For more than 12 years, SE2 has partnered with CDPHE to support tobacco prevention, cessation, and policy education across Colorado through an integrated communications strategy that combines statewide campaigns, digital platforms, community storytelling, and grantee support.

Statewide Advertising Campaigns

SE2 has developed and implemented research-informed social marketing campaigns designed to shift attitudes, increase awareness of tobacco harms, and encourage quitting.

Campaigns addressed a wide range of topics, including:

• Youth vaping prevention
• Secondhand smoke and vapor exposure
• Adult cessation and support resources
• Emerging nicotine products and industry tactics

Creative strategies focused on meeting people where they are—using digital, social, video, and traditional media channels to reach diverse audiences including youth, rural residents, Hispanic/Latino communities, Black Coloradans, Indigenous communities, and people experiencing behavioral health challenges.

These campaigns were grounded in behavioral science and informed by research on the motivations, stressors, and cultural contexts that shape nicotine use.

Storytelling that Humanizes Quitting

Recognizing that quitting nicotine is rarely a simple or linear journey, SE2 developed storytelling initiatives that centered real Coloradans and their experiences with nicotine use and recovery.

These efforts reframed quitting as human, complex, and possible, helping reduce stigma and encouraging people to seek support. Through documentary-style storytelling and community narratives, the work highlighted diverse voices and lived experiences across the state.

Stories were distributed through digital media, social platforms, partner networks, and campaign websites, helping audiences see themselves reflected in the path to quitting.

Policy Education and Public Awareness

Public understanding plays a critical role in advancing tobacco control policies. SE2 developed policy education campaigns and communications materials that helped communities understand issues such as:

• Smoke-free environments
• Tobacco industry marketing tactics
• Youth access and flavored products
• Secondhand smoke exposure

These resources translated complex policy issues into accessible, plain-language materials that could be used by community leaders, advocates, and public health partners.

By connecting policy changes to real-world health impacts, the communications helped build public support for tobacco control efforts across the state.

Grantee Communications Toolkits and Technical Assistance

A defining element of SE2’s work with CDPHE has been supporting the statewide network of STEPP grantees and partners. Over the course of the partnership, SE2 has developed customizable communications toolkits, templates, and training resources that local partners can adapt for their communities.

Support has included:

• Customizable campaign assets and messaging guides
• Earned media templates and outreach support
• Social media content and graphicsWebsite resources and digital assets

Digital Platforms and Resource Hubs

SE2 has also supported the development and ongoing management of key digital platforms that serve as the public-facing hub for tobacco prevention and cessation resources in Colorado. These include:

• TobaccoFreeCO.org
• ColoradoSinTabaco.org
• Social media channels and digital engagement platforms

These platforms provide accessible information about tobacco harms, quitting resources such as the Colorado QuitLine, and tools for community partners working on tobacco prevention.

Over more than a decade of partnership, SE2’s work with CDPHE has helped build a sustained communications infrastructure supporting tobacco prevention, cessation, and policy change across Colorado.

Key outcomes include:

Statewide Reach and Awareness | Integrated advertising campaigns have reached millions of Coloradans across digital, broadcast, and community channels, helping increase awareness of tobacco harms and available cessation resources.

Support for Diverse Communities | Campaigns and outreach strategies were tailored to reach populations disproportionately affected by tobacco and nicotine use, including youth, rural residents, and historically marginalized communities.

Strengthened Local Capacity | Through communications toolkits, training, and technical assistance, SE2 has helped empower local public health agencies and community organizations to lead tobacco education efforts within their own communities.

Sustained Public Engagement | Digital platforms and storytelling initiatives have helped maintain ongoing public dialogue around tobacco harms, nicotine addiction, and the importance of prevention and cessation.

A Foundation for Long-Term Change | By combining statewide campaigns with local capacity building, this work has supported Colorado’s broader tobacco control goals—helping reduce tobacco use, shift social norms, and build healthier communities across the state.

