Implementation Learnings From a Cancer-Prevention Multirisk Factor Public Education Campaign

Background and context: The Cancer Council New South Wales (CCNSW) is one of Australia's leading cancer charities and is uniquely 95% community funded. Cancer prevention is one of five strategic priority areas for CCNSW. An estimated to 37,000 cancer cases are preventable each year in Australia; 33% of cancers in men and 31% in women. The CCNSW developed and implemented the 1 in 3 Cancers Campaign in 2016, the first Australian multirisk factor cancer prevention campaign. This was also the organization's first experience in implementing a social marketing mass media campaign. Over two years, the campaign's primary objective was to raise awareness that one in three cancers are preventable, to highlight why preventing cancer is important and practical steps for prevention. Aim: To undertake an organizational review of internal learnings from the development, implementation and evaluation of the 1 in 3 Cancers Campaign and make recommendations for future campaign practice. Strategy/Tactics: Cross-organizational perspectives were provided from 20 Cancer Council staff from the areas of cancer prevention, research, fundraising and community engagement through a one-day workshop. Program/Policy process: Workshop participants: 1) reviewed best practice social marketing processes, 2) reviewed published evidence on mass media public education campaigns, 3) against this framework, determined internal organizational learnings from the 1 in 3 Cancers Campaign and made recommendations for future practice. Outcomes: A summary report of key lessons learnt from the implementation of the 1 in 3 Cancers Campaign and recommendations for future practice. What was learned: Areas of strengths were identified including cross-organizational collaboration, the development of an interactive cancer risk quiz, good community awareness of the campaign and key message take out. Areas for improvement included the need for greater resource investment (namely staff capacity, skills and budget), greater lead times for thorough campaign planning and the need to focus on singular behavioral cancer risk factors in communication messaging rather than multiple risk factors. The workshop concluded that well-planned, well-resourced mass media campaigns were an important evidence-based strategy for future cancer prevention practice.