The Cancer Council of NSW Quitathon 2001 – proudly sponsored by Nicabate CQ

 

The Cancer Council Quitathon, proudly sponsored by NicabateCQ, was a state-based trial of a unique campaign that aimed to encourage smokers to try to quit smoking and to seek sponsorship from their friends and family as they did so.

 

Palin Communications acted as PR consultants to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (manufacturers of NicabateCQ) on the campaign. The aim of the campaign was to stimulate smoking cessation attempts during a period (October/November) where research suggests there is an annual downturn in the number of people who attempt to quit.

 

The campaign was a major success recruited 3,570 NSW smokers into the campaign. It also appears to have contributed to a more buoyant NRT market in NSW during October and November. The NRT market was 29% more buoyant during November 2001 in NSW than it was nationally.

 

Overall the state-based pilot campaign appears to have provided a possible template for future campaigns that effectively stimulate the smoking cessation market through a partnership that involves The Cancer Council NSW and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.