Generating Campaign Awareness With Digital Media: Exploring Factors Associated With Awareness of and Receptivity to FDA's Fresh Empire Tobacco Prevention Campaign.

This article evaluates factors associated with awareness of and receptivity to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Fresh Empire tobacco public education campaign, which targeted youth aged 12 to 17 who identify with the Hip Hop peer crowd and are predominantly Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or multiracial. Analysis of 10,674 survey responses from 5,129 unique respondents between 2016 and 2019 found that Black, Hispanic, and multiracial/non-Hispanic youth reported higher brand and ad awareness as well as greater perceived ad effectiveness compared to White, non-Hispanic youth. Higher identification with the Hip Hop peer crowd was linked to greater ad awareness, while youth susceptible to or experimenting with smoking showed lower awareness and perceived effectiveness. The study highlights the campaign’s success in reaching its diverse target audience primarily through digital media, underscoring digital platforms’ potential for delivering culturally tailored tobacco prevention messages to underrepresented youth populations.