Mediaboss Marketing

December 02, 2014

Students in David Boyds Fundamentals of Global Health course this semester were challenged to create a social marketing video for the World Health Organization (WHO) Chinese social media video competition on tobacco control. The winning video will be posted on the WHO China official website and the students in the winning team will gain the opportunity to work with the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) team on future social media projects in China. This unique opportunity for Duke and Peking University students to create social media that has the potential to affect China policy on tobacco control was initiated by Jiani Sun, a DGHI Master of Science in Global Health alumnus and current National Professional Officer of TFI.

China is the biggest tobacco consumer and producer worldwide with over one-quarter of their adult population classified as a current smoker. Tobacco accounts for one million deaths every year in China, and second-hand smoke is a particular problem that affects women and children. In 2006, Chinese health officials focused their efforts on greater tobacco control in response to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. As part of these efforts, the WHO China office will use social media to connect with young people and spread information about health effects and anti-tobacco regulations.

The social media contest was centered around the theme, Smoke-free- a fashionable way to live your life. The videos were uploaded to Youku (similar to YouTube) and were promoted by Weibo (similar to Twitter) which are prominent social media platforms in China and will eventually be the modes that WHO China uses to promote the calling forthelegislation to ban smoking in all public places.

The Duke students who created 12 videos for this competition were a part of a global health course which focuses on the global disease burden and the challenges of global health interventions. Boyd uses a mixture of lecture, intensive small group discussion, and experiential exercises to teach undergraduates the importance of addressing gaps in global health.

Visit Youku to view the student videos and like your favorite ones.

Read more:
Global Health Students Offer Policy Advice on Chinese Tobacco Use