Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Marketing a Hard-to-Swallow Message

Recommendations for the Design of Media Campaigns to Increase Awareness about the Risks of Binge Drinking

  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Binge drinking, commonly defined as having more than five drinks on a single occasion, is a public health issue affecting two thirds of Canadian young adults between the ages of 19–24 years. To educate young adults about alcohol poisoning, a network of 16 Ontario Health Units developed and implemented a mass-media campaign. The focus of this article is to report on post-secondary students’ perceptions about key media campaign strategies, elements and messages for future campaigns designed to increase awareness about the risks of binge drinking.

Methods

As part of a multi-method process evaluation, nine focus groups were facilitated to explore the young adults’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about binge drinking and the campaign messages. Participants were also asked to identify specific marketing messages and techniques that would increase their level of awareness about the risks of binge drinking.

Results

Participants recommended that campaigns be targeted towards parents and high school and post-secondary school students. Participants provided recommendations for the types of messages, images, and language they perceived would capture the attention of young adults. Television, posters and the internet were identified as key media channels for disseminating health information about the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

The problem of binge drinking is pervasive across Canadian campuses and students are largely unaware of the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption. To reach this target population, it is important for future media campaign developers to utilize language, definitions, graphics and channels of communication to which this group relates.

Résmé

Contexte

L’alcoolisme périodique, et plus particulièrement les accès de forte consommation qui y sont associés (plus de cinq verres par épisode), sont un problème de santé publique qui touche les deux tiers des jeunes adultes canadiens de 19 à 24 ans. Pour sensibiliser les jeunes adultes à l’intoxication alcoolique, un réseau de 16 bureaux de santé ontariens a élaboré et mis en ouvre une campagne dans les médias. Le présent article porte sur les perceptions d’étudiants de niveau postsecondaire à l’égard des stratégies, des éléments et des messages clés de futures campagnes de sensibilisation aux risques de l’alcoolisme périodique.

Méthode

Dans le cadre d’une évaluation faisant appel à plusieurs méthodes, nous avons organisé neuf groupes de discussion pour analyser les connaissances, les attitudes et les convictions de jeunes adultes à propos de l’alcoolisme périodique et des messages de la campagne envisagée. Nous avons demandé aux participants de nous indiquer avec précision les messages et les techniques de marketing pouvant rehausser leur niveau de sensibilisation aux risques de l’alcoolisme périodique.

Résultats

Les participants nous ont recommandé d’axer les campagnes sur les parents et les élèves de niveau secondaire et postsecondaire. Ils ont formulé des recommandations sur le genre de messages, d’images et de langage qui captent le mieux, à leur avis, l’attention des jeunes adultes. Ainsi, la télévision, les affiches et l’Internet seraient les voies de communication à privilégier pour diffuser l’information sanitaire sur les risques associés à l’abus d’alcool.

Conclusion

Le problème de l’alcoolisme périodique est omniprésent sur les campus canadiens, et les élèves ignorent pour la plupart les risques associés à l’abus d’alcool. Pour atteindre la population cible, il est important pour les créateurs de campagnes d’information d’utiliser un langage, des définitions, des images et des voies de communication auxquels cette population s’identifie.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lange JE, Clapp JD, Turrisi R, Reavy R, Jaccard J, Johnson MB, et al. College binge drinking: What is it? Who does it? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2002;26(5):723–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wechsler H, Austin B. Binge drinking: The five/four measure (correspondence). J Stud Alcohol 1998;59:122–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Gliksman L, Adlaf EM, Demers A, NewtonTaylor B. Heavy drinking on Canadian campuses. Can J Public Health 2003;94(1):17–21.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wechsler H, Davenport A, Dowdall G, Moeykens B, Castillo S. Health and behavioral consequences of binge drinking in college: A national survey of students at 140 campuses. JAMA 1994;272:1672–77.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hingson RW, Heeren T, Zakocs RC, Kopstein A, Wechsler H. Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among U.S. college stu dents ages 18–24. J Stud Alcohol 2002;63:136–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gliksman L, Demers A, Adlaf E, Newton-Taylor B, Schmidt K. Canadian Campus Survey. Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Wechsler H, Moeykens B, Davenport A, Castillo A, Hansen J. The adverse impact of heavy episodic drinking on other college students. J Stud Alcohol 1995;56:628–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Branch. Mandatory health programs and services guidelines. Toronto, ON: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 1990. Available on-line at: https://doi.org/www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/pub/pubhealth/ manprog/manprog.html (Accessed October 21, 2004).

    Google Scholar 

  9. DeJong W. The role of mass media campaigns in reducing high-risk drinking among college students. J Stud Alcohol 2002;S14:182–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Middlesex-London Health Unit. Process Evaluation of the Central West/Southwest Binge Drinking Campaign: Implications for practice and lessons learned. London, ON: Author. Available on-line at: https://doi.org/www.healthunit.com/reportsresearch.htm (Accessed October 21, 2004).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Miller WL, Crabtree BF. Primary care research: A multimethod typology and qualitative road map. In: Crabtree BF, Miller WL (Eds.), Doing Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1992;328.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Weinstein N. Reducing unrealistic optimism about illness susceptibility. Health Psychol 1983;2(1):11–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hafstad A, Aaro E, Engeland A, Anderson A, Langmark F, Stray-Pederson B. Provocative appeals in anti-smoking mass media campaigns targeting adolescents–the accumulated effect of multiple exposures. Health Educ Res 1997;12(2):227–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Haines M, Spear S. Changing perception of the norm: A strategy to decrease binge drinking among college students. J Am College Health 1996;45:134–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. HSC 2J30 School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada

    Susan M. Jack RN, PhD (Assistant Professor) & Donna K. Ciliska RN, PhD

  2. Middlesex-London Health Unit, London, ON, Canada

    L. Michelle Sangster Bouck MA, Charlene E. Beynon RN, MScN & Martha J. Lewis (Mitchell) RN, BScN

  3. Public Health Research Education and Development (PHRED) Program, London, Canada

    L. Michelle Sangster Bouck MA & Charlene E. Beynon RN, MScN

  4. School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

    Charlene E. Beynon RN, MScN

  5. Hamilton Public Health and Social Services PHRED Program, Hamilton, Canada

    Donna K. Ciliska RN, PhD

Authors
  1. Susan M. Jack RN, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Michelle Sangster Bouck MA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Charlene E. Beynon RN, MScN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Donna K. Ciliska RN, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Martha J. Lewis (Mitchell) RN, BScN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan M. Jack RN, PhD.

Additional information

Sources of support: Funding for the media campaign came from the Substance Abuse Prevention Network of Central West and Southwest Ontario and for the evaluation from the Hamilton Public Health and Social Services and Middlesex-London Health Unit PHRED programs. The results of this study do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of those in the supporting health departments.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jack, S.M., Bouck, L.M.S., Beynon, C.E. et al. Marketing a Hard-to-Swallow Message. Can J Public Health 96, 189–193 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403688

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403688

MeSH terms

Search

Navigation