Keep What You've Earned: Encouraging U.S. Navy Sailors to drink responsibly

Issue:In 2011, a Department of Defense report found that 33.1% of all military personnel had engaged in binge drinking over the prior 30 days. The U.S. Navy had a slightly higher rate of binge drinking prevalence at 36.1%. One in five of these Navy heavy drinkers indicated that they had experienced serious consequences as a result of their drinking.

Description: The “Keep What You’ve Earned,” (KWYE)campaign was designed to address the issue of irresponsible drinking amongst U.S. Navy populations by using affirmative messaging to remind Sailors how hard they’ve worked and how much they have to lose if their actions result in an alcohol incident. In order to best reach 18- to 24-year-old Sailors, the campaign utilizes an integrative social marketing mix of social media, community partnerships, public service announcement (PSA) videos, and a custom-designed mobile application aimed at encouraging responsible use of alcohol.

Lessons Learned:  Qualitative and quantitative methods (n= 1,400+ participants) revealed that 95% of Sailors had seen or heard alcohol abuse prevention messaging and 76% knew the KWYE campaign. Pier Pressure (the campaign mobile application) was downloaded by 5,000+ users. The Navy’s 21^stCentury Sailor Office announced a 51% decrease in alcohol incidents during the campaign's summer months compared to the previous year.

Recommendations:  The KWYE campaign created awareness of the risks of irresponsible drinking, and also behavior change (i.e., more responsible drinking behavior). The combination of positive messaging and persuasive technology (i.e. a mobile application) show promise for future health interventions targeting alcohol abuse.