The RCP Tackles a Drink Problem

Objective/Brief:

Concerned that the Government had underestimated the damage that alcohol can have on health in 2007, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), together with 23 other organisations that campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of alcohol, launched the UK Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA). Having used Media Measurement Ltd (MML) for evaluation in 2006, the RCP again commissioned MML in May 2008 for its reputation for impartial evaluation, to analyse a sample of coverage about alcohol related health issues.

The core objectives of the evaluation were to:-
1. Demonstrate the extent to which the RCP had successfully generated discussion in the media on issues relating to health and alcohol consumption.
2. Measure the RCP’s success in promoting the AHA’s aims by identifying the issues it discussed and examining the penetration of Key Messages.
3. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the RCP’s PR activities.

The strategic information gained from the evaluation would be used to refine the PR and public affairs strategy for the AHA.

Strategy:

The RCP deliberately and proactively promoted six specific messages to the public, via the media, to support the AHA's aims. These Key Messages were promoted through media releases and information leaflets. They were designed to improve public awareness of the nature and scale of alcohol-related health issues, and promote effective evidence-based public health measures to tackle these problems.

Key Influencers by Issue:

The chart below shows the split by source category on alcohol issues.

Conclusion:

The evaluation indicated that much of the coverage was generated by the RCP's proactive PR activity and hence it had been successful in leading media discussion. Nearly half (48%) of all coverage was identified as originating from the RCP's work. The RCP plans to repeat the exercise. Julie Hollings, Director of Communications & External Affairs, said, 'Externally, the evaluation allows us to demonstrate the impact the College is having on media coverage of alcohol issues so that we can underline our commitment to the EAHF and retain membership of this influential forum.'

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