Each year, drinking affects college students,

as well as college communities and families.

Addressing the problems of binge drinking
on college campuses is more than looking at
drinking itself, but the negative consequences
that result from excessive drinking. College
drinking problems are extremely widespread
and this collaborative campaign between
DSUs Mass Communications Department
(Public Relations Management & Campaigns
Students), Health Promotion Students and the
DE Center for Health Promotion seeks to
address this problems in an informative and
interactive way.

DRINK A
LITTLE
THINK
A LOT

PUBLIC RELATIONS
MANAGEMENT & CAMPAIGNS
Nashaya Hampton
Indigo Montgomery
Briyona Nixon
Ishmael Odoi
Jeanyda Saint Juste
Shandell Thomas-Basden
Kheprah Youngblood

May 5, 2015
Transmitted Electronically to:

Amy Gootee Lecturer, Public and Allied

Health Sciences
Marianne Carter Director, DE Center for
Health Promotion

Ms. Gootee and Mrs. Carter:

On behalf of the service-learning Public Relations Management and Campaigns team, we
are submitting this executive summary outlining the 2015 Binge Drinking Campaign.
This summary contains an overview and background research, campaign objectives,
public relations plan campaign goals, messages/themes, strategies/challenges, audience
information and outcomes and measurements.
The information contained in the summary should enable the Healthy Hornets Office as
well as students in the Health Promotions and Allied Health program to execute
collaborative, grant-funded program in the future.
Submitted,

Nashaya Hampton

Indigo Montgomery

Briyona Nixon

Ishmael Odoi

Jeanyda Saint Juste

Shandell Thomas-Basden

Kheprah Youngblood

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background/Overview 1
Research . 1
Campaign Goals . 2
Messages/Themes 2
Strategies/Challenges ................. 3
Target Audience . 5
Logistics . 6
Outcomes and Measurements . 6

BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW
In the past, the DE Center for Health Promotions has worked with the Mass
Communications Department to promote and launch campaigns centered on the dry
campus initiative. In 2012, students engaged the campus in a campus called Hornets
above the Influence. Since then, there has been an emphasis on utilizing students to
assist with the planning and promotion of anti-drinking campaigns on campus, as studies
show that peer-to-peer learning is extremely effective.
RESEARCH
Although Delaware State University (DSU) is a dry campus there is still a prevalence
of alcohol consumption amongst students on DSUs campus. Previously, there have been
a few campaigns to raise awareness about the zero tolerance policy on campus, including
the aforementioned campaign run by Public Relations Management and Campaign
Students in 2012. This Healthy Hornets campaign was aimed at raising awareness
about the zero tolerance alcohol policy and the consequences that students would face on
DSU campus.
This years campaign will focus specifically on raising awareness about what binge
drinking is and the impact. This project will be done collaboratively with students in
Public and Allied Health. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
Addiction (NIAAA), binge drinking can lead to an increase of intentional and
unintentional accidents amongst drinkers. In the same study, the NIAAA said that 90% of
alcohol consumed by people under the legal drinking age is done so by binge drinking.1
In order to gauge DSUs student population, the Public and Allied Health students
administered a survey asking students, How many drinks constitutes as be drinking for
men? How many drinks constitutes binge drinking for women? and, How many
ounces is considered one serving of alcohol for wine, beer, and liquor? In addition to the
previously administered survey, a focus group were used for qualitative data. The focus
group was comprised of 10 DSU students, including one moderator. In order to make the
focus group representative of the student population, there were two students from each
classification. The goal of the focus group was to learn what will cause students to stop
binge drinking. The focus group data revealed that most students were uneducated or
unware of what binge drinking actually constituted while admitting to actually engaging
in binging without even knowing. To this end, the Binge Drinking Promotional Team,
along with the students from Public and Allied Health chosen to engage students through
interactive learning in a social environment that mirrors the environment in which much
of the binge drinking occurs. By doing so, this allowed students to experience the
program and participate in a more casual setting rather than in a lecture-style delivery of
the information.

NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2013).

(http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/UnderageDrinking/Underage_Fact.pdf
1

A study completed in 2010 by The

Foundation for Advancing Alcohol
Responsibility, found two steps to
successfully communicate their message:
create self-awareness and build
resistance to peer pressure in order to get
students to rethink their drinking habits.2
This is the strategy that the Binge
Drinking Campaign is taking to raise
awareness about binge drinking on
DSUs campus. The campaign team will spread awareness about binge drinking and
events that relate to the campaign through social media sites Twitter and Instagram.

CAMPAIGN GOALS
To create a peer-delivered campaign that students can use to become more aware of the
risks associated with binge drinking.
MESSAGE/THEME
Drink A Little, Think A Lot. The age group
that is more likely to binge drink is 18-24
year olds, which mostly are the average ages
of traditional college students. Every year
1825 students die every year due, 690,000
students are assaulted, and 97,000 report
sexual assault or date rape and these are all
alcohol related. With this message we are
being realistic and not telling students to not
drink but we are trying to sway them to
drink more responsibly and we also want to
raise awareness to the consequences and
dangers of binge drinking.
This particular campaign, while recognizing the fact that DSU is a dry campus, is
designed to place emphasis on educating students about binge drinking and what it is.
Research supports that students are not aware of the fact that drinking more than five
drinks within 2 hour constitutes binge drinking which poses serious dangers which
include memory loss, liver damage, injuries, high blood pressure and a number of other
dangers.

