EDITION: 04 CLIENT: NHS GREATER GLASGOW & CLYDE GROUP: WHOSE ROUND?
AN INSIGHT INTO YOUNG PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS OF & RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL IN GREATER GLASGOW AND CLYDE.
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DISCLAIMER: Dear readers, It is important to highlight this newspaper was written in collaboration with young people and through the editing process we have tried to represent the voice of young people as honestly as possible and have not censored the language used in the content. Thank you in advance for your understanding, The Matter Team
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CONTENTS WELCOME! THE QUESTION CONTRIBUTORS THE PROCESS THE DRINKING JOURNEY CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS DIGITAL RESEARCH PLATFORM ANALYSIS BOYS & GIRLS DRINKING CALENDAR KEY CHALLENGES THE FUTURE
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WELCOME! OVERVIEW City Centre Alcohol Action Group (CCAAG) for Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde along with local partners commissioned Snook and Young Scot to develop and deliver an engaging alcohol campaign that young people and young adults can contribute to and be part of. This campaign will run over 2-3 years and will use a variety of marketing and media options and be delivered in way that puts young people at the centre of the process - co-producing the name, design, content and outputs. This newspaper is an output of the first step in this process. The aim of this newspaper is to tell the story of our research and lay the foundations for the next phase of work. It ends with a brief to the Whose Round? team and it’s relevant partners. This will guide us through the next phase of prototyping, testing and delivering content relevant to a range of young people across Glasgow through different mediums at appropriate times of the year. The Matter offers a new platform for young people to engage with local organisations, discuss what matters to them and voice their own opinions and ideas. It’s a way for organisations to really get what young people think and feel about problems in their local area. The Matter works like a newspaper that’s run, produced and published in
partnership with young people, so that each edition is a unique public response to a real question asked by a local authority, This paper will be used by Snook to inform the Blended Social Marketing and Alcohol Campaign and act as a guide to how the campaign will be run and engage with young people. Our findings, whilst focussing on alcohol related harm and promoting safer drinking culture will also connect with and promote ongoing CCAAG initiative such as Nite Zones, Best Bar None and the SOS Bus.
FROM THE CLIENT As part of the work of the CCAAG, alcohol awareness raising campaigns have been running since 2004 using a wide range of communication media and marketing tools to deliver messages to young people on safer drinking and personal safety themes related to nights out in Glasgow City Centre. The themes have consistently evaluated well and young people agree that they are relevant but more and more, the means of delivery have been questioned as has the impact of campaigns that aim to change behaviour primarily through raising knowledge levels.
A consultation with young people aged 1624 in Glasgow highlighted that in order to get young people on board with an alcohol campaign, we had to change our approach and come into the 21st century with our technology. They suggested less posters and leaflets giving advice but instead, we should aim to communicate with young people on the issues related to alcohol that they want to talk about and use methods that they use to allow them to properly engage in two-way dialogue. We took this on board and set out to commission work to help us do this properly and meaningfully. The Matter process has been an education for us and we have realised that it’s more difficult to sign young people up to talk about alcohol than we thought so it’s given us something to think about in that respect. Having said that, the feedback we have had has been really useful and will help us develop something really exciting and innovative and we hope that our young people will agree.
FROM THE MATTER Hello! We represent a wide range of 1624 year olds and stakeholders related to young people and alcohol from the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area who participated in this project. When producing this paper, we wanted to highlight the relationship young people have with alcohol in a realistic way, sharing truths about the role it plays in all of our lives. The Matter paper responds to a question set by a client. In this case, our client is NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the question we tackled was: “What would a successful blended social marketing campaign for young people ages 16-24 in Greater Glasgow & Clyde look like?” We hope our work will improve how well this campaign works and the impact it has. Hopefully, the client will take onboard our findings and listen to our ideas and opinions.
“ I SIGNED UP TO BE PART OF THE MATTER BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN BOTH EXTREMES OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE TO DRINK SENSIBLY AND REALISE THE BENEFITS OF KEEPING WITHIN THEIR LIMITS” - DEEPAK, GLASGOW
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THE QUESTION (AND ITS CHALLENGES)
OVERVIEW When we hear the word ‘campaign’ we instinctively think about advertisements. We remember the jingles, tv ads, posters and leaflets that struck a chord with us emotionally. But what actually is an advertisement? The way we consume information, news and data is changing at an increasingly fast-pace. We are moving away from traditional media touchpoints and consuming media at higher and higher rates. We’ve never been more reachable, round the clock. So, what’s bad for the sociologist is great for the marketer. What does this mean for a public organisation on a mission to reach an audience with a particular message?
BLENDED CAMPAIGNS This campaign needs to be blended across multiple channels and used in crosspromotional ways. Previously, campaigns in Glasgow have attempted to engage audiences with products and physical representations of the message - products such as key chains, leaflets and posters. This approach in isolation no longer captures the attention of audiences, particularly the younger demographic. We are living the age of multi-tasking and our attention is being constantly disrupted through a range of new media like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and What;s App. Our research reinforced our belief that this campaign must move beyond traditional campaign structures with accompanying physical products and instead take an innovative form that is responsive and ever changing in a way that seamlessly integrates the physical, digital and interactive aspects in line with traditional marketing.
THE question we wanted answers too!
WHAT WOULD A SUCCESSFUL BLENDED SOCIAL MARKETING AND ALCOHOL CAMPAIGN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 16-24 IN GREATER GLASGOW AND CLYDE LOOK LIKE?
DESIGN FOR BEHAVIOUR As designers, we are trained to design upon behaviour, insights, needs and desires as opposed to the approach of designing around demographic information. Our research reinforced our belief that this campaign must embrace a similar approach - designing for lifestyles and attitudes as opposed to age based demographics. Influencing factors that were often raised by the young people we talked to were location and religion. All design influences our behaviour, but designers and those commissioning design don’t always consciously consider the power this gives us to help people, (and, sometimes, to manipulate them). There’s a huge opportunity for this campaign to focus on the most important aspect of this question - people’s behaviours related to drinking.
CAMPAIGNS DON’T EXIST IN A VACUUM
BEING AT EASE WITH NOT KNOWING
Our world is becoming more interconnected. Our research reinforced our belief that this campaign has to be tackled from the perspective of systems thinking - a very holistic approach that focuses on the way that a system’s constituent parts interrelate, how they work over time and within the context of larger networks. This means focusing on how and where this campaign sits within this context. For instance, it is part of an ecosystem of stakeholders such as HEI’s, Youth Groups, Pubs, Clubs and other organisations such as private sector businesses and charities. There’s an opportunity to test this during the next phase of work when our ideas are prototyped. It’s only after we initiate something in a system that we see the threads that connect. This will help us identify who we need to build relationships with and who our campaign needs to connect with on a wider level.
