Smoking remains the single biggest preventable risk factor for poor health and premature death. While prevalence has fallen since the early 2000s, in the last few years, rates of smoking have remained stubbornly stable.
The Brief
Hitch was commissioned, with Healthier Futures, to undertake a review of stop smoking service provision in two London boroughs. We were asked to deliver recommendations for service designs to enable the Public Health team to procure a new stop smoking service to achieve the reductions set out in the Smokefree Strategy. Hitch co-designed the service brand and supported with the launch of the new service.
The Approach
During the initial review, we carried out secondary desk research to review current smoking cessation models; telephone interviews with stakeholders; and set up focus groups with specific key audiences including those with:
- severe mental health issues;
- long-term health conditions;
- pregnant women;
- routine manual workers; and
- ethnic groups.
In the co-design phase, we held public and stakeholder co-creation sessions to discuss the most appropriate communications channels and which messages resonated most powerfully. Our Design Studio then developed four concepts to test at ‘hall test’.
The Results
A new 3-tier service, enabling people to choose their preferred level of support, was launched using the new brand, ‘Breathe: It’s about living’. The brand design was informed by key messages that came out of the co-creation:
- Confidential
- No third party harassment
- Less predictable images
- Edgy not stop signs
- Supportive positive language
- Freedom not ‘quit’
We set up a digital advertising campaign using a blend of pinpoint mobile advertising and Facebook to direct traffic to relevant digital pages. Hitch also developed a suite of campaign assets to equip stakeholders and partners with useful tools to support the campaign with the minimum of effort.
"We really liked the innovative approach taken by Hitch to this piece of work. It resulted in high levels of engagement from a wide range of residents. The ongoing positive contribution of residents to the service redesign and campaign has been extremely useful and has really shaped the approach, resulting in an exciting new local service model and brand."
- Public Health Commissioner