Case Study: Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week 2006

On behalf of the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (YBF), MCS has worked for the past four years to promote free annual oral, head and neck cancer screenings which are held throughout the country during Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW) in April.

Creativity: In 2006, MCS teamed YBF with former Major League Baseball player and oral cancer survivor Brett Butler and MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, to promote the nationwide free screenings. The launch of the campaign coincided with the start of the 2006 Major League Baseball season. America's national pastime has historically been associated with chewing tobacco, a major risk factor in the development of oral cancer.

Service: MCS implemented a multimedia campaign to educate the public about the warnings signs of oral, head and neck cancers; the risk factors associated with the disease; the importance of early diagnosis; and the availability of free screenings. The campaign was highlighted by a special Web page on MLB.com, featuring a videotaped Brett Butler interview and public service announcement; an electronic media kit; and national media outreach. MCS also supported communications staff at each local screening site to promote the free cancer screenings on a grassroots level.

Results: MCS generated more than 73 million media impressions in two weeks including interviews with Brett Butler on ESPN and XM Satellite Radio and 200 local news broadcasts as well as print stories in key markets. We anticipate that this outreach resulted in thousands of at-risk individuals being checked for oral, head and neck cancer, possibly saving lives in the process.

Click here to view a screen shot of the coverage on the Major League Baseball web site.

For more information on the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, please visit the web site at www.headandneck.org.