This has been the most fundamental and consistent message throughout all of our research. The young people of Greater Glasgow and Clyde don’t know the answer to our question, but most importantly they don’t seem to care about the question or the potential answers. Naturally, this led us to then trying to understand the high level of apathy and disengagement towards the question and topic of alcohol itself. This paper will highlight the main barriers and behaviour patterns we identified. Part of this aspect was learning from both unsuccessful and successful campaigns in different sectors and identifying which elements we can be inspired by, replicate and build upon to deliver a successful campaign in Glasgow.
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CONTRIBUTORS SNOOK
YOUNG SCOT
THE MATTER TEAM
SARAH DRUMMOND LAUREN CURRIE ANDY YOUNG JAMIE THOMS KIERA ANDERSON ANNA HARMAVA ALEX CLARKE
LOUISE MACDONALD ALISON HARDIE LISA MURPHY TONI MACKAY
CHAMPIONS
ALCOHOL FOCUS SCOTLAND FIRE SAFETY SCOTLAND
MICHAEL LAU DEEPACK SINGH
GLASGOW COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL
STAKEHOLDERS THE SANDYFORD CLINIC
NITEZONES SOS BUS
LICENSING STANDARDS
STUDENT NURSES POLICE SCOTLAND
THE BARN ANDREW GRAHAM LISA TEMPLETON SUSAN TEMPLETON JADE REID JOSEPH REID KEVIN TINNEY DANIEL MCGRATH DANIEL MCFADDEN CONOR MOONEY CALE SMITH BARRY MCLAUGHLIN ROISIN DEVILLE CHARMAINE WHITE
EASTER HOUSE STEPHANIE MCINTYRE CAITLYN FREEDMAN CLARE MCDERMOTT DONNA MCCARTNEY NATALIE PARSONS LAUREN DONALD REBECCA STEEL REBECCA SHANKS BROWWYN DEANE HAYLEY MCLAUGHLIN NATALIE HENDERSON ASHLEY LOGAN CHELSEA AITKEN NICHOLA SWEENEY ASHLEIGH TENNANT ROXANNE KERR RACHEL COLLINS LETITIA WEBB NICOLE MCKENNA
DISABILITY COMMUNITY JOHN MCMULLAN LEAH MCINNES LAURA HANLOL JORDAN MILAN
THE BARN
JAMES MCLEAN
THANKS TO THE 25 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FROM THE BARN
ALC NORTH EAST TEAM
JADE BEATON KYSE YAILANI DYLAN WYLIE JAMES FINDLAY
THANKS TO THE 8 STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE ALC NOTH EAST TEAM
ACTIVE RENFREWSHIRE
DRC
THANKS TO THE 5 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FROM ACTIVE RENFREWSHIRE.
CAITLIN GILLEN EMMA DOCHERTY JAQUELINE KANE SAMANTHA KANE SHANNON MCNAB SCOTT KANE RYAN GALLACHER AFRA ZAKI THANDO MOYO
I-YOUTH ZONE
VOICES FROM GREATER GLASGOW AND CLYDE
JAMIE WALSH BRANDON MCINNES SHANNON KANE BECCA MACPHAIL PAIGE ORR SARAH JOHNSTONE JONATHAN REILLY CARRIE LOVE KYLE ORR ANNAMAY ROSS SHAUN FEENEY BROGAN
GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
INVERCLYDE THANKS TO THE 25 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FROM INVERCLYDE
JOHN GAUGHAN SINEAD WYLIE KEITH RIDDOCH JACK JOHNSON HASSAN IAIN HIGGISON ELLIE WOOD SARAH AGNEN KIERAN LYNCH S. MULDOON CHARLIE HARRIS
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THE PROCESS
UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM Landscape
Opinion
Research Interviews Interpret a brief
Focus Groups
Online Research
IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES Analyse Insights
Stakeholder Maps
Clustering
Brainstorm
Beer Mats Templates
Drunk Scale
Synthesis
The Drinking journey
Emerging Themes
Clustering
Principles
PRODUCE, PUBLISH & PROMOTE Collate & Write Gather materials
Edit
Write articles
Design Manage Contractors Invitations
THE FUTURE
Ship Deadline! Proofread
Present & Promote
Prepare presentation
Distribute
The brief
Deliver Campaign
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THE DRINKING JOURNEY IF ANYONE’S SCORED DRUGS WE NORMALLY TAKE THEM BEFORE GOING OUT.
YOU DON’T EAT BEFORE YOU GO OUT. EATING IS CHEATING.
TUNES REALLY HELP EVERYONE GET IN THE MOOD.
AYE, WE ALL SAY IT’S ABOUT MONEY AND WE’RE BUYING IT COS ITS CHEAPER BUT IT’S REALLY JUST AN EXCUSE FOR US TO DRINK MORE OF IT.
WE CALL IT PRINKING, OR PRELOADING. WE HAVE PRINKS BEFORE WE GO OUT BECAUSE IT’S CHEAPER AND YOU CAN GET SMASHED QUICKER.
WE NORMALLY GO TO ONE OF THE GIRLS HOUSES TO GET READY. OUR HAIR, TAN, MAKE UP AND THAT.
IF ONE OF OUR MATES IS SKINT, WE’LL NORMALLY CHIP IN TO MAKE SURE HE COMES OUT.
THERE’S ALWAYS SOMEONE TRYING TO SAY WE SHOULD STAY IN, BUT WE ALWAYS MOTIVATE THEM WITH LOUDER TUNES AND MORE DRINK!
PRE-DRINKING
WE ALWAYS HAVE BANTER WITH THE TAXI DRIVERS SAYING WE’LL TIP THEM MORE MONEY IF THE BLAST THE MUSIC FOR US.
SOMEONE WITH FREE MINUTES PHONES THE TAXI, EVERYONE CHIPS IN AND WE TAKE OUR CARRY OUT IN THE TAXI.
WHEN WE ARE IN THE QUEUE, WE WORK OUT THE RULES FOR MINESWEEPING. THE MORE MAD THE DRINK THE BETTER. DEPENDS WHERE WE’RE GOING, SOME PLACES IF YOU GET CAUGHT YOU’LL BE BOTTLED, SO IT’S RISKY BUT MAKES THE NIGHT MORE INTERESTING.
THE NIGHT OUT / IN
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THE PREP
SELFIES
TUNES
GETTING READY
PURCHASING
PRE-DRINKING
ALCOHOL IN HOUSE
DRINKING GAMES
STAY IN
ALCOPOPS
OUT OF BOOZE
ASK PARENTS
FAKE ID
ORGANISING WHO’S OUT
ASK STRANGERS
PLANNING THE VENUE
WE’RE OLD ENOUGH ASK BROTHER/SISTER
MIXERS
SHOTS
DECISION POINT
GO OUT
TRAVEL
QUEUE/WAIT
DESIGNATED DRIVERS
LOOK FOR MATES
TAXI WALK
BUS GET A LIFT
MINESWEEPING CHECK IN ONLINE
GAMING MINESWEEPING; The act of stealing, appropriating, or simply picking up an unattended drink, with the intention of acquiring it as your own.
