Situation

In support of its ongoing policy advocacy goals, a large U.S. corporation sought out Illuminate Research to gauge the attitudes and opinions of key societal stakeholders on the public health strategy of tobacco harm reduction and identify ways to build support for policies supporting the strategy. With deep experience conducting research on niche policy topics, Illuminate designed and executed a multi-phase, multi-year, mixed-methods research program.

Engagement 

To first ascertain gaps in knowledge and initial perceptions of tobacco harm reduction, Illuminate conducted 10 in-person exploratory focus groups with policy and medical professionals as well as adult tobacco consumers across three U.S. cities in 2023. Informed by the qualitative research findings, the Illuminate team developed a handful of succinct messages that addressed key knowledge gaps and touched on the most salient harm reduction talking points. These messages were then tested in a nationwide survey to identify which are most successful in bolstering support for tobacco harm reduction.

In the wake of a changing policy landscape and tobacco market, Illuminate was contracted to direct another wave of this research in 2025. Intimately knowledgeable on the subject matter, Illuminate was a true collaborator in developing the research plan and executing it with accuracy. A subsequent nationwide online survey among policy and medical professionals, adult tobacco consumers, and general population adults tested additional messages, tracked attitudes toward tobacco harm reduction, and measured how stakeholders view the intersection of this policy strategy with FDA regulations and the illicit e-vapor market.

Results 

The key insights from each phase of this research guided the company’s internal strategy and external communications around tobacco harm reduction, ultimately facilitating more effective conversations with policymakers, medical professionals, adult tobacco consumers, and the general population at large. Illuminate provided the client not only with a key findings report after each phase, but also advocacy documents that were ready to share with external audiences and were even published on their website.