Ethnography and filmmaking for Indigenous anti tobacco social marketing

The smoking rates of 82% in Aboriginal communities of North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia are the highest in the country (Robertson et al. 2013). Macassan traders introduced tobacco as a trading commodity (Berndt, 1954) in Aboriginal communities in the 18th century and has since become part of culture. The influence of the Methodist Mission (Cole 1979) has also had a profound effect on tobacco consumption. Anti tobacco social marketing that is sensitive to Indigenous culture and history supports a more complex and gradual approach to reducing uptake amongst young people. The limitations of the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour commonly used for social marketing in this context are due to the cultural value of tobacco in traditional reciprocal relationships and ceremonial practice. Through a combination of ethnography and filmmaking, this project was able to capture and showcase the cultural and historical factors of smoking in a format that is respectful to local culture, specifically in Indigenous anti tobacco social marketing. The use of ethnography and Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) (Arnould and Thompson 2005) for social marketing in this context, addresses the dynamic relationships between consumer actions, the marketplace, and cultural meanings in a culturally relevant and conceptually meaningful manner. The ethnographic film is a collection of interviews as a result of introspection found in postmodern consumer research and combines insider and outsider views to provide deeper insights (Goulding, 2005) into the challenge of tackling smoking in the region.