Channels used by
Young people in the above journey.
GUY 1 (With pint of Stella)
GUY 2 MATE, WHAT THE FU*K YOU DOING WITH THAT LOW CAL BLUEBERRY FLAVOURED BACARDI BREEZER?
BEEN MINESWEEPING. BEGGARS CAN’T BE CHOOSERS. 80% OF THE VIOLENCE HAPPENS AT KICK OUT TIME. 4AM IS MADNESS! KEBAB SHOBS AND TAXI QUEUES ARE THE WORST
QUEUES ARE A KILLER. I BUY DOUBLES SO I WON’T HAVE TO GO BACK AS OFTEN BUT I DRINK THEM JUST AS QUICKLY.
NEARLY ALL MY MATES HAVE SMASHED THEIR PHONES AT SOME POINT ON A NIGHT OUT SO WE JUST DON’T REALLY USE THEM. THERE’S NEVER ANY SIGNAL OUT ANYWAY.
IF SOMEONE’S IN A BAD WAY OR CHECKED OUT THEN WE NORMALLY TRY TO PUT THEM IN A TAXI, LEAVE THEM TO IT AND GET BACK ON IT OURSELVES.
9 TIMES OUT OF 10 I HAVE NAE IDEA HOW A GOT HOME. IF A LASSIE IS PARTICULARLY STEAMING, THE TAXI DRIVERS JUST SAY NO OR WONT STOP. WE JUST HAVE TO LEAVE HER OR CALL HER PARENTS.
I’VE WOKE UP IN SOME RIDICULOUS PLACES. I’VE SLEPT ROUGH ON THE STREET, MY GARDEN, IT MADNESS.
I GOT IN WRECKED AND FIRED SOME TURKEY DINOSAURS IN THE OVEN. I FELL ASLEEP AND DIDN’T WAKE UP TO THE NEXT MORNING. WHEN I DID, I COULD HARDLY SEE FOR SMOKE. THEY WENT BLACK. MY THROAT WAS AGONY FOR AGES AFTER THAT. I GUESS IT WAS LUCKY IT DIDN’T START A FIRE WASTE OF A GOOD TEA THOUGH.
AYE, WE’RE ALL ROUGH, BUT THAT’S PART OF THE FUN. YOU EITHER GET BACK ON IT WITH A HAIR OF THE DOG OR TRY AND SHIFT THE HANGOVER. THERE ARE ALWAYS FOLK MESSAGING WITH STORIES OR PICTURES THE NEXT MORNING LOOKING FOR A WIND UP OR A LAUGH.
IF I HAD A GREAT NIGHT LAST NIGHT BEING REALLY DRUNK, I WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN DRINK EVEN MORE NEXT TIME SO I HAVE AN EVEN BETTER TIME.
THE MORNING AFTER EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
OUT OUT
EAT, SLEEP, DRINK, REPEAT. TAG PHOTOS
SMOKING
CHECK IN
VIEW VENUE FACEBOOK ALBUM GETTING SPIKED CHEATING
STATUS UPDATES DOING DRUGS
DRUNK DIALLING GETTING LIFTED
BROKEN PHONE MINESWEEPING
SMOKING
LOOSING STUFF STEALING
REJECTION
LOOSING FRIENDS ARGUING
FIGHTS
RUNNING OUT OF MONEY GETTING SLASHED
LATE SATURDAY MORNING
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
GETTING HOME
HOME
THE MORNING AFTER
LATER THAT DAY
DESIGNATED DRIVER
GO TO AFTERPARTY
UPDATE FACEBOOK
PROGRESS UPDATES
QUEUE FOR TAXI PHONE BF/GF
NIGHT BUS
PREBOOKED TAXI AFTERPARTY
GO FOR FOOD
LOOSING FRIENDS GETTING LOST
RAPE
KEEP DRINKING
BED
THE FEAR
CHECK TEXTS
GO HOME WITH A STRANGER
CHECK FOR PHOTOS
ACCIDENTAL FIRE IN HOUSE
HUNGOVER PICTURES
STAY IN HOTEL
CHECK CALL HISTORY HUNGOVER MEMORY LOSS HUNGOVER
SUICIDE SHAME
PLAN ROUND 2
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CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS We have spent time dissecting successful and unsuccessful campaigns to pinpoint the key ingredients for success. The Matter Team helped identify campaigns that have the ‘stickability’ factor and we explored a wide range of campaign across both the public and private sector.
DUMB WAYS TO DIE
NEK NOMINATE
HOW TO DRINK PROPERLY
‘Dumb ways to Die’ is a train health and safety campaign designed for Metro in Australia. The campaign features a humorous music video where little cute characters met grizzly deaths due to their own stupidity in the world around them. The videos does not look or feel like a normal safety campaign and as such the ‘reveal’ at the end of the video is shocking. Due to its catchy tune, cute factor and comedic value it became a major hit, going viral and evolving into a mobile game. It’s success has since resulted in a number of spin offs.
Neknominate, also known as neck and nominate, neknomination or neck nomination, is an online drinking game. The original parameters of the game require the participant to film themselves drinking a pint of alcoholic beverage, usually beer, in one gulp and upload the footage to the web. The participant then nominates two others to do the same, although a third nomination has become commonplace. The nominated person has to complete the task within 24 hours. People who back out are often ridiculed online.
A drinkwise campaign aimed at teaching people how to drink better. The campaign revolves around a suave role model who encourages people to not be such ‘amateur drinkers’. The campaign is based on humour and a fake personality, which is evident over the different social networks. This was one campaign that the Matter team really liked as benchmark however, It begs the question what would classy drinking in Glasgow look like? And who could be the role model?
HUMOUR UNEXPECTED
CATCHY THE REVEAL
GAMIFICATION 80 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS
20% REDUCTION IN ‘N EAR MISS’ ACCIDENTS AND DEATH THE AD REINFORCES TRAINS AS A POSSIBLE SUICIDE METHOD.
