Public Information and digital campaigns

Objective

To educate consumers on standard drinks measures, the HSE low-risk guidelines and the effects of alcohol on health and wellbeing.

To support greater awareness and understanding of alcohol misuse and harm.

To protect and improve health and wellbeing by preventing and reducing alcohol misuse and harm.

To support informed decisions, with a view to reducing alcohol consumption.

Description

Drinkaware was established in March 2016 as a health promotion organisation. Its vision is of an Ireland where alcohol is not misused, and its mission is to fundamentally and permanently change attitudes and behaviours to prevent and reduce misuse. They work towards achieving their mission by raising awareness, creating understanding and supporting behaviour change through, amongst others, effective information campaigns. These media and digital campaigns are also widely used by community, health, civil society organisations, youth and education organisations.

2016 Highlights:

Game changing habits quiz and #twofreedays campaign: Focused on promoting the HSE low risk drinking guidelines.
Christmas campaign: Drink-driving campaign targeted specifically at young men.

2019 Highlights:

Change the Trend campaign (2019-2020): Run during Men’s Health Week to improve the health and wellbeing of young men in Ireland. It was developed in response to the Drinkaware Index findings that young men, particularly under-34s, exhibit consistent hazardous and potentially harmful drinking patterns.
Christmas tips: Tips for mindful drinking were provided throughout December and included a call for parents and adult family members to be positive role models at home.

2020 Highlights:

Christmas campaign: Findings of the 2020 Barometer were highlighted during November and December urging adults, especially parents, to develop healthy coping strategies that do not involve alcohol.
Breast Cancer Awareness month: In Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Drinkaware encouraged women to be aware of the link between drinking alcohol and breast cancer and a to be mindful of the HSE low- risk weekly guidelines.

2021 Highlights:

Positive Change campaign: Launched in the run up to St Patrick’s Day, the digital campaign, comprised of both organic and paid social media activity. A series of video conversations with Behavioural Psychologist Pádraig Walsh were created using user-generated content to provide the questions posed to Pádraig. The conversations were recorded and shared via the Drinkaware Instagram channel. This activity was supported with a press release calling on the public to share their positive change story which landed in Buzz.ie and social media posts encouraging positive change.
Summer Socialising campaign: With the easing of restrictions announced in the Summer of 2021, Drinkaware supported the public with information on how to safely socialise during the summer months. A new webpage was launched in June with tips and advice on a variety of outdoor activities. This webpage provided important information on the rules and regulations for outdoor drinking along with advice on how to cut down/ out alcohol, the low-risk weekly guidelines, mindful drinking, BBQ, swimming and sun safety. A series of infographic images were created and shared with local authorities, hotels, tourism boards and Tidy Towns.
The Morning After campaign (also in 2022): Information on the dangers of driving the morning after drinking shared throughout the year and ahead of bank holiday weekends. Information highlighted the need to allow the body time to process alcohol and debunked many of the common misconceptions around ‘sobering up’ the morning after drinking. This media campaign came to fruition in December with a heavy focus being on the most common myths for sobering up and was supported through a digital campaign.
Parental advice (also 2022): Encouraged parents throughout the year have conversations around alcohol and mental health with the young person in their life. This coverage was also supported through a digital campaign in 2022.
Public health awareness: Raised awareness of the links between alcohol and certain cancers and alcohol related harms on key public health awareness days throughout the year.
Low-risk Weekly Guidelines (also in 2022): Focused on the lack of awareness and understanding of the low-risk weekly alcohol guidelines especially at the start of the year and in the run up to Christmas.

2022 Highlights:

St Patrick’s day So Much More campaign: Highlighted how Ireland is about #SoMuchMore than the stereotypes that exist around drinking alcohol and provided examples of alternative ways to spend this St Patrick’s Day.
Drinkaware Public Webinar: Three panellists shared their insights as to whether it is possible to drink alcohol mindfully and still socialise in Ireland, the role peer pressure plays and tips for alcohol-free socialising”?
How to have a mindful Christmas campaign: Provided information on how mindful drinking and being sober curious can have an impact in improving both mental and physical health.
Mindful drinking and mental health: Commentary on the topic from Drinkaware featured in the media.
Health Harms: Throughout 2022 Drinkaware provided information on the potential health harms associated with alcohol. This included articles on alcohol’s impact on the body and information on the link between alcohol and certain cancers.

Drinkaware also publishes research on national data relating to the behaviours, attitudes, and motivational drivers of alcohol consumption in Ireland. These serve to provide information to consumers and also receive extensive media coverage. Examples include:

Barometer Research (launched in 2017. Explores the behaviours, attitudes and motivations that drive alcohol consumption among adults in Ireland.
Drinkaware Index (launched in 2018): Provides a critical up-to-date picture of Ireland’s drinking habits.
Alcohol and COVID-19 Barometer (2020 and 2021). How COVID-19 impacted drinking patterns.
Stimulating discourse: The coverage the “Families, alcohol & COVID-19 research paper”, and the “key findings from the Barometer 2021” served to stimulate discourse on alcohol’s place within the home environment and current trends regarding alcohol use, misuse, mental health and positive shifts in behaviour.

Results

In 2022, over 630 pieces of coverage reached 31.6 million. Findings of the second Alcohol and COVID-19 Barometer prompted extensive national coverage and discussion in the media, with an exclusive article sharing the key findings in the Irish Times. Findings from parents’ qualitative research were shared across national and regional media, featuring in the Irish Independent and receiving extensive broadcast coverage across national and regional media. Initial key findings of the Drinkaware Annual Barometer featured in an exclusive interview on RTÉ’s Claire Byrne show.

In 2021, over 410 pieces of coverage reached over 20 million. The St Patrick’s day videos reached over 450 people. The Summer Socialising campaign resulted in over 1,000 visits to the new webpage with visitors spending on average over 2 minutes reading through the information. The Families, alcohol & COVID-19 research paper and the key findings from the Barometer 2021 reached over 1.5 million people. The coverage in over 70 publications served to stimulate discourse. The Christmas campaign reached over 7 million people through 138 articles and saw over 100,000 people visit Drinkaware for more information. Summary findings from the Junior Cycle Alcohol Education Programme (JC AEP) evaluation reached at least 1.5 million people.

In 2020, over 460 pieces of coverage across national and regional media reached over 26 million. The findings from the Alcohol and COVID-19 Barometer prompted extensive national coverage and discussion in the media, including in The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, national and regional radio. 47 pieces of coverage for this reached over 2.8 million. The Christmas campaign reached over 1.4 million.

In 2019, over 400 pieces of coverage were spread across national, regional and local print, radio and television. Coverage highlights include Newstalk, Irish Examiner, Joe.ie, RTÉ Drivetime, The Elaine Show and Irish Times.

In 2018, 200 individual media pieces reached an audience of over 10,000,000 nationwide.

In 2017, over 10.5 million people were reached through media campaigns to promote understanding of standard drinks, the HSE low-risk guidelines, the impact of excessive consumption and tips for drinking less.