Company: Colorado State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership (STEPP), a division of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
Contact: Jodi Kopke, STEPP Media Director
Location: Denver, Colorado
Industry: Nonprofit/Government
Annual revenue: Confidential
Number of employees: 17
Quick Read:
With the National Conference on Tobacco or Health taking place Oct. 24-26 in Minneapolis, innovative anti-smoking campaigns have been in the spotlight. (The conference aims to help improve the effectiveness of tobacco control programs in the US.) One of the more successful programs has been the "Own Your C" campaign commissioned by the Colorado State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership (STEPP). By teaming with a Denver marketing firm, STEPP has leveraged teen empowerment as an effective strategy for connecting with 12-18-year-olds, a demographic often inundated with marketing hype.
The campaign—which includes an interactive Web site, television ads, school and community events, promotional T-shirts. and more—encourages teens to "own their choices" and arms them with the knowledge to make informed decisions about several topics, with a distinct focus on tobacco use. This declaration of independence, combined with a slew of teen-oriented features such as quirky videos, music downloads, and video games, has helped Colorado achieve its goal of reducing the youth tobacco use rate to below 16% some three years ahead of schedule.
The Challenge:
The tobacco industry continues to pump millions into marketing programs, spending a whopping $217 million in 2005 alone, while the effectiveness of anti-tobacco campaigns has waned. State agencies are seeking new ways to compete against these industry giants, using advertising budgets that pale in comparison. A further challenge lies in breaking through the clutter of advertising messages that bombard teenagers daily.
With the goal of reducing the rate of tobacco use among Colorado's youth from more than 18% to 16% by 2010, Colorado's State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership (STEPP) sought a novel approach for appealing to teens that would make its message stand out and be heard against the multitude of pitches aimed at this audience.
The Campaign:
STEPP determined through market research that teens "desire to be in control of their lives; are surrounded by negative messages and want to see things that reflect their optimism; and have high aspirations and respect brands that reflect this idealized version of themselves." With these considerations in mind, the agency partnered with Denver firm Cactus Marketing Communications to create a youth-relevant brand that would resonate with Colorado's 12- 18-year-old demographic.
Launched in Fall of 2006, the "Own Your C" campaign (where the "C" represents "Choice") aims to encourage teens to make positive choices in all areas of life, with an emphasis on tobacco-related information. The campaign incorporates a variety of marketing vehicles specific for this market, including the following:
A Web Site
OwnyourC.com was designed as a teen-oriented and highly interactive site where users can learn, play and explore in "C-Ville," a virtual city that might be described as a fusion of Disney's Toon Town, Tim Burton movies, and MTV.
Users can choose a "Monsters" or "Romance" theme for the city, which is split into three main sections: the park, downtown area, and the drive-in.
In the park, users can chat about the choices they've made on discussion boards that cover topics such as school, music, sports, and relationships, or make choices regarding their futures while playing the "cootie catcher" game.
While in downtown, users can watch the campaign's TV spots, check out specially created artwork, enter contests, download music and ring tones, and get information about upcoming events.
And over at the drive-in, teens can read what their peers are saying about tobacco and add their own comments, watch entertaining videos that drive in the various effects of tobacco, or access resources to help them quit smoking.