StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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program in 2002, but is in the process of overhauling it this year. Enhancements to Project Sticker Shock will include more uniform training for all community participants, modernization of materials, and increased marketing efforts. Partnerships with external organizations and community members has also been a key part of Utah's success with its Parents Empowered program. A recent collaboration between Utah and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) launched in January 2014, a month prior to the start of the Sochi Winter Olympics. According to Murakami, Utah hopes that the endorsement of the state's messages by some of Utah's most recognizable athletes will make both parents and kids sit back and take notice. The state has also partnered with Utah's Waste Management division to create mobile billboards out garbage trucks, allowing the public to see campaign messages in unusual yet highly visible locations. A new program for the PLBC is the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers. Launched in December 2013 to tie in with the holiday season, this national initiative encourages licensees to provide free beverages, such as water or soft drinks, to people who identify themselves as designated drivers. The program is voluntary, but as of February 2014, more than 100 Pennsylvania licensees were already participating. The HERO program is sponsored by Red Robin, which currently offers free beverages to designated drivers at its 20 Pennsylvania franchise locations. ENHANCING GRANT PROGRAMS W hile each state sponsors many different initiatives geared toward social responsibility, they also recognize the need to empower outside individuals and organizations to do some of the work themselves. As a result, many states are exploring new grant programs. The PLCB is concentrating on three major areas this year: underage drinking, dangerous drinking and DUIs. Enhanced grant programs are one way the agency is working to address these issues. Over the past several years, the PLCB increased the budget for its annual grant program from $750,000 to $2 million. In 2013, the agency overhauled its grant program, increasing the standard grant award from $15,000 to $20,000 and extending the traditional one-year-long grant cycle to two years. According to Waters, these increases not only give grant recipients more time to hone their individual programs, but the added time also allows the PLCB to have more time to evaluate the overall success of each program. "These enhancements will help us better determine how effective a program is and how it benefi ts us by fi tting into our statewide goals," Waters says. "It also benefi ts the grantees by giving them more time to develop programs that they want." This year, the Virginia ABC is also spearheading a new grant opportunity for college students. All college campuses in Virginia are invited to apply to the program by submitting a proposal detailing plans for a spring break safety awareness program at their school. The Virginia ABC will award between fi ve and ten $1,000 grants to different campuses to put toward their program. 33 StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q March/April 2014 WHAT TO DO Control states have proven that there's no "one size fits all" approach to designing an effective social responsibility campaign. Here are a few overall ideas that control state agencies can consider when developing new responsibility initiatives. Focus on your target audience. Are you interested in reaching out to high school students? College students? Parents? The demographics of your audience will have a huge impact on the content of your campaign. Think creatively. Responsible drinking campaigns are nothing new. You want to make sure that your message resonates with people. Consider your audience and think about new, innovative ways to capture their attention. Make the most of what you have. All states are dealing with limited resources and budget shortfalls. Think about the additional resources you have at your disposal that you might not be tapping into. Can you spearhead a campaign that generates engagement from others? What about partnering with other organizations or community groups that share your primary concerns and goals? Develop a plan of attack. Make sure you plot out the different phases of a new campaign and that everyone at your agency is in agreement about how you will measure results going forward. The North Carolina ABC's Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking is wide-ranging in scope, and involves nearly 80 organizations and coalitions statewide.