National Anti-Drug Strategy - Youth Drug Prevention Campaign-parent component: 2007-2009

Table of Contents

• Background
• Research Conducted Prior to the Campaign
• Campaign Objectives
• Target Audiences
• Key Messages
• Products
• Promotional Tactics
• Distribution
• Strategic Alliances / Partnerships
• Timing
• Campaign Evaluation

Background

The 2007 Federal Budget included the introduction of a new National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS), covering three priority areas: combating illicit drug production; preventing illicit drug use; and treating illicit drug dependency. The prevention pillar of NADS included funding for a national drug prevention mass media campaign aimed at youth and their parents to help decrease the prevalence of illicit drug use among youth.

A review of foreign youth drug prevention campaigns and of other relevant secondary research pertaining to youth indicated that connectedness to family was a key protective factor against illicit drug use by youth. This led Health Canada to determine that the campaign should comprise two components: the first reaching parents of youth ages 13-15, to inform and equip them with information and tools on the issue of illicit drugs; and the second reaching youth ages 13-15 directly with drug prevention messaging. The parent campaign was developed and launched in 2007-08.

Research Conducted Prior to the Campaign

A comprehensive public opinion research strategy provided the foundation for the NADS parent campaign. This strategy began with qualitative research consisting of exploratory focus groups, where parents discussed their thoughts on the issue of illicit drugs and youth and provided feedback on how best to reach them through a mass media campaign. As a result of these focus groups, a two-pronged approach that would get parents' attention and then provide them with resources to talk with their child about drugs was incorporated into the campaign. Specific elements of the campaign were then tested in subsequent focus groups with the target audience to help ensure that these elements were communicating the message that parents should talk with their children about drugs. Elements tested included a Web site for parents with information about illicit drugs and youth, radio ads, newspaper ads and television ads. The radio ad, print ad and booklet were also tested with youth to ensure that those who might view this parent-oriented ad, would not misinterpret it as enticing. Feedback from the research was subsequently incorporated into the further development of the campaign.

Campaign Objectives

Primary

To increase the number of parents of youth ages 13-15 with an understanding of the most common illicit drugs, including the following:

• What illicit drugs look like;
• How illicit drugs are used; and,
• The harms of illicit drug use to youth's social lives, schooling and health.

Secondary

To increase the number of parents of youth ages 13-15 who engage their teenagers in an ongoing dialogue, monitor their teenager's activities and establish rules with consequences.

Target Audiences

Primary

Parents of youth ages 13-15.

Secondary

Other adult influencers (teachers, police officers, youth counselors).

Key Messages

• "Your kids are learning a new drug language."
• "Be knowledgeable about illicit drugs."
• "Parents make a big difference."
• "Talk with your teen about illicit drugs."

Products

Web site

A parent-focused Web site,  drugprevention.gc.ca, was created within the general  National Anti-Drug Strategy Web site to provide in-depth information on illicit drugs and tips on talking with teens about the dangers of drugs.

Booklet - "Talking with Your Teen about Drugs"

A 22-page booklet for parents was developed and outlined the facts on illicit drugs, tips on communicating with their teen, and how to identify signs of drug use. Print and electronic versions (PDF) were created.

Poster

Posters promoting the booklet were produced specifically for the Service Canada promotion during August 2008. All 360+ Service Canada centres were sent two posters and a total of 35,000 copies of the parent booklet.

Promotional Tactics

Formative research for the campaign in 2007-08 included an analysis of foreign drug prevention campaigns, exploratory focus groups conducted with youth aged 13-15 and parents of youth aged 13-15, discussions with the National Drug Prevention Advisory Committee (NDPAC) and a review of relevant secondary research.

Four creative concepts were developed and focus tested with the target audience. Based on results from this research the "Language" concept where youth say the slang names of drugs was selected and radio, print, web and television ads were created from this concept. All final concepts were further tested, just prior to publishing, in order to refine messaging and creative elements based on research results.

To build awareness of the message, the parent campaign launched on March 3, 2008 with national radio, print, and web banner campaigns which ran until March 31, 2008. The search keyword campaign began at the same time but continued to run throughout the fiscal year and into year 2008-2009 for campaign sustainability.

To broaden awareness and create a more emotional connection with the audience, the television ad began airing a few weeks after the initial campaign launch (April 28-May 25), on both conventional and specialty channels during adult programming.

The media channels used:

Radio

• National media buy in March 2008 to raise awareness and scope about the issue of illicit drugs.
• Adult-oriented radio stations were selected in order to best reach parents and not the youth themselves.

Print

• Three insertions in Canadian dailies and community weekly newspapers were selected to fill knowledge gaps among the target audience, as well as to bring greater proximity to the drug issue.

Web Banners

• Big box, leader board and rich media advertisements on targeted web sites were chosen to drive visits to the  drugprevention.gc.ca Web site.
• Significant traffic (33% of all March website traffic) or 33,000 visitors were generated solely by the rich media advertisements.

Search Engine Keyword (pay-per-click) Campaign

• Purchase of relevant keywords to drive visits to the Web site.
• Budgets were increased during the months of March and May when radio, print, and TV ads were run in order to build campaign momentum.

