Talking to Adults about Underage Drinking

Using the Retail Environment for a Social Marketing Campaign

William DeJong, PhD

Boston University School of Public Health

Youth Alcohol Prevention Center

Responsible Retailing ForumSocial Sources

April 18, 2006

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

Misperception of Student Drinking Norms

Students have exaggerated views of how much other students drink

Students have exaggerated views of how much other students drink

Students perceive greaternormative expectations to drink

Students perceive greaternormative expectations to drink

Use Campus-Based Media to Correct the Misperception

Decrease in perceived normative expectations to drink

Decrease in perceived normative expectations to drink

Decrease in alcohol consumptionDecrease in alcohol consumption

Social Norms Marketing (SNM) Campaign

 Social NormsMarketingCampaign

 Posters

Newspaper AdsEmails

Group TrainingsContests

 

 Social NormsMarketingCampaign

 Posters

Newspaper AdsEmails

Group TrainingsContests

 

 Awareness of Message

Acceptance of Message

More Accurate

Perception of Peer Drinking

 Awareness of Message

Acceptance of Message

More Accurate

Perception of Peer Drinking

 Reduction in Perceived

Normative Expectations to Drink

 Reduction in Perceived

Normative Expectations to Drink

 Increase in Behavioral Intentions to Reduce Alcohol Consumption

 Increase in Behavioral Intentions to Reduce Alcohol Consumption

 

Reduction in Alcohol Consumption

 

 

Reduction in Alcohol Consumption

 

 Reduction in Alcohol-

Related Problems 

DUIUnsafe Sex

AssaultsDate Rape

Property DamageAcademic Problems

Injuries

 Reduction in Alcohol-

Related Problems 

DUIUnsafe Sex

AssaultsDate Rape

Property DamageAcademic Problems

Injuries

Social Norms MarketingResearch Project

18 US colleges and universitiesRandomized assignment

Treatment (with SNM campaign)Control (no intervention)

Year 2

(2000-01)

Study Timeline: Cohort A

All Schools

Experimental Schools (9)

Control Schools (9)

Survey of College Alcohol Norms and Behavior

Contextual data collection

Just the Facts Implementation

Just the Facts Implementation

Year 1

(1999-00)

Year 3

(2001-02)

Year 4

(2002-03)

Year 5+

(2003-04)

Findings

Having a SNM campaign was significantly associated with lower drinking levels:

Composite drinking scaleRecent maximum consumptionBAC for that episodeDrinks when partyingDrinks per week

Greatest number of drinks on one occasion in past two weeks

3.57(4.57)

3.95(4.86)

3.44(4.39)

4.30(5.17)

BAC for greatest number of drinks on one occasion in past two weeks

.0830 (.0979)

.0859 (.1023)

.0804 (.0911)

.0945 (.1072)

Drinks when students party

3.30 (3.34)

3.57 (3.48)

3.20 (3.26)

3.85 (3.70)

Drinks per week 4.67 (7.92)

4.62 (8.00)

4.61 (7.93)

5.24 (8.43)

Outcome Variable

Treatment Group Control Group

2000 n=1,515M (SD)

2003n=1,536M (SD)

2000n=1,406M (SD)

2003n=1,365M (SD)

Parenting Norms

Do parents misperceive the social

norms in their community?

* * *

If so, could a social norms marketing campaign increase health-protective

parenting practices?

Parent SurveyMontana Social Norms Project

Mailed survey to a randomly selected sample of Montana households with at least one child age 12-17

Confidential responsesResults reported for 787 surveys (response

rate = 27%)

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%

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%

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?

America’s Parents Support the Legal Drinking Age

We Support America’s Parents

Have you told your teenage children that

you support the age 21 drinking law?

Most Parents Do…and It Works!

America’s Parents Support the Legal Drinking Age

We Support America’s Parents

Do you hold your teenage children

to a strict curfew?

Most Parents Do…and 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?

Elementary vs. Middle School• Elementary School

– Small, neighborhood school– Active PTA involvement– Play dates

• Middle School– Larger, impersonal school– Less parental involvement at school– Children’s growing independence– Unclear social norms

Parents Drop Out

of the Picture

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

Media Channels

• School messages brought home

• Email messages

• Earned Media– Press events– Editorial support– Letters to the editor

• Parent network website

Retail Environment

• Local advertising• Window signs• In-store displays• Point-of-sale reminders• Other media channels:

– Stickers on products (after sale)– Bags– Receipts

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