The Relationship between “Share of Voice” and “Share of Market” and Implications for Youth Health Promotion

This article explores the relationship between “share of voice” and “share of market,” terms that are used in marketing, and the implications of this relationship for youth health promotion. Recent research shows a strong and predictive relationship between the marketing activities of the tobacco industry and smoking by underage youth. The intensity of marketing, the “share of market,” in terms of the potency and pervasiveness of cigarette advertising and promotional activities, is predictive of “share of voice” or youth smoking behavior. This can be seen in the brands that youth smoke, historical smoking patterns, greater sensitivity among adolescents to advertising, and that exposure and receptivity to advertising predict youth smoking behavior. In youth health promotion programs, “share of voice” also appears to be related to “share of market.” The intensity of a health promotion program, in terms of its behavioral potency and pervasiveness throughout the community, is associated with positive changes in health-related behaviors. Of concern to those interested in youth health promotion is our relatively small “share of voice,” compared with the influences of the larger social environment, such as advertising, that support health-compromising behavior. The implications of these relationships for health educators are discussed.