Client Stories/ Performance

Sending Big Tobacco up in smoke: how our smart programmatic strategies beat the Big Tobacco lobby

Discover how we helped San Francisco Kids ban the sale of candy-flavored tobacco using smart programmatic strategies.

68%

San Francisco residents who voted to ban the sale of candy-flavored tobacco

Not your average opportunity

San Francisco Kids was a group of campaigners trying to persuade local residents to vote for a ban on the sale of candy-flavored tobacco. 

But, to do so meant beating the deep pockets of the tobacco lobby, who was outspending SFK 6:1 and saturating the television market through San Francisco.

There was no way SFK was going to match the lobby for contributions - so they needed a strategy that was far from average.

Not your average solutions

We harnessed the power of our Advanced TV solutions to work smarter, not harder, against Big Tobacco.

Advanced TV data

We applied 1:1 TV data to use Big Tobacco’s TV spots against them and nullify their effect, following up TV spots campaigning for the flavored tobacco with digital ads that promoted the SFK message.

Contextual targeting

We also used our contextual targeting capabilities to reach potential voters who were interested in parenting or banning smoking in specific areas, to make sure we got the vote out among those most likely to support the SFK message.

Not your average outcomes

  • The underdogs won
  • 68% of San Francisco residents voted to ban the sale of candy-flavored tobacco.