Alcohol. Always responsibly.

Objective

To boost responsible drinking culture.

To build awareness of the equivalence of all alcoholic beverages.

To increase public awareness of the impact of beverages containing alcohol have on the body.

To increase public awareness of responsible consumption.

To increase awareness of the risks related to driving under the influence of alcohol and of the consequences of such actions.

Description

Pre-campaign study: In May 2016, a pre-campaign study tested the Polish approach to alcohol consumption. The aim was to examine:

Opinions and knowledge about alcohol and consumption habits (frequency, consumed drinks, occasions).
Awareness of and willingness to follow the principles of responsible consumption.
Treatment and perception of different alcoholic beverages.
Knowledge of the actual content of pure alcohol in beverages.
Attitudes and motivations associated with the consumption of different alcoholic beverages.

The research was published in the “What do Poles know about alcohol?” report. Amongst others, it reveals that Poles do not always know how much pure alcohol they drink and that a common misperception is the idea that alcoholic beverages can be more/less healthy and dangerous/harmless.

Campaign and actvities: The research findings prompted the “Alcohol. Always Responsibility” campaign. It aims to inform consumers that different alcoholic beverages contain the same the amount of pure alcohol depending on their alcohol by volume (ABV) and the quantity being served. It also emphasises that ethyl alcohol, regardless of what the drink is, always acts on the body in the same way. Therefore, every drink containing alcohol should be treated equally responsibly. The communication campaign started in June 2016.

In 2016 the message was shared through:

PR activities at the 22 June 2016 Spirits Industry Congress in Warsaw.
Billboards with the “No matter the occasion – drink responsibly” message in cities across Poland in August and on the YouTube channel “Polimaty”.
At the annual Responsible Business Forum on 17 November 2016. Visitors to the stand could test their knowledge about alcohol in a mini quiz, watch educational videos and talk to experts. A half-hour panel discussion with Jacek Wasilewski (cultural studies, media and campaign expert) and Krzysztof Szczerbacza (research specialist) was also held. Handouts and gadgets were also available at the stand.
Four workshops for staff in Gdynia on 12 and 16 December led by Robert Lemański, a qualified prevention specialist, and organised jointly with the City Council.

In 2017 “Alcohol. Always responsibly” messages were shared through:

The website, Facebook page, PR activities and on YouTube channels “Topowa Dycha” and “Eureka”.
The Spirits Industry Summit at the Ministry of Finance where a debate on “National Health Programme – towards a responsible alcohol culture” was held with health and social experts.
Worshops for alcohol beverage sellers and servers in 4 cities led Robert Lemański and organised in cooperation with town councils.
Educational workshops for drivers in Lublin led by the Traffic Department of Lublin Police.

In 2019 the campaign was promoted under the hashtag #zTwarzą (#save Face).

Actors Michał Mikołajczak and Tomasz Ciachorowski published short films in the form of Instastories to highlight how the behaviour of someone who had consumed too much could is perceived differently by a sober person. By drinking too many alcoholic beverages a person can fatally impact their reputation and “lose face”.

The clips showed one of them drinking too much at a mutual friend’s birthday party, with the other one reporting from the perspective of a sober person. Tomasz, “the drinker” progressively lost control over his behaviour over the course of the evening (loud behaviour, embarrassing dance moves, being bothersome, and by the end, difficulty in staying upright). Other party goers appear disgusted by this progression. The clips succeeded in arousing interest on the topic and were widely commented on in media and on social media. The actors later explained that the clips were part of the “Alcohol. Always responsibly” campaign. Posts related to the campaign can be seen on Instagram and here, and a YouTube video here.

In the second part of the #ZTwarzą action, the editor-in-chief of Vogule Poland, Patryk Chilewicz, (on his InstaStories and YouTube) gave tips on to how leave a party #zTwarzą (#save Face).

In 2020 the campaign messages were communicated through:

Billboards using the “Simple equation. Same alcohol, same treatment. Always responsibly” slogan.
Social media (Facebook and Instagram posts which included quizzes using #zTwarzą (#saveFace). The questions included, standard alcohol units, amount of alcohol in particular beverages and responsible drinking guidelines. Communication related to the COVID19 pandemic in support of the HoReCa sector (Hotels, Cafés & Restaurants) was also shared.
Online workshops for alcohol beverage sellers and servers.
Information leaflets and calendars shared with decision makers.
CSR debate on Economic Forum and CSR debate in media - Super Express and a meeting for journalists.

