This statewide campaign in 2008 was a direct product of market research conducted by SM Hawaii during the “More Than You Think” campaign. Our research showed that youth identified parents as their most trusted source of information, while parents thought their children didn’t value their input. 

As a result, SM Hawaii launched the “The Stronger Influence,” providing tips and resources for parents who wanted to help curb underage drinking in their own homes. It included TV, radio, digital, and social campaign components as well as a large community and business engagement infrastructure.

The campaign focused on building the self-efficacy of parents by showing how to have a conversation with youth through modeling activities. The evaluation showed that parents felt more comfortable talking to their youth about alcohol, and in particular having conversations about drinking that reconciled why it’s ok for adults to drink when it’s frowned upon in youth.