Manipulicious: Wisconsin's Campaign to Expose Big Tobacco's Candy Coated Lies

Audience:

This presentation is intended for youth program coordinators and youth advocates, as well as media and communications staff.

Key Points:

In 2010, Wisconsin implemented its comprehensive smoke-free workplace law, finally joining states across the country in protecting workers and customers from secondhand smoke.  Following this victory, Wisconsin’s youth activism movement FACT (Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco) faced the challenge of finding a new topic to inspire its 6,000 plus members to stay in the fight against the tobacco industry.  The answer arrived in the form of new tobacco products packaged and flavored like candy.

FACT brought together it’s youth board with advertising professionals to develop the Manipulicious campaign, which spotlighted the manipulative marketing practices behind these new enticing products.  The campaign consisted of activism kits distributed statewide, personalized youth workshops, and online advertising to promote FACT’s Facebook page.  

Educational Experience:

Both presenters have bachelors degrees and a combined 20 years working in tobacco prevention and control. 

Benefits: Participants will learn ways to leverage new non-cigarette tobacco and nicotine products to excite their youth about activism and leading policy change.  Participants will also learn techniques for using paid media to maximize the impact of their youth advocacy efforts.  Preliminary evaluation results will also be shared.  As an added bonus, attendees will also create and be charged with implementing one of the campaign activisms at the conference.

Additional comments: Our plan is to engage one or two youth attendees from Wisconsin as presenters. The names and contact information for these two youth will be given at a later date.