In 2024, the Colorado Health Foundation released the Good Neighbor Messaging Guide, based on deep multi-year audience research, on how to deploy effective persuasive messaging about affordable housing policies. This guide shows how to activate supporters, move those who are conflicted or concerned, and neutralize opposition messages.

The Colorado Health Foundation then chose SE2 to distill the robust research into easily digestible pieces: an introductory video, six one-page guides, and a checklist to help keep advocates on track.

This engaging bilingual toolkit makes research insights accessible and actionable for community advocates seeking to address local opportunities or challenges.

Advocates who want to support affordable housing in their communities can now more effectively activate supporters, shift the opinions of those who are conflicted or concerned, and neutralize opposition messages.

More housing options create healthier communities. Those with stable, safe housing that fits their budget are more likely to be healthy, and they can better access educational and economic opportunities. That’s good for everyone.

The Good Neighbor toolkit is available here: The Good Neighbor Guide Toolkit | The Colorado Health Foundation

Environmental work lives at the intersection of science, systems, and everyday decisions. Across toxicology education, childhood lead prevention, glass recycling, and circular economy infrastructure, SE2 approached each project not as a marketing exercise — but as a translation challenge.

In every case, the question was the same: How do we make complex environmental systems feel clear, practical, and worth participating in?

Below is how that strategy came to life across initiatives.

Toxicology Video Series

When state partners needed to explain toxicology and chemical safety to broader audiences, the challenge wasn’t lack of information — it was overload.

Toxicology is layered, technical, and often misunderstood. Public conversations about chemicals can quickly drift toward fear, misinformation, or mistrust. At the same time, regulatory processes demand precision.

We began by listening closely to subject-matter experts — toxicologists, regulators, and policy leaders — to understand not only the science, but where confusion most often occurs.

Then we did what we do best: we translated.

Rather than simplifying the science into soundbites, we built a video series that walked viewers through complex concepts step by step — how exposure works, how risk is evaluated, how regulatory decisions are made. Visual storytelling became the bridge between data and understanding. Animation and motion graphics clarified processes that would otherwise remain abstract.

The tone was deliberate: calm, credible, and clear. We avoided alarmism. We avoided jargon. We treated viewers as capable partners in understanding.

The result was not just educational content, but trust-building content — reinforcing that environmental decision-making is rooted in evidence, process, and public health protection.

Childhood Lead Testing Campaign

Lead exposure is environmental science made painfully personal. And it disproportionately affects communities already navigating systemic barriers.

In working on childhood lead testing, we understood that awareness alone would not change behavior. Families already facing economic strain or language barriers do not respond to generic warnings.

So we grounded the campaign in lived experience.

We worked to ensure materials reflected real exposure pathways — older housing, imported cookware and pottery, cultural cooking practices — not abstract risk scenarios. Messaging was transcreated, not simply translated, to resonate culturally and linguistically.

Just as importantly, we shifted the tone. Instead of framing lead as a hidden threat lurking everywhere, we framed testing as an empowering act of protection. Something parents do because they care. Something manageable. Something accessible.

The campaign met families where they were — in trusted community settings, through culturally relevant channels, in clear and direct language. By reducing fear and increasing clarity, we helped increase confidence in testing as a practical next step.

Erase the Waste

Erase the Waste was not just about recycling. It was about economic infrastructure.

Colorado had recently launched new glass recycling and circular economy businesses — companies capable of turning recycled glass into new products. The challenge was supply. These facilities needed a steady stream of clean glass to operate at scale and prove viability.

Recycling behavior became an economic lever.

Rather than treating glass recycling as an environmental virtue, we positioned it as participation in something bigger — an investment in Colorado’s emerging circular economy. Every bottle recycled wasn’t just waste diverted. It was raw material fueling local industry.

The campaign reframed glass as a valuable commodity, not trash.

