When will the campaign launch?

The multimedia campaign encouraging women to have regular smears and promoting the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) will launch on 17 September 2007. The aim of the campaign is to increase the number of Māori and Pacific women having cervical smears.

Why do we need a new campaign?

In recent years programme coverage and participation figures for the NCSP have been falling. Coverage among Māori and Pacific women is well behind those of non-Māori and non-Pacific women, leading to considerable inequalities.  The target for the programme is 75 percent coverage among all population groups. Current rates are:

National coverage	70 percent
Non-Maori, non-Pacific coverage	80 percent
Māori coverage	50 percent
Pacific coverage	45 percent

There has not been a national campaign for the NSCP since the establishment of the programme in the early 1990s. Experience from other social marketing campaigns suggests that a national advertising campaign would help to raise the profile of cervical screening and support Providers in increasing the number of women having regular smears.

How common is cervical cancer?

• cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide and the eighth most common in New Zealand. Part of the reason for the comparatively lower rate in New Zealand is the success of the NCSP which has largely contributed to a 50 percent reduction in cervical cancer incidence and a 65 percent reduction in deaths in New Zealand
• in spite of the success of the Programme, between 60 and 70 women still die from cervical cancer each year and there are considerable health inequalities
• cervical cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in Māori women, at nearly twice the rate of all women and the fourth leading cause of death
• the rates for Pacific women are similar to those for Māori, with cervical cancer incidence twice the rate of all women and mortality three times the rate of all women

Why is the campaign aimed at Māori and Pacific women?

The campaign is aimed at those women who have the greatest health inequalities.  Coverage among Māori and Pacific women is well behind those of non-Māori and non-Pacific women, leading to considerable inequalities. 

While the advertising is specifically focused on Māori and Pacific audiences aged 30 to 50, it is anticipated that the general audience coverage and participation levels may also increase to a lesser degree.

A campaign aimed at all women would be unlikely to significantly increase the percentage of Māori and Pacific women having smears, which would increase current inequalities.

Who are the campaign audiences?

The priority audience for the campaign is Māori and Pacific women aged 30 to 50 who have ever been sexually active and who have not had a cervical smear test within the last three years.

The secondary audiences are:

• family, friends and community members who support and influence these women
• all women aged 20 to 70 who have ever been sexually active and who have not had a cervical smear test within the last three years.

While the advertising is specifically focused on Māori and Pacific women aged 30 to 50, it is anticipated that the general audience coverage and participation levels will increase.

What will the campaign consist of?

The campaign will feature television advertising, radio and print advertising and will focus on Māori and Pacific women. It will attempt to raise awareness and ‘normalise’ the subject of cervical screening and increase understanding about screening and its benefits. The tone of the campaign will be positive, with a focus on respect, knowledge and support. There will be two phases – the intention of the first phase is to start conversations about cervical screening, while the second phase is intended to motivate women to be screened.

For Māori, the focus will be on taking responsibility for your own health so you can be around for your whanau. For Pacific peoples, the focus will be on collective responsibility – making sure those you care about stay well.

What will the ads look like?

The creative ideas for campaign advertising have recently been concept tested.

The advertising will portray information in a way that provides a common language, and offers an ‘ice breaker’ or way to get conversations about cervical screening started. It will be direct and positive, with an emphasis on the collective role of the whole family/community in supporting women to stay well by having regular smears.  It also recognises the value of women and celebrates the achievement of those who have their regular smears.

Advertising will include a direct call to action, encouraging women to make an appointment to have a smear, and tell them how to do this.

The focus will be on:

• self care, self empowerment, whanau focus, direct messages (for Māori)
• collective responsibility/care, family and the community (for Pacific).

On which media will the advertising be run?

All advertising will make use of media channels that consumer research shows best reach Māori and Pacific peoples. For example, TV3, Māori Television, iwi radio stations, Nui FM radio network, Mana Magazine, Tu Mai, and Spasifik.  

The public relations component of the campaign will focus on working with Māori and Pacific media to encourage as much unpaid media coverage of campaign key messages as possible. For example, talkback and news items.

Who is involved in the development of the campaign?

The campaign is being developed by the National Screening Unit. The advertising agency producing the advertisements and assisting with public relations is GSL Network.