‘Redefine’ Campaign Aims to Decrease Underage Drinking and Over-Consumption of Alcohol

Company Bio:

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control is focused on ensuring Ohioans and visitors have access to the products they want to purchase while encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol. This includes overseeing the manufacturing, distribution and sale of all alcoholic beverages, selling spirituous liquor through contract liquor agencies, and issuing permits and registering products for sale.

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Executive Summary

The DOLC is focused on ensuring Ohioans have access to the alcoholic products they want to purchase, while encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol. They also promote the responsible consumption of these products by educating the public, and ensuring that business owners and their employees are fully informed and properly trained on their responsibilities not to sell to underage or intoxicated individuals.

Thanks to a grant from the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association (NABCA), the DOLC desired to design and implement a multi-faceted awareness campaign that promotes the prevention of the sale of alcohol to underage individuals by contract liquor agencies and wholesale bars and restaurants, as well as the responsible consumption of alcohol by consumers.

Underage drinking and excessive consumption of alcohol are largely impacting the safety, morbidity and mortality rate in Ohio. The campaign would support efforts to create a safer environment to equip the community with the tools and knowledge needed to lower these rates. All messages were intended to encourage Ohioans to sell and consume alcohol responsibly.

Challenges

Among youth in the United States, alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug. The use of alcohol underage can lead to school, social, legal and physical problems among youth and students who drink alcohol are at a higher risk for suicide and homicide. Underage drinking and drinking in excess have become an increasingly serious problem according to National Statistics of Underage Drinking:

— 4% of 12-20 year-olds participated in binge-drinking in the past month
— 54% of all fatalities from a car crash were the result of alcohol-impaired drivers
— More than 40% of 10th graders drink alcohol
— Teen alcohol consumption causes 4,300 deaths each year

4% of 12-20 year olds participated in binge-drinking in the past month

54% of all fatalities from a car crash were the result of alcohol-impaired drivers in 2016

More than 40% of 10th graders drink alcohol

Teen alcohol consumption causes 4,300 deaths each year as of 2015.

Research also shows about 90% of alcohol consumption among youth under age 21 and more than half of alcohol consumption among adults is in the form of binge drinking (defined as drinking four or more alcoholic beverages per occasion for women or five or more drinks per occasion for men). Binge drinking is associated with multiple health problems such as unintentional injury (crashes, falls, burns, drowning), intentional injury and violence, alcohol poisoning and many others.

How We Helped

Prosper for Purpose took a look at what’s been done to discourage underage and binge drinking, as well as promote responsible drinking. We identified the blank space that would allow us to zero in on a fresh approach. In the past, other anti-underage consumption campaigns used fear tactics to stray underage kids and bartenders away from the irresponsible use and sale of alcohol; however, recent research has shown that even while these tactics influence attitudes they do NOT change behavior. There are many reasons for this, but what was important was to create a different kind of campaign — one that focused on hope instead of fear.

Prosper for Purpose created a campaign concept theme titled “Redefine.” Tongue and cheek, this concept uses contradictory terms and visuals to redefine phrases with common negative connotations. The objective is to ignite ideas in kids to rethink how they have fun. “Redefine” aims to inspire teens to live life to the fullest, with the mindset that drinking isn’t the foundation of a good time, and to encourage adults to think twice before making decisions when faced with consuming or distributing alcohol.

The three main components of the campaign included a website, promotional video and social media. Traditional advertising and public relations tactics, such as media and influencer relations, partnerships and event planning, were also incorporated as part of the overall strategy.

Results and Future Plans

The overall success of the campaign was measured by numerous key performance indicators. Detailed metrics for the first six months of the campaign are indicated below.

Visitors: 3,008
Pageviews: 14,557

Views: 537

New Followers: 140 (totals for four months)

Information about "Redefine" was featured in various news outlets, including The Akron Beacon Journal, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register, The Canton Repository and WTAM 1100

32 individuals at 18 key organizations and departments were engaged at a launch event. Five organizational partners requested materials for their use and 15 partners committed to completing the campaign checklist.

The “Redefine” team was invited to present to the Responsible Alcohol Policy Commission.

As a result of the RAPC presentation, the Redefine team is in conversations with the Director of Government Relations at Anheuser-Busch to determine the best way to partner in support of campaign programming through their non-profit AB-Bev Foundation.

The Prevention Action Alliance has spread the message through all of the channels available to the organization.

The Ohio Department of Tourism partnered with the DOLC on a collaborative marketing piece for online distribution for the 4th of July.

An ad and article on the “Redefine” campaign were featured in an issue of Friday Night Football magazine, which is sold in three states and distributed to 717 high schools, coaches and athletic directors.

The “Redefine” team was invited to set up a booth at the Ohio State Fair to highlight the campaign and generate awareness. The booth had 18,563 visitors during the course of the fair.

"Redefine" also won a Bronze Rocks Award from the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for excellence in integrated communications.