269212 Innovative social marketing and communications strategies to promote healthy relationships

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 8:55 AM - 9:15 AM

Brianne Chai-Onn , Global Issues Practice, Finn Partners, New York, NY
Anne Glauber , Global Issues Practice, Finn Partners, New York, NM
Amy Terpeluk , Global Issues Practice, Finn Partners, New York, NY
As part of this four-year initiative, Start Strong is applying innovative prevention strategies to advance approaches to prevent teen dating violence and abuse. One of the most cutting-edge components of the initiative is utilizing communications and social marketing strategies to challenge unhealthy peer norms and promote positive dating behaviors among young adolescents to stop the violence before it starts. Increasingly public health prevention programs are employing social marketing as a critical tool for achieving specific behavioral changes. The Start Strong model emphasizes social marketing and also recognizes that teens are leading the way with social media. In Start Strong, teens play an important role in teaching healthy relationship skills to younger teens by utilizing creativity and technology to meet them where they are – online and off. This presentation will focus on the social media and communications strategies emerging from the Start Strong sites, including: 1) opportunities for teen influencers in social marketing and communications efforts; 2) unique entry-points through music, videos, reality television shows, movies, and celebrity lifestyles; 3) cutting-edge social media and technology as communications channels for youth; and 4) successes and challenges to this approach. The presentation will elaborate on the innovative ways in which community-based prevention programs are empowering students to utilize social marketing strategies to become change agents and shift the conversation from teen dating violence to healthy relationships.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the use of social media and new entry points for communicating about teen dating violence prevention 2. Explore creative strategies for youth involvement in communication efforts

Keywords: Youth Violence, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a vice president at Finn Partners, a global public relations agency in New York City. I have been working on the issue of domestic violence and teen dating violence for more than 6 years. A primary focus of my work has been on the development of communication strategies to build awareness and promote healthy behaviors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.