THERE ARE CLEAR REASONS WHY “DUMB WAYS TO DIE” HAS BEEN A SUCCESS. IT’S CATCHY AND THE ANIMATION IS HILARIOUS. BUT IT HAS ANOTHER, LESS OBVIOUS, THING GOING FOR IT: THE POWER OF POSITIVITY. Digital Buzz
Having originated in the UK as Neck and Nominate, it took off at a later stage when it became #neknominate. By early 2014 it had spread and escalated, with nominees performing the challenge in more extreme circumstances, drinking more potent concoctions or engaging in dangerous activities either during or immediately after consuming the drink. It shows how powerful social media can be in spreading ideas across the world, allowing global trends to develop in a short space of time, no matter how ridiculous they might be. DARING SOCIAL
RISKY
COMPETITIVE
IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK DEATHS
ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES
INJURY
ALCOHOL POISONING PEER PRESSURE
CYBER SHAME
WE ARE NOTICING THAT AS THE CHAIN GOES ON AS DOES THE INTENSITY OF THE SITUATIONS PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES IN. WHILST SOME MAY SEE IT AS A BIT OF FUN, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. Police Scotland
ENGAGING
POSITIVE ROLE MODEL
EASY TO SHARE MIXED REVIEWS
“WE NEEDED TO TALK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR TONE AND THEIR LANGUAGE ACKNOWLEDGING THE REALITY THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO DRINK. “FOR THE FIRST TIME, THIS CAMPAIGN ASKS YOUNG ADULTS TO START A PROCESS OF SELFREFLECTION - TO LOOK AT HOW THEIR POOR DRINKING CHOICES CAN IMPACT ON HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR PEER GROUP.” DrinkWise
NO MAKEUP SELFIE
STATE OF HER
DAMME COLD STORIES
One of the most explosive social media campaigns recently has been the #NoMakeUpSelfie for Cancer Research UK. The movement went viral and raised over £8 million in funding over 6 days. The interesting thing is that the campaign wasn’t started by Cancer Research UK, it was user-generated idea. This had a feel good factor, it had an emotional connection, it had an immediate impact (money and likes/ comments), it was social (everyone was doing it and it was almost impossible to miss on social media), it allowed you to connect with friends/family (you had to nominate other as part of the challenge) and mostly it was a simple yet positive challenge.
One of the most frequently mentioned videos, from the older bracket of users we engaged with, were the old HEBS (Health Education Board of Scotland) adverts. The most popular scenario referenced showed a school girl walking down the corridor eyeing up the guy she fancied while having flashback of the night before. The ad ends with the guy laughing at her and saying to his friend ‘ Should of seen the state of her on Saturday night’. These videos represented real people and used Scottish accents, which were key in the stickability of these messages. Not all remember the name of the campaign but the quotes stuck with people.
Another post that commonly appeared in young peoples news feed was the Coors Light campaign where they tried to use social media as an engagement tool to advertise their drink. Creating the challenge for people to submit their own “DAMME COLD STORIES” with the chance to win Coors light merchandise for the best stories. If the alcoholic beverage companies are using social media to promote their alcoholic products it makes sense for safer drinking campaigns to utilise this new format of communication. The ability for people to engage and tell their stories in a humorous and fun environment is clearly an effective way to connect with the public on the topic of alcohol.
SIMPLE SOCIAL
POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE
USER GENERATED
FEEL GOOD FACTOR
RAISED MONEY
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
SCOTTISH
STICKABILITY
MEMORABLE
SPIKE IN DONATIONS, BUT LITTLE SUSTAINABILITY
“THIS INFURIATING CAMPAIGN HAS ANGERED ME DEEPLY, IT SIMPLY TRIVIALISES MY PAIN AND MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY’S PAIN AND SUFFERING WHILST THEY LOVED AND SUPPORTED ME DURING TREATMENT. THOSE PEOPLE MAY BE WELL-MEANING BUT AS FAR AS I SEE IT, THEY ARE COMPLETELY CLUELESS AS TO THE GREATER IMPACT.” Breast Cancer Patient
MULTI-PLATFORM
ROLE MODEL
NO POSITIVE MESSAGE
REAL IMPACT
AWARENESS NOT AN ISSUE FOR CANCER BASED ON SOCIETY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MAKE UP
SOCIAL
YEAH THE ADVERTS FINE, BUT THEY STILL DON’T GET IT. THEN THERE’S COLLEGE WHERE THEY REALLY GET FUC*ED UP! THEY DON’T LEARN UNTIL SOMEONE THEY KNOW DIES. YouTube
REPETITION AND LACK OF DIVERSE CONTENT CAN HINDER HOW OFTEN FANS VIEW OR INTERACT WITH YOUR POSTS AND PAGE. IN COORS LIGHT’S CASE WE SEE THAT POSTS DO NOT ALWAYS RECEIVE A HIGH NUMBER OF LIKES OR COMMENTS. TWITTER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE USED TO THE SAME EFFECT AS FACEBOOK, WITH LESS TWEETS AND EVEN LESS CONTENT. Vote Here Social Polls
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CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS 2 DANCING PONY
THE HODGETWINS
THE DEVIL’S DUE
A favourite short video constantly referenced at youth groups was the Three Dancing Pony. The mobile company Three used the campaign to show their customers they understood them. Enter, a dancing pony named Socks. The company simply understood what many people are using the Internet for – silly, humorous video consumption and sharing. The company’s social media marketing strategy team created their own silly short and a neighing star was born.
The Hodgetwins were identified by The Matter group as a common topic of discussion amongst their student friends who are interested in health, wellbeing, fitness and bodybuilding. The Hodgetwins are identical twins who broadcast shows and videos on YouTube. The content varies from being informational, to some racier content - all subject from the emails sent by viewers of the show. Popularity in The Hodgetwins has been down to interesting and humorous content and especially their dynamic personalities. The videos are informal, unrehearsed and accessible. It simply boils down to two guys in front of a camera giving advice on subjects that matter to their audience.
As a promotion for the upcoming horror film “Devil’s Due,” filmmakers made a remote-controlled pram with a animatronic “devil baby” in an attempt to terrify New Yorkers. As people approach the unattended pram, lured in by the sound of a baby crying, the baby springs up and screaming and wailing with demonic expression. The obscene baby also projectile vomits and makes vulgar hand gestures. The reactions are priceless. The prank was captured with hidden cameras and uploaded to YouTube. The video went viral, garnering more than 4.8 million views in a single day.
The short featured Socks, a little pony with a lot of attitude moonwalking throughout Shetland, Scotland to the tune of ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac.” The tagline at the end of the short puts it simply, “Silly Stuff. It Matters” To date, the video has gotten over 8 million views on YouTube, 863,958 Facebook shares and 22,584 Twitter shares. It is estimated to be the 7th most viral UK ad of 2013 and it only took 2 weeks to get there!
