"Free the Night" - Using Digital Platforms and Technologies to Ignite Voluntary Policy Change Statewide

Background: In Oklahoma, smoking in bars is the norm. Due to statewide preemption, local policy change isn’t possible and statewide change has proven nearly impossible. Despite this, a small number of bars voluntarily started to go smokefree. This shift presented an opportunity to foster a groundswell of consumer-driven change.

Program background: 

Launched in 2013, Free The Night (FTN) is a statewide campaign funded by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust to encourage bars to voluntarily adopt smokefree policies. The campaign utilizes a blend of digital and offline strategies to build momentum statewide, drive coordinated and frequent online and offline action, and recognize smokefree bars to incentivize other bar owners to adopt smokefree policies.

FTN drives smokefree bar and club supporters to use the power of the dollar and their digital voice to encourage bars to go smokefree and support them once they’ve made the switch. Social media advertising is used to recruit supporters, who are then connected with an online system that encourages action at strategic times. For example, when a bar is considering a new policy, patrons of that bar in FTN’s database are mobilized to encourage action.

When a bar converts, FTN organizes a “Club By Storm” to mobilize supporters to show up in large numbers on a single day to celebrate at the bar. RSVPs are collected using social media promotions and email marketing. The offline party is paired with an online celebration where supporters thank the bar for going smokefree. To support smokefree bars year-round, FTN drives supporters to a mobile-friendly online bar/club finder to make it easy to frequent smokefree bars. Additionally, FTN’s new action-oriented microsite mobilizes Oklahomans to support smokefree bars by leaving a positive Yelp or Facebook review and sharing a custom image on social media highlighting what they love about the venue (including its smokefree status).

Evaluation Methods and Results: 

Since launching in February 2016, the FTN action-oriented microsite has had 15,271 page views with over 13,000 unique visitors. The smokefree bar and club finder, which currently has over 150 venues listed, has had 15,388 page views and over 11,800 unique visitors Most of the smokefree bar converts over the past year have occurred after the bar/club owner spoke with one of FTN’s existing bar partners or saw our activity on social media. The positive comments and reactions from Oklahomans on our image shares have led bar and club owners to reach out and seek more information. Overall, FTN has converted 11 bars to smokefree in the last 12 months.

Conclusions: 

Digital strategies can be utilized to effectively drive frequent and coordinated online and offline action in support of a policy objective. A blend of digital and on-the-ground grassroots strategies can help normalize desired behaviors (such as smokefree bars) and ultimately drive voluntary policy change.

Implications for research and/or practice: 

By developing an integrated campaign with clear objectives and standardized measures of progress, public health practitioners can create a consumer-driven movement in support of and providing impetus for voluntary policies statewide.