Assignment 4C

Assignment 4C - What I would do next

I found both the journal articles, highlighted in assignment 4B, very interesting. Since the conclusions that were made were evidence based they provide useful information on my chosen topic – Effectiveness of Health Advertising.

Both authors stated that further research into target groups is needed prior to developing health campaigns. Therefore I would try to obtain more journal articles on the subjects of advertising and health awareness. Using the cross search database, available on the university’s website, would provide a vast amount of credible sources. Perhaps broadening the search criteria to include the psychology of advertising and further investigation of celebrity endorsement would prove to be useful.

During assignment 3 I found it difficult to source relevant books on my chosen subject. It would be good, for further research purposes, to revisit the university library and try to find books on this subject matter.

The Internet can be a fast and effective way of gathering information. I could look at Government and charitable organisations’ websites to obtain figures and information relating to current health campaigns. The Internet could also be used to access data collected by health services including optometric practices or GUM clinics. This data would provide a good estimation into how effective such campaigns are.

Questionnaires could be carried out, to discover what the public really know and think about current health campaigns. These questionnaires would aim to ask key questions relating to the chosen subject, and would hopefully provide an insight into how the public perceive health advertising.

Another primary method of collecting information would be to carrying out face-to-face interviews. Asking members of the public to answer some key questions would again help to determine how effective current health initiatives are.

Finally it may be a good idea to try and note how many forms of health advertising I encounter during a week. I could keep a diary of where I saw a poster or take a note if I saw an advertisement on the television. The subject matter would also be documented to see which campaigns get the most coverage. Taking a trip to a doctors surgery or a drop in centre would also provide an opportunity to pick up information booklets and leaflets on my chosen subject area.