We developed messaging that connected individual household action to tangible economic impact. Recycling glass became a way to:

• Support local manufacturing
• Keep materials in-state
• Reduce landfill use
• Strengthen Colorado’s sustainability leadership

Visual storytelling highlighted the lifecycle of glass — from bottle to recycled product — helping residents see the direct connection between their curbside bin and the new businesses launching across the state.

In doing so, the campaign helped “feed” the circular economy investment with the product it needed: clean, recycled glass. Behavior change became supply chain support.

Colorado Circular Communities Website Redesign

Circular economy work requires coordination across municipalities, businesses, nonprofits, and state agencies. But even the best initiatives can stall if the digital infrastructure doesn’t support action.

The Colorado Circular Communities website needed to evolve from a repository of information into a working tool.

We began by mapping user journeys: What does a local government leader need when launching a circular initiative? What does a business owner need when exploring participation? What does a nonprofit partner need when seeking funding?

Then we reorganized the site around action pathways — not bureaucratic categories.

Resources were grouped by what users are trying to accomplish, not by agency structure. Accessibility standards were strengthened to ensure equitable access. Success stories were elevated to show that circular strategies are not theoretical — they are already working in Colorado communities.

The redesigned site became more than informational. It became connective tissue — linking partners, programs, and practical next steps.

Across projects, SE2’s environmental work has delivered measurable and systems-level impact:

• Increased Public Understanding | Complex topics like toxicology and chemical safety became accessible to non-technical audiences without sacrificing credibility.
• Greater Equity in Environmental Health | Lead testing outreach achieved deeper engagement in communities facing disproportionate risk, strengthening prevention and early intervention efforts.
• Behavior Change at Scale | Waste campaigns reframed disposal norms and supported more confident, climate-aligned household decisions.
• Stronger Implementation Infrastructure | The Colorado Circular Communities website redesign improved partner navigation, usability, and long-term sustainability of circular economy efforts.
• Durable Tools, Not One-Off Campaigns | Rather than producing isolated assets, SE2 builds ecosystems of materials — toolkits, digital hubs, training content, and community partnerships — that extend impact beyond a single media flight.

SE2 created the Colorado QuitLine Stories series to tell a different kind of story, one grounded in dignity, honesty, and collaboration.

Shot in a documentary style, the series centers participants as co-creators rather than subjects. Individuals were not scripted, coached, or shaped to fit a single narrative arc. Instead, they were invited to speak openly about their lives, their relationship with nicotine, and what quitting means to them on their own terms. Filmmaking choices prioritized presence over performance, allowing silence, reflection, and vulnerability to remain part of the story.

Visual storytelling played a critical role. Each film was grounded in places that mattered to the participant, including homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and outdoor spaces. Environment became a quiet narrative device that reflected routine, stress, resilience, and change. These moments added emotional depth without instruction, voiceover, or persuasion.

Across nine short films, produced in English and Spanish, the series features diverse Coloradans. Participants ranged from lifelong tobacco users to younger people just beginning to recognize nicotine’s impact. Together, the films represent different products, different paths to quitting, and communities across the state. As a whole, the series challenges stigma and reframes the QuitLine as a human source of support rather than a last resort.

Distribution was intentional and respectful. Films were placed through targeted digital channels and timed dayparts, such as lunch breaks, to reach viewers in moments of pause and routine when reflection and connection are most likely.

The Colorado QuitLine Stories series shifted the tone of cessation communications from directive to human. It invited viewers to see themselves reflected in the work.

Key outcomes included a reframed perception of the QuitLine as supportive, relatable, and non-judgmental, rooted in real people and real experiences rather than instructions or outcomes. The series drove strong emotional resonance and engagement through documentary storytelling that allowed complexity, vulnerability, and unfinished journeys to remain visible.

The work also strengthened relevance across diverse audiences through bilingual content and representation spanning age, geography, nicotine products, and readiness to quit.

In addition, the series became a durable storytelling asset that could be deployed across paid media, digital platforms, and partner channels, extending its impact beyond a single media flight.

