Spurring 29 million teachable moments with Wisconsin parents

Teen nicotine addiction is climbing again, thanks to new e-cigarettes and candy-flavored tobacco products. Knowing parents could help reverse this dangerous trend, the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s Tobacco Prevention & Control Program worked with KW2 to provide adults the info they need to keep kids safe from lifelong nicotine addiction.

Insight

Many Wisconsin parents hear “tobacco” and think old-school cigarettes. That’s what we learned in a series of focus groups conducted throughout the state, where parents could see tobacco’s colorful packaging, slick e-cigarettes and candy-flavored products for themselves. The parents we interviewed were shocked by how much tobacco products have evolved, and they felt unprepared to talk to their kids about it. They needed more information, fast.

Action

We launched our tobacco prevention campaign with a comprehensive statewide media buy designed to deliver parent-focused teaching moments with outdoor, paid social media, print and vibrant online video and cinema. A branded website helped parents study up on the dangers of new tobacco products, find tips for talking to teens about nicotine addiction and get involved in their own community. From messaging to casting and more, we used creative testing throughout the process to validate our strategy and ensure a successful health campaign.

Result

More than 29 million campaign views have helped parents learn more about the addictive new tobacco products surrounding Wisconsin‘s teens. Strong Facebook & YouTube shares have spread the word, and health advocates and community coalitions across Wisconsin (and beyond) have enthusiastically embraced the campaign. So far, Tobacco Is Changing has directly inspired similar tobacco prevention campaigns in Utah and Nebraska.