Goal: Determine the impact of the Vermont Tobacco Control Program’s youth tobacco prevention social marketing campaign, Down and Dirty, targeting the “country” teen peer crowd, and inform decision making on future youth-focused communication strategies.

Overview: In 2017, JSI was contracted by the Vermont TCP to perform an independent outcome evaluation of their youth prevention social marketing campaign, Down and Dirty. The campaign, developed and implemented by Rescue Social Change Group, targeted “country” teens in Vermont and aimed to reduce tobacco use among this peer crowd. JSI created a social marketing strategy to recruit Vermont teens to take an online survey that assessed peer group, interests, tobacco use, and campaign awareness. Recruitment included digital promotion (Facebook and Instagram ads), utilization of the @Mssg chatbot to engage potential respondents, and survey ambassadors. JSI recruited 857 teens to take the survey.

Results: 

• Successfully used chatbot as warm transfer, increased likelihood of youth taking the survey from their smartphones
• Recruited 857 eligible Vermont teens to take survey
• Half of all survey respondents were aware of the Down and Dirty campaign brand, including 53% of “country” teen respondents
• Found tobacco use to be similar among “country” teen respondents and non-country teen respondents.
• Evaluation findings informed Vermont TCP decision making on their youth prevention strategies.

Dates: 2017

Secondary Services: Branding