Launching a City-Wide Tobacco-Free Providence Campaign

CLIENT: Mayor’s Substance Abuse Prevention Council

ISSUE: With nearly one-in-four of Providence teens smoking cigarettes by the time of reaching their senior year in high school, the Mayo’s Substance Abuse Prevention Council (MSAPC) launched a city-wide public awareness and advocacy campaign to empower teens to say no to tobacco products and deceptive marketing efforts.

CAMPAIGN: Advocacy Solutions was engaged by MSAPC to serve as Tobacco-Free Providence campaign manager. Working closely with MSAPC staff, Advocacy Solutions developed overall messaging and implemented a comprehensive campaign including:
• Launching and maintaining the www.tobaccofreeprovidence.org website as an information tool for Providence parents and teens.
• Launching and maintaining Tobacco-Free Providence Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• Developing a Tobacco-Free Providence video for sharing on social media.
• Developing collateral materials including palm cards, post cards, window decals, and banners.
• Executing a paid media campaign including bus, radio, newspaper, and social media advertisements.
• Organizing a Tobacco-Free Providence rally.
• Earning press coverage in the Providence Journal, Providence En Espanol, Providence American, Providence Business News, and Rhode Island Public Radio. In total, Tobacco-Free Providence generated 160 earned media clips, including a mix of print, television, and radio coverage.

RESULT: Tobacco-Free Providence recruited hundreds of Providence teens and parents to directly engage with the campaign via Facebook, Twitter, and a campaign rally which drew more than 200 attendees to oppose deceptive tobacco marketing efforts. The city-wide paid and earned media campaign also successfully raised general awareness of the dangers of tobacco use for teenagers.