Barnstable County
Human Services
Social Marketing
Plan: A Parental
Alcohol Intervention
Marissa Donovan
Audrey Laganas
Marilu Terrones
Social Marketing and Health
Communication Summer Institute 2016
Emerson College Boston, MA
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To increase the viability of healthy family
structures potentially threatened by
injudicious use of alcohol for families living
as permanent residents on Cape Cod.
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Improve children’s relationship with alcohol
by having parents reflect on their own
habits through a confidential alcohol selfassessment empowering them to model
better behavior.
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Primary:
◦ Parents of children transitioning out of
middle school
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Secondary:
◦ Policy makers
◦ School board
◦ Teachers
◦ Students
◦ Other parents
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Married, 47, daughters
grades 7, 9 and 13
Accountant, Chatham
Involved parent
Enjoys occasional alcoholic
beverage with dinner
Other parents drink more
Oldest daughter, Lauren, in trouble
drinking at friend’s house
Not yet talked with any of their daughters
(short of punishing Lauren) about alcohol
Gets teenage drinking info from friends
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39 and 42 years old
Sons, 13 and 16
Own pizza restaurant
Drink alcohol frequently
Believe consumption is average
Joe drinks some beers at work,
some at home
Marie notices beer in refrigerator at
home seems to run out faster
She thinks this is happening since
Joe and Mark (16 years old) had
their first beer together
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Sandra, 43, divorced
Nurse at local hospital
Daughter, Alyssa, age 14
Limited social life, meets
divorced girlfriends
at local bar
Alyssa hangs out at friends’
houses, beach in summer
Mom sometimes working at curfew time
Checks in by cell phone
Biggest worry: Alyssa will end up exactly like
Mom
Behaviors:
 No time for self-reflection
 Denial
 No incentive to do it
 Self-efficacy: lack of tools, confidence
Messages:
 There’s no problem
 My behavior doesn’t influence my kids’
behavior
 I need my wine
 Drinking is a right of passage
By September 2017…
Knowledge
Increase by 10% the number of parents able to pinpoint two
problem behaviors related to alcohol consumption and/or social
norms.
Beliefs
Increase by 5% the number of parents who believe that alcohol is
a problem (perceived susceptibility) and that they have a role and
responsibility in alcohol modeling and education (increase selfefficacy).
Behavior
A 10% of parents will complete the alcohol self-assessment to
model better behavior towards alcohol habits.
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Health Belief Model Informed Social Marketing Plan
• Benefits of taking
action
• Barriers
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Theory of Planned Behavior (reasoned actions)
Intentions
Subjective norms
Attitudes
Perceived
behavioral control
• Actual behavioral
controls including
barriers
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Actual
behavioral
control
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Attitude
◦ Taking survey will make difference
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Subjective Norms
◦ Other parents are taking survey
◦ Other parents self-reflecting on drinking
 It’s OK to care about your drinking
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Perceived Behavioral Control
◦ Increase self-efficacy, can make a difference
 Actual behavioral control, survey is available we are
facilitating it directly
Strengths
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County-wide support
MOAPC Grant
SAPC Grant
Existing coalition
Stakeholders already at
the table
Weaknesses
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Lack of budget and
staff
No previous experience
with alcohol-related
interventions targeting
middle school students
Opportunities
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Perceived alcohol
problem
Trusted community
partners
Supportive political
climate
Threats
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Older population
(without kids) may not
care
Party culture
Alcohol and hospitality
industry
Marketing Mix
PRODUCT
PRICE
PLACE
PROMOTION
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Parents complete brief alcohol selfassessment
Goal is not judgment but
empowerment
“A Better You – A Better Family”
“Costs”
Fear of judgment
Denial of role in children’s
drinking
Survey fatigue
Time, access
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Privacy
“Benefits”
Make it fun and nonthreatening
Self-efficacy: You will gain
power to improve your child’s
life
Not a survey; It’s a self-help
tool
Available at events you’re
already attending
Confidential, private
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High school orientation night
◦ Get raffle ticket for completion
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Computer surveys
◦ Raffle table set up with computers
◦ No more than 5 minutes
◦ Send out link for parents that were not
able to make it, another raffle
◦ Nudges (signs) along walk in
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Key Promise
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Support Statements
◦ If I complete a brief alcohol self-assessment, I
will know what I need to do (if anything) to
improve myself and my family’s relationship
with alcohol.
◦ Because I want my children to have a healthy
alcohol environment and good role models so
they will be comfortable making alcohol
decisions.
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Tone
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Communication channels
◦ Humor with understanding
◦ Parent-to-parent, key informers (sport
games, etc.)
◦ Social media: Facebook, email, school website
◦ PTO to find key informers
◦ Earned media
◦ Community meeting (involve stakeholders)
◦ Promotional giveaway
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Openings
◦ High school orientation night right after
April vacation
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Creative Considerations
◦ Political considerations
◦ High-school literacy level
◦ English is probably fine
◦ Stay away from promotion of alcohol
Are you modeling responsible drinking?
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Formative
◦ Pre implementation
 Insight into parents habits, reflections, beliefs
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Process
◦ Is survey measuring what we want it to?
 How survey received at parent night?
 Asking partners, did people take it?
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Outcome
◦ Post implementation
 Behavior change, changes in social norms, change
attitudes
 Down the line—changes in student drinking rates
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Not allowing people to open tabs
Different color cup for the third drink
No having pitchers (must buy individual
drinks)
Smaller cups at bars/restaurants
Drinking punch cards-decide how many
drinks you will have up front
First 2 drinks are free and third one you have
to pay for