HUMOUR SHORT ADVICE
HONEST
SIMPLE
ENGAGING
VIRAL
NO POSITIVE MESSAGE
WITH CLEVER, INNOVATIVE CONTENT, OFTEN BY USING A SIMPLE CONCEPT LIKE A DANCING PONY, AS WELL AS INCLUDING THAT ALLIMPORTANT HASHTAG, IN THIS CASE #DANCEPONYDANCE, BRANDS CAN USE ADVERTS TO DRIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT. THE INITIAL SUCCESS OF THREE’S #DANCEPONYDANCE CAMPAIGN A SIGN THAT, IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT, SILLY HUMOUR IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR A BRAND TO ENGAGE WITH ITS AUDIENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO HAVE MAXIMUM EFFECT. IF YOUR BRAND HAS A NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN WAITING IN THE WINGS, CONSIDER INJECTING SOME HUMOUR TO MAKE IT A PERFORMANCE TO REMEMBER! Sentiment Metrics
POSITIVE MESSAGE
ENTERTAINMENT
NO POSITIVE MESSAGE
SIMPLE
AS WITH ANY VIRAL CAMPAIGN, THE REACTIONS WE SEE MIGHT BE STAGED, I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE BUT IT’S MUCH MORE ENTERTAINING TO SMARTER THAN WHAT THEY PUT OUT, BELIEVE THEY’RE GENUINE. Time AND THEY ACT LIKE THAT FOR THE ATTENTION. A LOT OF PEOPLE WON’T AGREE WITH ME, BUT THEY PUT OUT A NEGATIVE IMAGE, AND THEY REMIND ME OF 16 YEAR OLD BOY’S WITH NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH THEMSELVES. DAFT
SCOTTISH
HUMOUR
SHOCK FACTOR
LADDISH
Huff Post
PSST
EMBRACE LIFE
OTHERS WE LIKED...
In 2007 Liverpool Primary Care Trust and its key partners set up a social marketing campaign in the city centre to improve alcohol awareness amongst young people. The emphasis of the project was not to tell people to ‘Stop Drinking’. They created a ‘Chill Out Cabin’ and provided an alternative night out, an alternative to a night drinking alcohol. The cabin offered a safe space where people could get a mocktail, have a massage or just chat with friends and listen or dance to music. The campaign was seen as a success as it had 3,000 visitors in the Chill Out Cabin over 19 nights and 3 months later 60% of the visitors felt that it had impacted on their drinking behaviours.
The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) uses a family’s playacting to depict the horrors of driving without a seatbelt for its “Embrace Life” campaign. The poignant reminder is not what you would typically see in a public information film. It debuted in January 2010, initially only show locally, but thanks to internet distribution the advert quickly became a worldwide viral hit, gathering over 11.8million views on YouTube alone in ten months. Embrace Life was deliberately developed to provide a counter-point to the hard-hitting ‘shock and awe’ advertising so common to road safety with a focus on raising awareness of wearing a seatbelt. Global support for the campaign has been high - especially through Twitter and Facebook, where one viewer was moved to create a group dedicated to getting the campaign on TV.
COCKTAILS
FUN
PHYSICAL BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
SHORT
IMPACT SCALABILITY
THE RESEARCH IDENTIFIED THAT STUDENTS WERE BINGE DRINKING BECAUSE IT WAS PERCEIVED TO BE THE ACCEPTED SOCIAL NORM AT UNIVERSITY. THIS PERCEPTION IS CREATED AND REINFORCED BY THE MEDIA, DRINKS PROMOTIONS AND SOCIAL INTERACTION AMONGST STUDENTS (E.G WAR STORIES ABOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE). MOST SOCIAL SITUATIONS TARGETING STUDENTS ENCOURAGE BINGE DRINKING AND THE STUDENTS FELT THAT THERE WAS NO REAL ALTERNATIVE. WITH THIS IN MIND, RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES WHICH COULD SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS. Consumer Focus
EMOTIONAL
POWERFUL
SETTING A NEW BAR FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION VIDEOS ONE DIMENSIONAL
Watch It
ANOTHER WASTED NIGHT STEPHENS STORY
Watch It
HELLO SUNDAY MORNING LiVR
Watch It
FIRST KISS
Watch It
Watch It
DRUG FUC*ED
Watch It
VINNIE JONES
Watch It
Watch It
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DIGITAL RESEARCH March/April 2014
YOUNG SCOT SURVEY || SOCIAL & DIGITAL INSIGHTS
(385 responses)
WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR PHONE/TABLET/COMPUTER FOR ON A DAILY BASIS?
SOCIAL MEDIA 78%
TEXTING/MESSAGING FRIENDS 76%
WATCHING VIDEOS 56%
SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION 52%
PICTURE APPS 50%
PLAYING GAMES 48%
IF YOU ACCESS THE INTERNET, WHAT DEVICE DO YOU USE MOST OF THE TIME?
SMARTPHONE 39%
HOME COMPUTER/LAPTOP 33%
TABLET 21%
GAMES CONSOLE 4%
YOUNG SCOT SURVEY || MOBILE & INTERNET
SCHOOL COMPUTER 2%
LIBRARY COMPUTER 1%
April - June 2013 (634 responses)
MOBILE PHONE USE
1-2 HOURS PER DAY 37%
OWN MOBILE PHONES 96%
2+ HOURS PER DAY 42%
SOME QUESTIONS THE MATTER ASKED
EVER TRIED A SOBER NIGHT OUT? YEH, WASN’T THE BEST EH!
CAN’T DO IT. NO FUN AT ALL.
I DON’T NEED ALCOHOL TO HAVE FUN SO IT DOESN’T BOTHER ME.
YEH. WAS OK, JUST MEANT I DIDN’T DANCE.
AYE. PISH. YES! ABSOLUTELY HATED IT! PEOPLE PUSH INTO YOU AND SPILL DRINKS EVERYWHERE.
IS THERE ANY PRESSURE ON YOU TO DRINK? YES. WITH THE FOOTBALL BOYS.
NOT REALLY. NOT PRESSURE, BUT ITS JUST ALWAYS A FACTOR.
AYE, AT THE BAR.
ONLY GRAVITY.
NO.
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PLATFORM ANALYSIS Social media will play a monumental role in the success of this campaign. Taking inspiration from previous campaigns and utilizing the key ingredients which made them successful such as the use of humour but also, the positivity associated with gaining likes, shares and followers. This is a new form of currency our campaign needs to tap into and the importance of social media as a delivery channel was highlighted both from our research and engagement with young people and through previous research conducted by Devlin Beattie. “The last thing I’m thinking about is whether the club has wi-fi.”
THE LAST THING I’M THINKING ABOUT IS WI-FI
It’s also very important to highlight our research showed that constant access to social media is not as important to young people as you may imagine. For example, wi-fi connection has little influence on their decision to visit a particular venue.
It could be said that how much money you have really determines your relationship with social media, some groups of young people we talked to all had smart phones whilst others had less capable pay as you go phones. This may seem obvious but it’s a key challenge for us to try and design a campaign that will fit into the digital lives (and hands) of people aged 16-24 in Glasgow. Our research also highlighted that there is a stigma from certain groups around using your phone during a night out. “Having your phone out to take photographs is a different thing than just being on your phone. Just being on your phone is definitely not ok.” Our campaign will not only need to get into the hands of our target audience, but also speak to them across multiple social media channels. The majority of the young people we spoke to used their phones to access at least three social media platforms, with many using up to six throughout the course of a night. Through focus groups and interviews with a range of 16-24 year olds in Glasgow, we have compiled a list of the top six platforms and give insight into how people on how they use them. This information will also help inform how our campaign might leverage the overwhelming use of social media.
