Reducing young adult tobacco use in California, Nevada and New Mexico; A promising new model

Background: Tobacco industry marketing campaigns often target young adults in social environments such as bars/nightclubs, but tobacco control programs rarely visit these venues. Social Branding (a unique social marketing model) interventions are designed to compete with these marketing efforts. The purpose of this intervention was to reduce smoking among young adults in California, New Mexico and Nevada (LGBT). 

Methods: Focus groups (FG) were conducted in each state prior to campaign launch. Three different campaigns were developed to target three different young adult cultures—Commune (CA – For “Hipsters”), HAVOC (NM – For “Partiers”) and Crush (NV – For LGBT). Each campaign used the Social Branding model with materials and messages tailored to their local audiences. Components include social media, paid digital media, bar and club events, brand ambassadors and direct mail. A pre-post test time series cross-sectional study was designed for each campaign, with a baseline and multiple follow-ups including at least 2,000 young adults in each site. 

Results. Tobacco use reductions among young adults at bars and clubs were observed in all 3 sites: Relative tobacco use rate reductions of 16% in CA, 25.1% NM and 13.8% in NV. Reductions were concentrated in the targeted young adult subcultures and were present among both non-daily and daily tobacco users.

Conclusions. Social Branding is a promising strategy to reduce young adult tobacco use that has demonstrated impact in three distinct sites with three distinct young adult cultures. Broader implementations of the Social Branding model should be considered to reduce young adult tobacco use rates.