Most importantly, the series helped normalize quitting as a lived experience. It showed that quitting can be complex, personal, and possible, especially when people feel seen, respected, and supported.

SE2 partnered with the Colorado Department of Education to develop Read, Learn, Lead — a bilingual, culturally relevant awareness campaign designed to strengthen the partnership between families and schools and support children’s reading success from the very beginning.

From the start, the campaign was built to be flexible and place-based. SE2 developed a clear campaign strategy, core messages, and a distinct visual brand supported by a library of custom illustrations. These assets were designed to be adaptable so districts, educators, libraries, and community organizations could deploy them in ways that made sense locally while maintaining consistency statewide.

To reach families beyond traditional school communications, the campaign relied heavily on place-based media, social, and texting. Printed materials were distributed in 173 trusted community locations across Colorado, including child care centers, clinics, grocery and convenience stores, libraries, and community centers. This ensured families encountered messages about early reading in the places they already visit as part of daily life.

Digital outreach complemented this work. A six-week paid media campaign delivered bilingual digital, radio, and social content, with a strong focus on Spanish-speaking families, rural communities, and economically disadvantaged households. Text messaging through Lantern allowed the campaign to deliver short, timely prompts that encouraged families to talk with teachers and seek support early. Messaging emphasized that reading challenges are common, support is available, and early conversations can make a lasting difference.

Throughout the campaign, SE2 prioritized plain language, affirming tone, and practical guidance. The goal was not to alarm families, but to empower them with information, normalize early reading challenges, and reinforce that families and educators are partners in building a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Read, Learn, Lead achieved broad reach and strong engagement across channels, with particularly meaningful results among Spanish-speaking families and communities that are often harder to reach through traditional education communications .
Key outcomes include:

• More than 11 million total impressions statewide delivered in just six weeks, demonstrating strong visibility and scale.
• Nearly 9,000 website visits, with 76 percent of traffic directed to the Spanish-language site, highlighting deep engagement among Spanish-speaking families.
• 173 community-based locations activated through place-based media, generating an estimated 9 million impressions in trusted, everyday settings.
• High-performing social and digital placements, with click-through rates ranging from 0.06 percent to 3 percent and Instagram engagement rates reaching up to 18 percent, significantly outperforming Facebook.
• Text messaging outreach to more than 87,000 families, with some messages achieving click-through rates above 1.4 percent, reinforcing the effectiveness of timely, direct prompts.

Together, these results show that Read, Learn, Lead succeeded in reaching diverse families, delivering useful and adaptable tools to districts and community partners, and elevating early reading as a shared priority. By meeting families where they are and emphasizing early action, the campaign helped lay a stronger foundation for children’s reading success and lifelong learning.

Across Everyday Eats (CSFP), CDE’s Free School Meals, and Blueprint for Hunger, SE2 implemented a community-centered communications and outreach strategy focused on normalization, clarity, and trust.

For families, SE2 developed plain-language, culturally relevant messaging that reframed food assistance as a shared public good and emphasized that nutritious meals are something all kids deserve. Campaigns used inclusive visuals and affirming tone to reduce shame and make programs feel accessible.

SE2 paired mass and digital media with extensive community outreach, working through schools, community organizations, food banks, and local events to meet families in trusted, everyday spaces.

In parallel, SE2 supported workforce and system readiness by developing training materials and toolkits that translated program standards into clear, actionable guidance for food service workers and administrators. This alignment ensured that outreach to families matched on-the-ground program delivery.

SE2’s work increased awareness and understanding of food assistance programs while helping reduce stigma around participation. Community-based outreach expanded reach to families facing language, access, or trust barriers, supporting more equitable utilization of school meals and supplemental nutrition programs.

At the same time, training and communications resources strengthened program implementation, helping food service workers deliver meals confidently, consistently, and with dignity. Together, this work helped ensure nutrition programs functioned as intended—supporting children’s health, learning, and long-term wellbeing.

