Relatively speaking, the easy work on preventing teen pregnancy has been done. Nationally, teen pregnancy rates are dropping, due, in no small part, to aggressive abstinence-
only programs. But in order to continue the downward trends, advocacy efforts need to turn up the volume on promoting messages that are more difficult to embrace - comprehensive
sex education and greater access to contraception. The "Get Real! About Teen Pregnancy" campaign, launched last year in California, has taken on these hot-button issues with an
arsenal of research aimed at educating policy makers about the strategies that are effective in reducing teen pregnancy. The integrated campaign, developed by Deen+Black (DB),
uses a mix of print advertising, media relations and the Internet.
Backed by a $4 million grant from The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF), the campaign targets adults and uses research to debunk misconceptions about teen pregnancy and to
discourage complacency.
The abstract objectives of the campaign make measuring results difficult, but the effort is helping to develop an atmosphere where progressive solutions to prevent teen
pregnancy are being considered, says Mercy Siordia, TCWF's program officer. For instance, when legislation was recently passed that mandated improved standards for sex education,
some of Get Real's campaign messages were used in convincing legislators to pass the bill.
'Get Real' Marketing
The advertising component of the campaign ran as a backdrop to the media relations effort that focused on key events like teen pregnancy prevention month in May and the new
state legislation that went into effect in January. The legislation requires sex education to be medically accurate and free of race and gender bias.
The advertising copy uses a series of five words (education, future, health, dedication and sexuality), played up as bold headlines, to promote key campaign messages.
In addition to emphasizing campaign messages about comprehensive sex education and access to contraception, the ads encourage getting involved in community-focused efforts to
prevent teen pregnancy.
The campaign's Web site was used as a call to action that provided additional information on teen pregnancy statistics, outreach opportunities, campaign updates and news
releases. "It was important to arm policy makers with the necessary information to make informed decisions about teen pregnancy prevention in their communities," says Christi
Black, a DB principal.
Many of the ads use a combination of Spanish headlines and English copy to appeal to California's significant Latino population. This Spanish/English combination is considered
"progressive" by policy makers because it speaks to bilingual audiences and those who know very little Spanish, says Black, referring to focus group research.
The advertising copy also was available in exclusive English and Spanish versions.
There was a heavy focus on the Latino and African-American communities because teen pregnancy rates are disproportionately higher in those communities. The $2 million print
campaign ran in key ethnic dailies, major newspapers and trade press that targets public policy leaders, educators and health officials.
Numbers Don't Lie
Although the campaign addresses uncomfortable and controversial issues, it neutralizes potential opponents, particularly among conservative abstinence-only organizations, by
relying heavily on research. The campaign acknowledges that the most effective way to prevent pregnancy is by practicing abstinence, but it also cites research that indicates that
by the time teens graduate from high school, more than 70% are sexually active. The research also puts policy makers, educators and community leaders in touch with the prevailing
adult attitudes toward teen pregnancy. In California, age-appropriate sex education is supported by 88% of adults and 66% of parents believe teen pregnancy is a "very serious"
issue. "The research helps policy makers to see that there is more support for [progressive] teen pregnancy initiatives than they might assume," says Siordia.
The campaign's messages also struck a chord with the media, which provided coverage on solutions rather than simply regurgitating statistics. For instance:
- in May and December (key campaign months), radio stations regularly ran interviews with campaign spokespeople who highlighted actionable strategies for reducing teen
pregnancy; and - the Los Angeles Times produced an insert for the campaign that ran in its health edition, which provided teen insight on why parents should talk to their children about
sex.
(DB, Christi Black, 916/418-1500; TCWF, Mercy Siordia, 818/715-1987)
Deen+Black
Offices: San Diego, Los Angeles, SanFrancisco, Sacramento
Focus: cause-related marketing, healthcare communications, public affairs
Clients: Mercy Healthcare, UC Davis Health System
Web site: http://www.deenblack.com