarettes and non-large cigars, overwhelmingly use a strategy to boost favorable feelings toward the product and distract consumer attention away from thinking about harmful effects. The context in which messages are delivered and strategy to deliver them both matter.