HAVING YOUR PHONE OUT TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS IS A DIFFERENT THING THAN JUST BEING ON YOUR PHONE. JUST BEING ON YOUR PHONE IS DEFINITELY NOT OKAY
Facebook is an online social network. Who’s on Facebook? The short answer, of course, is everyone. And that’s why this campaign needs to seriously consider a major presence on the platform, as well as a Facebook-specific strategy. Our participants use Facebook for a host of activities such as consuming news, hosting private conversations to organise meet ups and sharing video and photo content.
Instagram is an online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them and share them on a variety of social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. Over 90% of the 150 million people on Instagram are under the age of 35, which makes it an attractive platform for the campaign. Now that Instagram has begun testing ads, it’s a good time to dig deeper into its audience. Though it’s owned by Facebook, Instagram is a mobile app with distinct demographics: sixty-eight percent of Instagram’s users are women. Instagram is agnostic in the smartphone wars: the app’s users are neatly divided 50/50 between owners of Android and Apple devices. Early data shows that Instagram video attracts more engagement than Instagram competitor, Vine.
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
Facebook is the engine room of all online communication and will play a central role in the delivery of a successful campaign in Glasgow therefore a unique Facebook strategy should be considered.
2
It plays a role in the ‘morning after’ communication and sharing of content created ‘the night before’ especially around behaviours of ‘tagging’.
3
There was almost no difference in the use of Facebook across genders in the 16-24 age range.
“ WE USE FACEBOOK TO HAVE PRIVATE CHATS TO GET ORGANISED BUT ALSO JUST TO SEE THE DAFT VIDEOS AND STUFF FOLK ARE POSTING ”
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
This platform is used by girls more than boys - an important factor and consideration for the campaign.
2
Hashtags are very “local” and present an opportunity to reach and engage an audience who are actively searching for these terms.
3
The majority of its usage comes from a place of ‘looking good’ and ‘showing off’ - especially posing for pictures before a night out.
“ I’M ADDICTED TO INSTAGRAM! I LOVE IT ”
Hashtags our participants use
HASHTAGS #LASTNIGHT #CARRYOOT #ONNIT #MD2020 #BUCKFAST #DEED #BURSTCOUCH #HUNGOVER #MWI
Sources: UK Social Media Statistics 2014
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YOUTUBE
YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos. With 800 million people visiting YouTube worldwide every month, our research highlighted that YouTube is more popular than ever with young people. YouTube offers our campaign greater reach of both popular and hard to reach audiences than most other online destinations and with solutions to engage them in authentic, meaningful ways. YouTube plays a role in the daily life of all the participants we engaged with. It becomes a particularly important role in the experience of drinking as it’s a tool used during social situations to play music and share entertaining content that has been shared during the week.
WHATS APP
WhatsApp can be thought of as a text and image version of Skype; it uses a (free) internet connection to send and receive text, image and video messages which would otherwise be chargeable on a smartphone. Unlike Snapchat, only those in the user’s Contact directory can view profiles and communication is one-to-one; there is also no “follower” type option which allows strangers to view content not directly intended for them, so really it is a messaging rather than a social media app – worth noting as, often, the two apps are mentioned as if they are interchangeable. This channel is used consistently by our target audience to have private group conversations and also talk to each other in real time, even when they are in the same room as each other.
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
YouTube is strongly connected to Facebook in terms of how our audience engage simultaneously across both platforms and plays a vital role in the notion of successfully “going viral”.
2
YouTube is the channel most commonly used to play music and watch videos spotted on social media during the week.
3
Many of the young people we spoke to use YouTube as a resource for personal and intimate questions. Many subscribe to beauty or fitness channels for example and see these as trusted resources.
“ AYE, YOUTUBE IS WHERE THE TUNES ARE. WE CAN BE ON IT FOR HOURS BEFORE WE GO OUT LISTENING TO MUSIC AND WATCHING VIDEOS. ”
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
To be part of this channel our campaign would need to identify mobile phone numbers. Research suggests designing our campaign to fit with the behaviours around this channel as opposed to the channel itself.
2
The most popular function for this channel is private group conversation. Often used to organise going out and meeting arrangements.
3
The popularity of this channel has arisen because it offers a function for free that can normally be charged for - this is a ‘selling point’ that our campaign could also provide by building into other over the top apps.
“ EVERYBODY IS ON WHATSAPP - OF COURSE THEY ARE! ”
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read short 140-character text messages, called “tweets”. Registered users can read and post tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. In terms of gender, the United Kingdom Twitter demographics is evenly split. Males and females are split at 49% and 51% respectively. Two thirds of Twitter users are aged 34 or under, with 40% of them below the age of 25. However, nearly all of the participants we engaged with do not use twitter. The ones who do use the channel to follow celebrities.
SNAPCHAT
Snapchat in particular is a direct response to young people’s concern about digital legacy putting content onto Twitter, for example, which will be archived for all time and may come back to embarrass or otherwise trouble you later in life. Snapchat’s USP is that users can set a time limit for the availability of each post they make; expired posts are deleted from the app’s servers. Officially, nothing is stored. User statistics are notoriously hard to come by - much to industry amusement - on a global scale, let alone for the UK. We know that globally the 13-20yr olds are the core audience, and that 70% of users are female. There are also some interesting, if admittedly speculative, calculations around volume of use here.
Twitter is not as important a platform based on our target audience. Our campaign should strive to engage with Facebook initially - as the campaign gains momentum use of Twitter should be re-visited.
“ I HAVE AN ACCOUNT, BUT I ONLY REALLY USE IT TO STALK CELEBRITIES. ”
KEY LESSONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN 1
The second most consistent channel after facebook. Many participants were snapchatting during our conversations with them. The next phase of work will focus on more in-depth research into how our target audience are using this channel - where, why, how and when.
2
Young people are attracted to this channel because they are in control of how long their content can be accessed for. Unlike WhatsApp it is possible to send images to complete users or target groups specifically providing we have access to their username.
“ YOU SHOULD SEE THE SNAPCHATS I DO.. PEOPLE WOULD BE TERRIFIED ” Sources: UK Social Media Statistics 2014
24
BOYS & It is clear gender plays a strong role in our relationship with alcohol in Glasgow and across Scotland. However, as we dug deeper into this our initial assumptions were challenged. It was consistently agreed that both sexes drink the same amount and share the same levels of aggression and emotional distress when drunk. One common aspect is the ritual in the morning after is that of sharing photos and content from the night before. Both sexes relate being drunk to feeling more confident. The male relationship with alcohol was more individual - getting ready by themselves before going to a mates, buying individual drinks like pints. For the females it was a more social affair - getting ready together, buying bottles of wine, taking photos in the toilets. The following quotes are highlights from some of our focus groups.
