A campaign is a series of activities and programs undertaken over time designed to achieve a specific goal such as raising brand awareness or increasing product sales. Successful campaigns are based on a deep understanding of the target audience and a clear strategic objective.
Political campaigns are a common feature of democracy, but they may also occur in non-democracies where freedom of expression is permitted. Generally, they revolve around issues of concern to the population. A political campaign typically has a specific strategy to reach the desired outcome, which is often reflected in the goals and objectives of the lead organization, such as a political party or government agency.
A public health communication campaign can be a powerful tool to encourage and enable people to change their behaviors. Campaigns are often evidence-based, incorporating research findings to develop and deliver messages to specific populations. They are usually aimed at changing social norms, with the aim of improving behavior and health outcomes. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s national Tips from Former Smokers campaign was a mass-reach health communication campaign that was designed to promote smoking cessation resources and change cigarette-related social norms.
In this pilot evaluation, a community-based implementation of the Move Your Way campaign was tested in eight communities. Findings from a web-based survey indicated that reported exposure to the campaign was associated with important precursors to behavior change such as knowledge, physical activity self-efficacy, and behavioral intent.