As PR agencies face up to threats from the advertising sector, Drinkaware has provided the industry with a welcome boost by turning its back on advertising.
The charity has brought in Frank PR and Enable Interactive to work with its in-house team for the £1m campaign.
Chief executive Chris Sorek said: ‘We need to engage people and create awareness and word of mouth. The best way to do that is PR because, not only might the money go further, but it enables us to create dialogue with consumers in a more personal way.’
Drinkaware wants to raise awareness of the charity itself and engage specific groups of drinkers, with the PR and digital campaign particularly looking to expose its messages to young adults.
Last year the charity ran a national advertising campaign ‘how much is too much?’. Sorek said this above-the-line campaign had only been able to penetrate four of its ten target metropolitan areas.
He added: ‘This campaign hopefully shows that PR and digital can establish a brand and make it come alive.’