Join the Commune: A Controlled Study of Social Branding Influencers to Decrease Smoking Among Young Adult Hipsters

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Young adults in nightlife settings are a key demographic for smoking cessation interventions.
• Social branding strategies offer a novel approach to influence health behaviors in social environments.
• Previous research has not established the efficacy of social branding in reducing tobacco use within bars and nightclubs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a social branding intervention on smoking behaviors among young adults in bars and nightclubs.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of anti-tobacco messaging delivered through social and promotional channels.
• To compare smoking prevalence changes in intervention versus control locations.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental controlled study design was employed across three cities: San Diego and San Francisco (intervention) and Los Angeles (control).
• The intervention involved monthly anti-tobacco events, opinion leaders, art, direct mail, promotions, and online media targeting young adults (18-26).
• Data were collected via 7240 surveys using randomized time location sampling at baseline (2012-2013) and follow-up (2015-2016), with multivariable logistic regression analyzing current smoking.

Main Results:

• Smoking prevalence decreased significantly faster in San Francisco (51.1% to 44.1%) compared to Los Angeles (45.2% to 44.5%).
• San Diego showed significantly lower smoking rates (39.6%) than Los Angeles (44.8%) at both time points, with no difference in the rate of change.
• While brand recall was not directly linked to smoking behavior, it correlated with anti-tobacco attitudes, which in turn were associated with reduced smoking.

Conclusions:

• This is the first controlled study demonstrating the effectiveness of social branding interventions in reducing smoking.
• The intervention was associated with decreased smoking rates in San Francisco and sustained lower rates in San Diego among young adult bar patrons over three years.
• Social branding strategies integrated into nightlife settings show promise for public health initiatives targeting young adult smoking.