Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong (Jones, Iverson), OmniCom Research Pty Ltd. (Holland), John Bevins Pty Ltd. (Bevins)

Published in the Journal of Business Research, this paper reports on a study of communication in the media regarding a potential avian influenza epidemic. Extended as part of an ongoing programme of research funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the study provides recommendations for the development of future social marketing campaigns in the event of pandemics or other public health crises.

The initial section of the paper provides background on avian influenza (bird flu), and related communication. Based on the findings from earlier research on public awareness and understanding of bird flu, the collaborators of the project developed evidence-based advertising messages for two primary time-points in pandemic preparation. This effort was informed by the conviction that governments have time to develop communication strategies and specific messages that can effectively convey desired information at different stages of the anticipated pandemic. The Introduction concludes by exploring the theoretical underpinnings of this campaign, and the purpose of the research.

The second section is devoted to methodological matters. The authors detail the process of developing a communication campaign, observing that effective social marketing incorporates the concepts of formative research, audience segmentation, and consumer focus. They explain how they: tested the campaign messages in a series of focus groups; modified them based on the findings; and then re-tested the final campaign.

In short, the research found that pandemic media coverage "can serve to accurately and effectively inform the public OR misinform and contribute to unnecessary public panic and subsequent undesirable responses." Discussion and Conclusion sections explore the meanings and implications of these results.

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