Talking to Adults about Underage Drinking Using the Retail Environment for a Social Marketing Campai

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Talking to Adults about Underage DrinkingUsing
the Retail Environment for a Social Marketing
Campaign

• William DeJong, PhD
• Boston University School of Public Health
• Youth Alcohol Prevention Center
• Responsible Retailing Forum
• Social Sources
• April 18, 2006

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Social Norms

• People hold beliefs about the behavior that is
  expected of them in particular social contexts
  (injunctive norms)
• These beliefs are partly based on information
  about others behavior (descriptive norms)
• Perceptions of social norms are often a good
  predictor of actual behavior

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Misperception of Student Drinking Norms
Students have exaggerated views of how much
other students drink
Students perceive greater normative expectations
to drink
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Use Campus-Based Media to Correct the
Misperception
Social Norms Marketing (SNM) Campaign
Decrease in perceived normative expectations to
drink
Decrease in alcohol consumption
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 Social Norms Marketing Campaign   Posters Newspa
per Ads Emails Group Trainings Contests  
  Awareness of Message ? Acceptance of
Message ? More Accurate Perception of Peer
Drinking
  Reduction in Perceived Normative Expectations
to Drink
  Increase in Behavioral Intentions to Reduce
Alcohol Consumption
  Reduction in Alcohol- Related
Problems   DUI Unsafe Sex Assaults Date
Rape Property Damage Academic Problems Injuries
  Reduction in Alcohol Consumption  
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Social Norms MarketingResearch Project

• 18 US colleges and universities
• Randomized assignment
• Treatment (with SNM campaign)
• Control (no intervention)

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Study Timeline Cohort A
Year 2 (2000-01)
Year 1 (1999-00)
Year 3 (2001-02)
Year 4 (2002-03)
Year 5 (2003-04)
All Schools
Survey of College Alcohol Norms and Behavior
Contextual data collection
Experimental Schools (9)
Just the Facts Implementation
Control Schools (9)
Just the Facts Implementation
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Findings

• Having a SNM campaign was significantly
  associated with lower drinking levels
• Composite drinking scale
• Recent maximum consumption
• BAC for that episode
• Drinks when partying
• Drinks per week

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Parenting Norms

• Do parents misperceive the social
• norms in their community?
• If so, could a social norms marketing campaign
  increase health-protective parenting practices?

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Parent SurveyMontana Social Norms Project

• Mailed survey to a randomly selected sample of
  Montana households with at least one child age
  12-17
• Confidential responses
• Results reported for 787 surveys (response rate
  27)

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Perception of Norms

• Always know when their teenage children do not
  come home on time
• Self 86
• Typical Montana Parent 6
• Always know where their teenage children are and
  whom they are with
• Self 57
• Typical Montana Parent 1

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Perception of Norms

• Extremely concerned if their teenage children
  skipped school 1-2 times during semester
• Self 60
• Typical Montana Parent 15
• During the past 30 days, talked with their
  teenage children about family alcohol rules
• Self 57
• Typical Montana Parent 38

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The Retail EnvironmentA Venue for Social Norms
Messages

• Do parents and other adults misperceive social
  norms regarding
• not purchasing alcohol for minors?
• not furnishing alcohol to minors at home?
• If so, could an effective social norms marketing
  campaign directed to the general public be
  mounted through retail outlets?

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• Americas Parents Support the Legal Drinking Age
• We Support Americas Parents
• Have you told your teenage children that
• you support the age 21 drinking law?
• Most Parents Doand It Works!

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• Americas Parents Support the Legal Drinking Age
• We Support Americas Parents
• Do you hold your teenage children
• to a strict curfew?
• Most Parents Doand It Works!

Do you have your teenage children check in to
tell you where they are? Do you spend a lot of
family time with your teenage children? Do you
have strict family rules to prohibit your teenage
children from drinking?
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Elementary vs. Middle School

• Elementary School
• Small, neighborhood school
• Active PTA involvement
• Play dates
• Middle School
• Larger, impersonal school
• Less parental involvement at school
• Childrens growing independence
• Unclear social norms

Parents Drop Outof the Picture ?
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Create Community-Based Parent Networks

• Parents of middle school and high school students
  sign a pledge
• Not to serve alcohol to minors
• To communicate with one another when a party is
  being held
• Use local media to reinforce the pledge

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Media Channels

• School messages brought home
• Email messages
• Earned Media
• Press events
• Editorial support
• Letters to the editor
• Parent network website

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Retail Environment

• Local advertising
• Window signs
• In-store displays
• Point-of-sale reminders
• Other media channels
• Stickers on products (after sale)
• Bags
• Receipts

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Conclusions

• Social norms campaigns hold promise for
  reinforcing or even increasing the positive
  choices being made by the majority
• Further research on the value (and limits) of
  this approach is warranted