Since 2003, the Power of Choice campaign has been reaching its goal of increasing the percentage of high school students in school districts 203 and 204 who choose to stay alcohol- and marijuana-free. The campaign provides Illinois Youth Survey results with students, who recall answering the survey anonymously.
Seeing marketing materials with statistics about themselves throughout the school year is impactful. A common misperception is that most peers are using addictive substances. Once they see the statistics, the misperception ends. The true norm is that most peers are making healthy life choices.
Five different 11×17 posters are displayed in the schools throughout the school year in hallways and on screens. Posters are designed with messages intended to build protective factors that inform student decision-making, leading them toward a healthy future.
In planning new poster themes and messages for an upcoming school year, testing with the target audience begins. Surveys ask students about their attitudes and values to gain insight into potential marketing messages. Separately, students are surveyed to learn where they notice messages inside and outside of school, and which sources of information are credible to understand their preferences. Healthy messages drafted from student input are tested during summer focus groups. The final color posters printed represent the student voices, and are displayed in school as September begins, changing bi-monthly to keep students engaged in noticing the newest poster, and reading its important messages.
Five different 30-second spots are shared with schools to play throughout the school year on screens, websites, social media and through emails. These segments are designed with messages intended to build protective factors that guide students toward making decisions that lead them toward a healthy future, including the choice to be alcohol-free.
In planning new segments for schools, testing with a sample of high school students begins. At screenings, Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) students are asked about their attitudes and values in relation to the first cut of each video, as well as future concepts, to gain insight into potential marketing messages. The spots are then edited to appeal to high school youth using the suggestions.
Separately, YAC students monitor and respond to general student feedback on the newly released 30-second segments via the social media platform, Instagram. Student interaction with the Power of Choice campaign creates an authentic feedback loop for learning which messages resonate with teens regarding each of the 30-second videos.
The final cut of the videos represents the student perspective, and are played in school bi-monthly: October, December, February, April, keeping students engaged in noticing the newest video segment, and potentially interacting with it and with other students’ comments about it.
For 9th through 12th Graders in Districts 203 and 204
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