Campaigns

P-CASA uses marketing and media campaigns to aware, educate and empower residents and professionals working in Paterson. One type of campaign used is Social Marketing which uses the tools, and practices of commercial marketing for health and/or social programs. Social Marketing campaigns are targeted to educate and persuade adults to make positive choices in their own use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs but in also how they talk to their children about these substances. For educating youth P-CASA uses a similar yet different approach called Social Norming; these campaigns are used to correct youth misperceptions about alcoholic, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs (ATOD) use. Teens overestimate how many of their peers actually use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) and when they overestimate, they justify use and are more likely to use themselves.

Currently research is being done to help the coalition develop unique social marketing and social norming campaigns. As these campaigns are being developed the coalition uses two successful and effective campaigns to aware and educate.