AYE, EVERYTHING IS ABOUT DRINKING - EVERYTHING IS A COMPETITION
IT’S NOT DRINK THAT MAKES GIRLS SLUTTY - THEY ARE SLUTS ANYWAY AND THE DRINK JUST REVEALS IT.
IT’S WAY MORE COMMON FOR GUYS AROUND HERE TO BE FIGHTING AFTER A DRINK.
EVERYTHING JUST FEELS BETTER WHEN WE’RE DRINKING.
I DISAPPEAR AFTER THE NIGHT OUT - I SPENT MY WEEKEND WITH MY PALS
I DON’T KNOW WHAT UNITS ARE. I JUST DRINK MY BOTTLE OF BUCKY AND THAT ME.
EVERYDAY IS A BEER AFTER WORK DAY.
I’D NEVER DRINK ON PLACEMENT, BUT I REGULARLY WENT IN STILL DRUNK OR HUNGOVER WHEN I WAS A LIFEGUARD
GIRLS WHEN WE ARE TAUGHT ABOUT THE CALORIES IN ALCOHOL IT JUST MAKES US STOP EATING.
I DRINK FOR CONFIDENCE
I MUST HAVE A GUYS LIVER!
THE WALK OF SHAME ISN’T ALWAYS NEGATIVE. WE HAVE A GOOD LAUGH ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
EVERYONE JUDGES US ON WHAT WE WEAR AND HOW DRUNK WE GET
SAFE SEX IS AN ISSUE ON A NIGHT OUT. WE CAN’T CARRY CONTRACEPTION OR PEOPLE WILL CALL US SLUTS. I’VE BEEN GUILTY OF GOING OFF WITH BOYS AND THEN LEAVING MY FRIENDS TO WALK HOME ALONE.
I USE ALCOHOL TO ‘BE SOMEONE ELSE’ A LOT OF THE TIME.
26
DRINKING CALENDER ‘The Drinking Calendar Tool’ was developed as part of The Matter process to help us understand drinking patterns of young people in Greater Glasgow & Clyde. The tool was used in workshops and interviews to visualise the peaks and troughs in drinking related activity around specific events and seasons. It also helped us understand the related demand faced by stakeholders at certain times of year, particularly Police Scotland, Fire Scotland and hospitals across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Below is a visual example of some of the patterns ‘The Drinking Calendar Tool’ identified.
May Bank Holiday
New Year
Finish College College Exams
Easter Holidays Birthdays
Pay Weekend
Weekends
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
Freshers Week
Summer
Summer Holiday
Bonfire Night Christmas October Break TITP
JULY
Late Holidays
AUGUST
Halloween
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
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KEY CHALLENGES For all of our work it is clear there are a number of key challenges that we will need to continue to overcome if we are to deliver a successful and impactful campaign. In the section below, we explore some of these challenges, the barriers they represent and the impact they are likely to have on our campaign.
FU*K IT MENTALITY The most obvious and consistent theme throughout this research was the starkness of the situation. The majority of the young people we engaged were confident and proud to tell us they didn’t care about the dangers or the consequences of their relationship with alcohol. When asked to create ideas for potential solutions the groups were adamant that the only solution would be to ban the sale of alcohol entirely stating “we wouldn’t listen to anything else”.
“PEOPLE ARE SO PROUD OF GLASGOW’S REPUTATION OF BEING HEAVY DRINKERS.”
Many felt very strongly that this problem could not be fixed and the majority of young people we spoke to were ‘proud’ to live up to the stereotype of Scotland, including those with different religion beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. Visitors to the city - especially students - also endeavour to live up to this unfounded expectation.
“THEN THERE IS SOMETHING DEEP ABOUT SCOTLAND’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL THAT IS ABOUT SELF-IMAGE LACK OF CONFIDENCE, MAYBE, AS A NATION AND WE DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.”
“NO ONE CAN DRINK A SCOT UNDER THE TABLE!”
In April 2014 Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond suggested that Scotland is a “nation of drunks” and that he is “significantly” concerned by the nation’s relationship with alcohol.
Indeed, this is a nationwide problem that spans across age groups and geographic locations. For example, most of the young people we met are given alcohol by their
parents and this has been the case since a very young age. We heard stories from young people about friends who had been raped and arrested, however, with the exception of incidences where a death was involved, none of these traumatic situations influenced their subsequent drinking habits.
“I WAS SPIKED AND GOT vD. IT STILL DIDN’T CHANGE MY DRINKING HABITS THOUGH.” Initially, The Matter team saw potential in the campaign targeting the ‘morning after’ however the young people we talked to are proud of the extent of their hangover and often challenge themselves to drink more to create a more severe hangover week after week.
“THEY LIVE TO TELL THE TALE AND CELEBRATE THE FACT THEY HAVE A STORY TO TELL.”
ATTITUDE OVER INFORMATION WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN? The relationship young people have with alcohol is a complex problem made up of layers of influence and behaviour. We intended to focus on one particular point of this relationship and thus send a very particular message as opposed to sending a broad sweeping messages to a larger audience.
“WHEN WE RUN INFORMATION COURSES THERE IS VERY LITTLE EVALUATION CHANGE AS THE YOUNG PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW EVERYTHING AT THE START AND “CLICKS, HITS AND LINKS ARE NICE AT THE END THEY FEEL EXACTLY BUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS THE SAME.” HEARTS. HEARTS NOT EYEBALLS.” There is also an opportunity to change The majority of public sector campaigns we reviewed during this process focus on providing the audience with practical information relating to alcohol. This information includes helplines, websites, recommended literature and products.
The Matter process has clearly shown that providing and signposting practical information is very difficult to communicate and rarely taken seriously or listened to. Furthermore, with the advancement of search engines like Google and the use of Facebook, access to information is far easier to find than ever before. As such, we recommend this campaign focuses on changing mindsets and attitudes as opposed to delivering practical information.
attitudes around specific aspects of drinking information and thus behaviour related to drinks promotions:
“I’LL DRINK ANYTHING DEPENDING ON WHAT’S ON PROMOTION.”
30
The example below highlights a shift in an individual’s behaviour. Can we understand what caused this shift and replicate the message somehow?
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN?
“I USED TO ALWAYS GO MAD MYSELF. GET STUPIDLY DRUNK. NOW IF I SEE MY FRIEND GETTING REALLY BAD I WILL REDUCE MY PACE SO I CAN KEEP HER SAFE. IN THE PAST I’D HAVE DRAGGED HER BACK INTO THE CLUB AND BEEN MAD AT HER FOR RUINING MY NIGHT!”
Our campaign must be relevant. We must strive to tell stories in a way that is relevant to young peoples lives, opinions and perspectives. Brands who currently do this successfully, a stellar example being Nike, understand their mission and the people they want to affect with their message. Through these creative storytelling campaigns, they inspire, create connections and eventually inform. Our priority must be to inspire and tell stories.
