Educating youth on cannabis* with tact, facts, and life hacks
In 2012, Washington became one of the first states to legalize retail cannabis. This has caused a huge shift in youth perception about the risks and consequences of using cannabis, which can be a precursor to increased use. The Washington State Department of Health needed a campaign that would break through to an audience that is notoriously hard to reach: teens.
Role
Copywriting, community management, digital strategy
Client
Washington State Department of Health
Duration
Agency of record
Overview
Challenge
Don’t be a narc
The prevention community has learned a lot since the days of D.A.R.E. Scare tactics are ineffective. And we know from our experience in youth outreach that today’s teens are motivated, hungry for knowledge, and need a good reason to pay attention.
To support a statewide digital ad buy, we built a website to anchor the campaign. The content had to be informative, but also fresh, fun, and accessible.
Components
Informational website
Through statewide quantitative and qualitative research, we found teens had common questions and misconceptions about cannabis. This informed the information architecture and content design of our website, so teens could access the most relevant information quickly and easily.
We designed a mobile-first website to accommodate teens across the state who primarily engage with the web via smartphone, especially those in rural areas where personal.
Organic social media
To continue to engage teens, we develop ongoing social media content to provide information, behavior substitution ideas (i.e. other stuff to do besides cannabis), and motivational messaging.
Post Copy: Baking is a form of mindfulness and relaxation. #Maythefourth be with you! #MentalHealthMonth
Video Content
Knowing teens won’t just take the campaign’s word for it, we developed Q&A style videos featuring outside experts — third-party validators that could back up our messaging and address some of the toughest questions and most common misconceptions about marijuana.
Post Copy: Back to School time doesn’t have to be boring. Decorate your locker to fit your personality.
*I have chosen to use the word “cannabis” due to racist and pejorative associations with “marijuana.” The ‘You Can’ campaign uses the word “marijuana” because research found it to be most the recognizable word among state youth.