In 2021 the campaign was refreshed with new key visuals, landing page and communication plan). Messages were communicated through:

Social media posts (Facebook and Instagram)
New landing page with a video spot
New articles
Calendar for 300 decision makers
Mailing to stakeholders
Cooperation with popular YouTube channel and with influencers

Between 2017-2022 nearly 26,000 people were charged with drink-driving. In the same period, the share of drunk drivers in in the total number of blood alcohol content tests more than doubled. In 2022, the campaign focused on the don't drink & drive message. Police data shows that in 2022, road users (drivers, pedestrians, passengers) under the influence of alcohol were involved in 2,248 road accidents (10.5% of the total number) 268 people killed in those accidents (14.1% of the total) and 2,567 people injured were (10.4% of the of the total). Although these figures are less when compared to 2021, 2,575 more people drove under the influence of alcohol in 2022 compared to 2021. Even though these statistics are hopeful, Poland is among the European leaders in terms of the number of people killed and injured on the roads, some of which are under influence of alcohol. It means that farther efforts must be put into changing Poles awareness on not drinking and driving.

Campaign elements:

Messages against drink-driving were promoted between January and December 2022 on Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t drink&drive idea placement (internet portals and billboards).
Workshops for alcohol sellers and for future drivers with information on don’t drink&drive. Each workshop lasts 2-3 hours.
Materials: Videos, training books and leaflets.
Ewa Woydyłło-Osiatyńska (Psychologist) was interviewed on the TV programme "7 metres below ground" in support of the message over the Easter break.
Campaign messages were also shared at various events, like meetings with decision makers (MPs, ministry officials), at the Economic Forum in Karpacz (short video at the spirits stand), at the meeting of the National Development Council to the President of Poland and at various events with PPS representatives as speakers. Information on the campaign was published in the Responsible Business Forum Report.

Partners

They.pl agency (2022)

Automobile Transport Institute

Polish Chamber of Commerce

Volunteer Water Rescue Services

“Krzyś” Foundation

Municipal offices

Results

In 2022, Content published on Facebook and Instagram reached 5,447,587 people. They generated a total of 25,947 interactions, 2,647 page views and published Instastories generated 3,751 link clicks. Key messages on don’t drink and drive reached 1.5 million.

Facebook video views: 132,571
Facebook post reach: 79,149
Reach of posts on Instagram: 35,349
Reach on IG stories: 93,772

The interview with Ewa Woydyłło-Osiatyńska had 168,358 views.

Around 100 meetings with MPs, ministry officials took place.

Measurement & evaluation

Next evaluation of the campaign is planned for 2023.

The evaluation - CAWI research in 2021 gave results that around 22% of intervied know the campaign and its messages. It's rise from 13% in 2020. Of those who have encountered the campaign, 8% believe it has had an impact on drinking behaviour. In addition to responsible drinking, there are statements about cutting down on alcohol and paying more attention to trying new beverages.

In 2020 CAWI research was carried out with 1,000 respondents in October 2020. Results show that: 58% agree that beer, wine and vodka contain the same alcohol (ethanol). Most agree that alcohol should not be drunk by drivers, regardless of the type of drink. This awareness correlates with official statistics which show that the number of road accidents with users under the influence of alcohol is systematically dropping year after year. Also, around 70 % of quiz takers gave the correct answers the quizzes about the amount of alcohol in particular beverages and the rules of drinking responsibly.

In May 2017 research was carried out with 1,485 respondents (CAWI - Computer Assisted Web Interviews) showed that 20% of respondents came across the campaign’s messages. Among them: 77% evaluated it positively, 78% stated that campaigns like that are necessary; 51% stated that they give more attention to amount of pure alcohol they consume, 22% said that their behaviour towards alcohol was already in line with the campaign and 14% are planning to change their drinking patters towards responsible drinking and 2% do not agree with “Alcohol. Always responsibly” messages.