'We're still the same people': Developing a mass media campaign to raise awareness and challenge the stigma of dementia

Abstract

A popular awareness- and fund-raising vehicle for charities and non-profit organisations is the annual Day or Week campaign. Such campaigns can be challenging because they often involve multiple, potentially competing objectives, not least the requirement to balance the needs of the general public with the those who already have, or are caring for someone with, a particular condition. This paper reports on formative research conducted in Scotland to inform the development of an awareness-raising campaign on the issue of dementia, which had two key aims: to raise awareness of the condition among the general public, and to reduce the stigma associated with it. Social marketing consumer research was conducted with three key groups -- the general public, carers and people with dementia -- to explore their beliefs and perceptions about dementia and their information needs. The research highlights the importance of providing realistic and credible images of people with dementia to the general public and the importance of avoiding instilling fear of the condition. Guidance for future awareness-raising activity in this area is provided.