Sports Marketing Program
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CALIFORNIA
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PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS |
PROGRAM AREA(S) |
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Innovative or nontraditional approach |
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Alcohol and Other Drugs |
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High media visibility |
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Targets hard-to-reach/at risk population |
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TYPE OF JURISDICTION |
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State |
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TARGETED POPULATION(S) |
JURISDICTION SIZE |
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Male Drivers 21-34 Years Old |
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31,878,234 |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
According to state and national statistics, male drivers 21 to 34 years
old are historically over-represented in motor vehicle crashes, fatalities,
and injuries involving impaired driving.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the California Sports Marketing Program, as developed by the
California Office of Traffic Safety, was the reduction of alcohol-related
traffic crashes resulting in fatalities and injuries among male drivers
in the affected age group. Objectives of the program included:
- Establishing partnerships with a variety of professional
sports teams in California
- Developing a marketing plan to meet the goal
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
California hosts seventeen professional sports teams, including representatives
of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball
Association, Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League. Events
sponsored by these teams support attendance from 8,000 to 75,000 fansa
majority of whom are males 2134 years old.
An alliance was formed between the Office of
Traffic Safety and these sports teams, which was the catalyst for many activities
marketing traffic safety to the targeted population. A professional public
relations firm was hired to develop the marketing strategy.
Activities associated with the Sports Marketing
Program included:
- In the first year of the alliance, four of
California's sports teams supported the National Drunk and Drugged Driving
Prevention Month (3D Month) campaign. During December, these teams displayed
scoreboard messages and made stadium announcements asking fans to, "Take
a stand against impaired driving during 3D Month." In addition, three
of the teams helped to produce public service announcements (PSAs), which
were provided free-of-charge by the San Jose Police Department, and distributed
to all area television stations. The PSAs were also featured on the participating
teams' video scoreboards during games. The PSA spots were seen by one million
Californians.
- One of the NBA teams sponsored a half-time
game event to promote 3D Month and "Lights on for Life" day.
The event featured a performance by the award-winning "Zero Tolerance
Crew," a well-known rap artist and dance group, that frequently appears
at high school events
- In the second year of the Sports Marketing
Program, additional teams joined the partnership, agreeing to feature scoreboard
messages, make stadium announcements and produce PSAs in support of traffic
safety. The campaigns for which the teams lent their support included "Buckle
Up America!" Week, "Wake Up California!" week, "Speed
Kills," and "Don't Drink and Drive"
- The partnership sponsored the first "Traffic
Safety Day" prior to, and during a baseball game at Anaheim Stadium.
New PSAs were shown on the video scoreboard, the Office of Traffic Safety
sponsored a traffic safety exhibit, numerous local law enforcement officials
were on hand to show support for the effort and more than 3,000 people
received information on traffic safety
- As the marketing effort was embraced by other
teams, additional support was garnered from the community, including free
PSA production by local companies
- The partnership has begun to produce PSAs
targeted to the Hispanic/Latino community
RESULTS
Impaired driving data in California for 1996 indicate a decrease in DUI
alcohol-related crashes from 960 in 1995 to 941 in 1996. Alcohol-related
fatalities also dropped from 608 in 1995 to 590 in 1996. |
FUNDING |
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Section 402: |
$135,008 |
CONTACT |
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Freda Radich
State of California
Office of Traffic Safety
000 Franklin Blvd., Suite 440
Sacramento, CA 95823
(916) 2622975 |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
Fall 1997 |