Television

• Network and specialty stations
• Adult-programming and after 9 pm restrictions on shows that were likely to have a spillover effect into other audiences (i.e. Canadian Idol, Law & Order)
• National coverage: Total 975 Gross Rating Points ( GRPs)
• 250 GRPs in each of the first 3 weeks; 225 GRPs in the final week

Other Promotional Activities

•  Drugprevention.gc.ca promoted via advertising campaign and link strategy which included buttons/links from the  Canada.gc.ca,  ServiceCanada.gc.ca, HC-SC.gc.ca and NDPAC member Web sites and various newsletters.
• Social Marketing Quarterly, an internationally circulated journal, featured the "Language" print ad on the cover of their Summer 2008 issue along with a brief description of the campaign. The publisher subsequently used the front cover as a backdrop for its spring Social Marketing in Public Health Conference held in Florida, to which delegates from various disciplines including social marketing, public health, education and research attended.

Distribution

• The Talking with Your Teen about Drugs booklet was distributed through 1 800 O-Canada, the  drugprevention.gc.ca Web site (online order form) and via interested NDPAC member networks.
• Electronic versions were available for download on the Web site.
• 35,000 booklets were distributed via 360+ Service Canada outlets across Canada during the month of August 2008 as part of a special campaign promotion

Strategic Alliances / Partnerships

A National Drug Prevention Advisory Committee (NDPAC) was established to advise the Minister of Health. The NDPAC is a senior-level advisory committee, co-chaired by Health Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA). The committee provided guidance on the development, implementation and evaluation of the 2007-08 parent campaign. NDPAC members have been essential in distributing campaign information throughout their organizations and promoting the website through various initiatives.

Timing

2007-2008: March 3, 2008 - March 31, 2008

• Radio and Print Campaign: March 3-March 28
• Web Banner Campaign (static): March 3-March 30
• Web Banner Campaign (dynamic): March 10-March 30
• Search Engine PPC: March 3-March 31

2008-2009: April 1, 2008 - September 7, 2008 (campaign halted during the election call)

• Search Engine PPC: April 1-September 7
• TV Campaign: April 28-May 25

Campaign Evaluation

Before the campaign was launched, a representative group of 850 parents of youth aged 13 to 15 from across Canada answered telephone survey questions concerning their perceptions, attitudes and behaviours around the issue of illicit drugs and youth. Members of this group of parents were then asked follow-up questions after the campaign in a second telephone survey to determine whether they recalled any campaign elements and whether their perceptions, attitudes or behaviours had changed. From a recall perspective, the television ad in particular had a very high aided recall rate of 73 percent among this group. Of the group of parents who recalled the television ad, 25 percent said that they did something as a result of the ad; the majority saying that they spoke to a family member or friend about the ad or topic. The follow-up survey also showed that parents who recalled the television ad were more likely to have talked with their child about drugs in the preceding three months than those who did not recall the ad, suggesting that the ad may have had a positive impact on this behaviour.

Evaluation Methods

Knowledge, attitude and behaviour questions were asked pre- and post-campaign with the target audience via telephone surveys. The post-campaign evaluation was conducted in June-July 2008, following the parent TV ad that ran in May 2008.

The Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET) conducted in April 2008 with the general population was used to assess the radio and print campaign. The TV ACET was conducted -- along with the return-to-sample survey with parents of youth ages 13-15 -- in July 2008.

Survey Results

Radio/Print ACET Survey (with general population)

• Aided recall of the radio ad was 37% and 11% took action as a result of seeing the ad.
• Aided recall of the radio ad among parents was 48%.
• Aided recall of the print ad was 20% and 10% took action as a result of seeing the ad.

Post-campaign evaluation - differences between return-to-sample and baseline survey

• More likely to have discussed drugs with their child in the last 3 months (89% vs. 81% - baseline);
• More likely to view "all drugs" as harmful (28% vs. 18% - baseline); and,
• More likely to think drug experimentation among youth is somewhat/very serious (98% vs. 94% - baseline)

Differences between those who recalled the TV ad and those who did not

• More likely to have visited a Web site to learn about drugs in last 3 months (29% vs. 7%);
• More likely to have discussed drugs with their child in last 3 months (91% vs. 82%); and,
• More likely to have regularly set rules around drug use (54% vs. 38%).

TV ACET Survey (with target audience)

• Aided awareness of the TV ad was 73%; and,
• Twenty-five percent of that group said they took action as a result of the TV ad.

Tracking Results/Metrics (from March 2008-September 2008)

To further gauge the effectiveness of the campaign, additional evaluation methods were tracked, including:

Web site Traffic

291,420 visits to the  drugprevention.gc.ca /  preventiondesdrogues.gc.ca Web sites from March to election call on Sept. 7, 2008.

Booklets Ordered

243,769 copies of the Booklet were distributed through 1-800 O Canada, the drugprevention.gc.ca website and through Service Canada promotion in August

Booklets Downloaded

17,328 Booklets have been downloaded

Calls to 1 800 O-Canada

2,977 calls made