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (2010).

http://responsibility.org/uncategorized/the-century-council-is-now-the-foundation-for-advancingalcohol-responsibility/
2

This campaign in no way will promote drinking, but serves as a realistic approach to
educating college-aged youth who may engage in underage drinking (Statistics show that
2 in 5 college students binge drinks and is underage). While measures have been
successful at curbing underage drinking there still needs to be education about Alcohol
Use Disorders which affect thousands of teens.

Key Message
Although our demographic may be underage or
enrolled at a dry campus, drinking is an issue that is
often left in the dark. We want our key message
points to be:

Know what binge drinking is

Drinking is okay as long as you know
your limit
Drinking in moderation
The dangers of binge drinking
How binge drinking can harm you as well
as others

STRATEGIES/CHANNELS
As a starting point, the team put together a list of campus media outlets through which
our team could us to spread its message, such as the Hornet (the student newspaper), as
well as the TV and radio stations. We are also taking advantage of social media such as
but not limited to, Instagram and Twitter. The team prepared two news releases. The first
provided an overview of the campaign and included general information (based on
background provided by the Public and Allied Health Students as well as Mrs. Carter and
additional research). The second release provides more detailed information on the
Night Out event and an overview of the program and the purpose of the event. The
team is also utilizing the radio station and television for announcements and getting out
public service announcements.
Media Channels
The team has generated a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that show some
of the consequences of binge drinking. The first PSA is called The Sober Friend which
shows the effect of binge drinking from a peers perspective. The next PSA is called Off
Balance showing how binge drinking affects the body on the inside and out. Lastly
Drink Like a Man is geared more towards women (since DSU has a greater number of
women than men on DSU campus), it shows the effect of alcohol on their looks.

These PSAs have been broadcasted on WDSU television and various social media sites.
The Public and Allied Health students have also created several displays located in high
traffic areas of campus. The displays consist of facts, and tragic stories of binge drinking.
Nonmedia Channels
The team also believed that although traditional media outlets and social networks are
helpful. Non-media channels would be an effective way to reach the student audience as
well with student-to-student informational and programs within residential halls and other
locations on Delaware State Universitys campus.
Dover Highs Day Out is an event held for high school seniors at Dover High School
leading up to prom season. The team talked with students about the consequences of
binge and underage drinking. Students also had an opportunity to use a drunk simulator.
One of the highlights of the Dover High School event is that students were able to
participate in a contest to create an anti-binge drinking PSA. The winning teams PSA
was used in the campaign.
The team also hosted an event on the campus of DSU A Night Out. This event is
another way we chose to increase student awareness about binge drinking. The concept
behind the event was to let students know that they dont need alcohol to have a good
time and to reiterate the fact that DSU is a dry campus. Students had an opportunity to
take part in a nonalcoholic drink competition and play a drunk simulator game
Interactive Media Channels:
Since we were dealing with the demographic of 18 to 25 year olds we focused heavily on
social media. Twitter and Instagram were our primary way of sharing facts, consequences
and to promote all of the events associated with this campaign. To involve students even
further, we asked them to create videos or take pictures to share their personal stories
about binge drinking, not drinking and promoting a dry campus.
The ultimate goal of this campaign was to reach at least 1000 students on DSUs campus
and make them aware of the consequences of binge drinking on them and their peers and
to reach the students in the two (2) after school programs at Dover High School.

Below is a link to the video form the Dover High School event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXcAa4pP0h8

TARGET AUDIENCE
Target Audience:
The primary target audience is the student population at Delaware State University but
the team is reaching out to the students of Dover High School as well. We are aiming to
reach students between the ages of 18-25 and bring awareness to the dangers of binge
drink.

LOGISTICS
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
WEEK 9
WEEK 10

WEEK 11
WEEK 12
WEEK 13
WEEK 14
WEEK 15
WEEK 16

Course overview and introduction to service-learning

Team Pitches and selection of campaign teams
No project work
Reach out to Health Hornets Office regarding campaign (Jeanyda-Team
Lead)
Report to planning team in class
Planning & Primary research completed for client (Nashaya & Shandell)
Planning meeting in class
Goal and objectives determined and shared with client (Jeanyda)
SPRING BREAK
Selection of Media Channels & Target Audience (Kheprah)
Client meeting
Work on PSA and Posters for Event
Planning meeting with Allied Health Students
Schedule for Event solidified (Ishmael)
Planning meeting with Allied Health Students
(secure equipment, shirts, materials for all of the stations)
Finalize logistics and plan for event evaluation (Indigo)
Binge Drinking Event on Campus
Anti-Underage drinking event at Dover High School
Debriefing with Client and Allied Health Students

OUTCOMES AND MEASUREMENTS

The DSU Campus event has over 100 students in attendance during the 4 hour period in
which the event was held. The Dover High School event was attended by roughly 30
students.
One of the limitations to measuring the success of this event is the fact that the team did
not deploy surveys after each event. Students were asked to actively participate in the
event by doing simulator games, taking short quizzes about alcohol consumption and by
signing a pledge.
The overwhelming participatory response does yield a positive however in the future this
qualitative data collection is significant in helping to guide and better understand how to
continually host successful educational events.