WORDS AND FORM MATTER A consistent theme throughout this process has been communication. In it’s broadest sense, this really means language, tone and brand. Young people are more brand savvy than ever before and have a heightened awareness of brands that really understand them and communicate with them in a way that makes sense to their lives. A fundamental example of this is the fact they do not like being referred to as ‘young people’. Another example, would be the word ‘campaign’ itself - the campaigns that have had an impact or been memorable would not be easily identified with the traditional definition of a ‘campaign’. The successful ones are made up of a many forms (film, text and print) with a wide range of levels of interaction (like, share, nominate) and they live on many different channels (YouTube, Facebook and Instagram). It could be said they are very fluid and organic. Campaigns in the past that have
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN? Our campaign must be flexible enough to adapt and respond to feedback as fast as possible. We must ensure the form it takes is not limited to one particular channel or one type of engagement. It must be created with flexibility to give creative license to the design team and the young people involved. Time, resource and energy must be dedicated to ensuring the language and tone of voice is one that speaks directly to our target audience. Our campaign must be real, raw and Scottish. Also, we must recognise and respect that Greater Glasgow and Clyde is made up of a host of local dialects and identities. A one size fits all campaign will not work in this context.
32
PUBLIC & THIRD SECTOR ROLE
RITE OF PASSAGE When it comes to our relationship with alcohol, there is a big difference between under 18’s and over 18’s. We explored the notion of drinking being a rite of passage and discovered that turning 18 leads to other thrill seeking behaviours such as drinking games or legal highs. There is a big difference in the culture of under age and over age drinking.
“WHEN YOU’RE UNDER 18S YOU TEND TO DRINK TO GET DRUNK, AS IT’S A THRILL. YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT MEANT TO DRINK AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT ENJOYABLE. ONCE YOU TURN 18 YOU REALISE IT’S S***E. THAT DRINKING AT HOME WITH FRIENDS IS MORE COMFORTABLE AND SOCIAL.”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN? We need to consider the target age bracket and reassess if this is the best way to achieve maximum impact.
Our research showed there is often a strong disconnect between public sector organisations. In order to tackle this challenge from every angle and understand it from a wide range of perspectives there needs to be more sharing, learning and understanding from all the stakeholders involved We heard of a few instances when one organisation has a product that has huge potential but it is not accepted by other organisations so it struggles to gain traction. There are also examples of public sector organisations investing resource to build their own version of a product or service that already exists elsewhere.
“I GET PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SCOTLAND USING ALCOLATER BUT THE SCHOOLS WON’T USE IT BECAUSE IT PROMOTES DRINKING. MANY SCHOOLS ARE IN DENIAL THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DRINKING”
STARKNESS WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN?
This research has most definitely highlighted the starkness of the situation. We think it’s important to highlight this so everyone involved is aware of the reality and the huge challenge we face.
It’s important to focus on all the stakeholders involved in this complex problem and take a careful look at how our campaign can influence that aspect too.
WHEN ASKED WHAT THE BEST ADVICE SOMEONE HAS GIVEN YOU ABOUT DRINKING? “PUT A LITTLE WATER IN YOUR DRAMS, BRINGS OUT THE FLAVOUR” When exploring existing campaigns we discovered the ads that inform around the risk of death actually encourage engagement.
“IF IT COULD KILL YOU WE WANT TO TRY IT AND IF YOU DON’T DIE THE FIRST TIME YOU KNOW THE AD IS TALKING SH**” The conversations we had revealed that in the majority of cases the source of alcohol comes from parents. Furthermore, many of the educators we talked to highlighted their job is made harder by the fact the message they give is contradicted when the young people get home.
“WHEN WE TELL YOUNG PEOPLE THE HEALTHY LEVELS, IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS AS THEY SEE THEIR PARENTS DRINKING UNHEALTHY LEVELS AT HOME” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR CAMPAIGN? The problem we are tackling is described by many as an epidemic.
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THE FUTURE 1. RELEVANCE
2. QUICK & DIRTY TESTING
3. USER GENERATED CONTENT
The next phase of work will focus on designing for relevance. Our campaign must be visible at the right moment of time in a young person’s daily, weekly and monthly routines and rituals. We have already identified patterns of behaviour around specific events such as Freshers’ Week, pay day and bank holiday Monday’s. We intend to build on this and prototype ideas relevant to these specific events.
Quick and dirty prototypes make thinking tangible. They give shape to our ideas. This is an approach we intend to adopt in the next phase of work - highlight the context in which our ideas will be used, uncover flaws in our assumptions and help us identify what’s being left out (or what should be). But, perhaps the most important function of these tests will be to reveal the practical compromises that we’ll inevitably have to make to deliver impact.
We have been surprised how few of the young people we engaged with joined our Facebook group. This was our initial plan of building up a tribe who could then be part of generating content in the next phase. Once we have established this group we will support them in creating content we can then test, share and get feedback on. We also plan to design and implement competitions to encourage continual engagement.
Some
recommendations from Michael & Deepak
SUPER DUPER HAPPY CAMPAIGNS FEEL FAKE. IT HAS TO REPRESENTATIVE OF A GLASGOW AUDIENCE.
FUN, HUMOUR AND UNEXPECTEDNESS IN THE CAMPAIGN IS THE WAY TO ENGAGE PEOPLE.
IT CAN’T BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION.
4. NEXT STEPS One of the biggest challenges identified during our research were the difficulties represented at Freshers’ Week across the board both to the health and well being of individuals in Glasgow, but also the impact on a wide range of stakeholders from Accident and Emergency to Fire Scotland. As such, the focus for the next stage of the campaign is to run a competition that engages Higher Education Institutes (HEI’s) across Greater Glasgow and Clyde encouraging students to submit work as
IT NEEDS TO BE AN ONGOING AND REGULAR CONVERSATION.
part of a brief specific to alcohol awareness across the city. Through the competition, the students will have the opportunity to see their work showcased across the city and as part of an alcohol awareness exhibition later in the year. The brief is has been written and we are in the process of engaging with HEI’s to come on board as part of the ongoing campaign.
INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE MATTER? We work with young people to answer the questions you want to ask! Are you part of an organisation that has a burning question that needs answered? Want to talk about the Future of Scotland? Crime in your community? The Matter takes care of making sure your question is right and finding you a group of young people (like the team in this paper) to answer that question. We also facilitate the entire process to support the group to produce a top quality newspaper just like this. Is the answer to our questions yes? Do you think this sounds up your street? You’re in the right place. If you are interested in becoming a client of The Matter and posing a question, drop us a line on: sarah@thisisthematter.com Or, if you’re young, think this is pretty cool, and want to be involved in The Matter programme and produce one of these papers, drop us an email here: sarah@thisisthematter.com