Madrid, December 2, 2024 – The Spanish Association Against Cancer has awarded Havas Play, the transmedia content accelerator of Havas Media Network, and its media agency Arena Media, the task of conducting research for the “Observatory of the Spanish Association Against Cancer.”
Since its creation in 2010, the Observatory has served as a tool to comprehensively understand the reality of cancer in Spain. It aims to address the diverse challenges posed by the disease, focusing not only on healthcare but also on psychological and social well-being.
Havas Play, together with Arena Media, will lead a national study analyzing social media platforms including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok. The research seeks to identify marketing strategies that promote the exposure and endorsement of tobacco and emerging inhalation products, which are replacing traditional smoking habits. The ultimate goal is to shield young people from harmful messaging related to these practices.
Mario López, Research Technician at the Observatory, explained the initiative’s purpose: “Our motivation is to advocate for stricter regulation of ‘digital smoke’ and to encourage the adoption of good practices on social media in the future. This will help filter the content reaching children and adolescents.”
The project is spearheaded by Patricia Flores, Transmedia Director at Havas Play, and Mireia Álvarez, Business Managing Partner at Arena Media. They remarked, “This initiative allows us to apply insights from social media communication analysis to studying community behaviors. Tracking detailed marketing activities of brands and understanding perceptions of often non-explicit categories is an exciting challenge. We are grateful for the Association’s trust and are delighted to work at the intersection of communication and health once again.”
