Case Study

Safer Sacramento Fentanyl Awareness Campaign

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

People connect with people, not data. Chasnoff Media knew that in order to maximize the reach and effectiveness of the campaign we had to focus on storytelling rooted in the devastating and unfiltered truth about the impact of fentanyl on individuals, families, and communities. Our goals were simple: educate audiences about the fentanyl crisis in Sacramento County and drive them to the campaign website to learn more, share content, and connect with treatment services. In addition to educating audiences about the dangers of fentanyl and its prevalence in street drugs, we sought to communicate the ripple effect that the fentanyl crisis has had across the county: the pain of losing a loved one to fentanyl poisoning or overdose is unbearable – and the pain never stops. Though other fentanyl awareness campaigns do exist, our vision was to create a campaign that was aesthetically, emotionally, and psychologically striking – one that would inspire audiences to want to learn more and spread the word.

The Safer Sacramento Fentanyl Awareness Campaign depended on interviewing families, professionals, and community leaders in Sacramento County and allowing them to share their stories on camera. We filmed parents who lost children, brothers and sisters who lost siblings, community leaders who have witnessed their neighborhoods crumble, politicians pitching solutions, and professionals desperately trying to curb an epidemic that often feels out of control.

Strategically, we took a documentary-style approach to this project, attempting to cover this complex issue from multiple angles and perspectives. However, the centerpiece of this narrative was the kids and families and their devastating stories, which provided nuance and infused meaning into all of the other content.

In addition to the video element of the campaign, we integrated branded static content into the social media feeds so that it was impossible to scroll without facts and visuals jumping off the screen: pics provided by the DEA of pressed pills designed to look like brand-name medications, but in fact, cut with fentanyl; the minuscule amount of fentanyl that is capable of killing; the life-saving power of Narcan and how to use it, and more.  

In addition to our social efforts, we designed a unique set of billboards whose creative qualities lay outside the aesthetic norms for this type of campaign. We used color, contrast, composition, and copy to give the public something they’ve never seen before. We adapted these billboards and created transit stop posters that were plastered around Sacramento County bus stops. We included QR codes so people could scan, click, and learn more about the dangers of fentanyl, what they can do to protect themselves, and how to find treatment.    

CHALLENGE

Creating this campaign was a challenge. In addition to managing the inevitable bureaucratic hurdle of working with a county agency, Chasnoff Media had to create everything from scratch; no digital infrastructure was in place prior to launching the campaign. We built the Safer Sacramento website, established relevant social channels, crafted the strategy, prepared and managed the video shoots, planned, executed, managed, and tracked the social media campaign, all while ensuring our clients were happy. Furthermore, our timeline was tight – we had only 2 months to pull it off.

Additionally, some content was blocked from boosting across social channels due to the sensitive nature of the content. Though we submitted requests for review and appeals, not all posts were allowed to be boosted. This undoubtedly lowered our final social media metrics, but did not prevent us from reaching our goals. You can clearly see below in the samples which content was blocked by the social media algorithms.

The campaign launch date was April 17th, 2023, two weeks before National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9th. We made it happen through teamwork, communication, passion, long nights, and many pots of coffee.

INSIGHTS

Successful social media campaigns require big-picture strategic planning, consistency, patience, and high-quality content that audiences can connect with on an emotional level. The moment we filmed our first interviews, we knew this campaign was going to be unlike any other addressing the fentanyl crisis. Not a day went by during production that tears weren’t shed. The raw and brutally honest stories that individuals shared struck at the heart of both the issue at hand and the human condition: love, loss, deception, betrayal, grief, and the struggle to find a path forward after experiencing loss. Upon returning to the editing suite, we worked tirelessly to prepare this content with a keen recognition that we had a duty to share these stories with the world to prevent fentanyl from claiming another victim.

RESULTS

We launched the Fentanyl Awareness Campaign across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. We strategically staggered video content with static educational posts, balancing and intertwining storytelling with research-based content. Now, when you scroll the feeds, you can’t help but see the headlines pop between the video content. Our call-to-action directed audiences to the Safer Sacramento website to learn more about the dangers of fentanyl, watch more stories, and find support and treatment services. We boosted content on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, with special focus on reaching younger audiences.

KEY CAMPAIGN METRICS

Content Samples

Chasnoff Media shot dozens of interviews, and designed over 72 pieces of static content for the campaign. Here are just a few samples. You can see more here or on Safer Sacramento’s social media channels. Simply visit the website and click on the desired social media icon in the top right corner of the page.

Social Content

Campaign content was distributed across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. We used YouTube as a video hub and for SEO. Curiously, harm reduction content was consistently blocked by the algorithms throughout the campaign, despite appeals.

COLLABORATION

Thanks to all of the SUPT folks who made this project possible. Success depends on productive partnerships and collaboration!

And special appreciation is given to all of the families who shared their stories and welcomed us with open arms into their homes and private spaces. Your stories will save lives and make Sacramento County a safer place.