SE2 developed a digital-first media campaign designed to meet people where decisions about sex and risk are actually happening: on hookup and dating apps. Instead of interrupting users with alarmist messages, the campaign leaned into context—placing STI testing messages in spaces where people were already thinking about sex, partners, and protection.

To cut through clutter in these environments, SE2 created a bold, sports-themed creative concept—“Play the Game?”—that reframed STI testing as a smart, routine part of staying in the game, rather than a consequence of “bad” behavior. The concept used familiar sports language and visuals to spark curiosity and recognition, helping the campaign stand out in fast-scroll, high-competition digital spaces.

Messaging was intentionally non-judgmental and harm-reduction focused, emphasizing that:

• STIs are common and manageable
• Testing is about taking care of yourself and your partners
• Knowing your status is a form of confidence—not something to hide

Throughout the campaign, SE2 prioritized inclusive language, LGBTQ-affirming visuals, and a tone that felt conversational, sex-positive, and human. The result was a campaign that respected audience autonomy while making testing feel relevant, normal, and accessible.

The campaign successfully reached LGBTQ+ audiences in high-intent digital environments and drove meaningful engagement with STI testing information and resources.

Campaign performance highlights include:

• 1.85 million total impressions delivered statewide across dating apps (Jack’d, Scruff), TikTok, Snapchat, and paid search—ensuring broad visibility among priority LGBTQ+ audiences.
• Over 730,000 impressions on Snapchat and 1.12 million impressions on TikTok, leveraging high-impact, mobile-first platforms to reach users in moments of active engagement.
• Achieved large-scale reach across multiple channels while maintaining cost-effective CPMs and CPC benchmarks.

Beyond quantitative metrics, the campaign demonstrated the power of meeting people with respect—showing that STI prevention messaging can be direct, culturally relevant, and stigma-free, while still driving action. By aligning message, medium, and moment, CDPHE strengthened its connection with LGBTQ+ communities and advanced a more affirming, effective approach to sexual health communication.

To address these challenges, SE2 developed a storytelling-focused campaign featuring testimonials from diverse Coloradans who had personally used 988. Stories were created in both English and Spanish to reach broader audiences. Each narrative combined animated segments to illustrate the backstory of individuals’ experiences with mental health challenges and live interviews capturing their reflections and growth today.

The goal was to help community members see themselves in these stories, normalize seeking help, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health support. In addition, the campaign highlighted various modalities of support beyond phone calls, including text and chat, to ensure people had multiple ways to access help.

We leveraged our SE2 PowerMap® approach to extend the reach of these stories. This included sharing content through presentations, community meetings, and direct engagement with community and grasstops leaders, ensuring that messaging resonated within the communities it was designed to support.

Through storytelling grounded in real experiences, this initiative demonstrated the power of culturally relevant communication in reducing stigma and promoting mental health support in historically underserved communities.

• Shifted perceptions: BIPOC communities began viewing 988 as a trusted and approachable resource for mental health support.
• Created positive impressions: Testimonials helped build more favorable attitudes toward the service, reinforcing its accessibility and effectiveness.
• Encouraged action: By showcasing relatable experiences, the campaign motivated individuals to reach out and seek support when needed.

For several consecutive years, SE2 worked with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment to promote vaccines broadly across Colorado. We managed research-based and community-informed campaigns to encourage vaccination. We focused on both mass media and outreach/engagement using our SE2 PowerMap® framework. This approach included:

• Culturally Responsive Messaging: Tailoring communication to resonate with diverse populations and frankly addressing concerns rooted in racist health care legacies.
• Trusted Messengers: Co-creating messages and strategies with community leaders, local organizations, and health care professionals who provide credible information built on trust.
• Science-Based Information: Helping everyone navigate vaccine decisions for themselves and loved ones through clear, transparent messaging.
  Sustained Engagement: Supporting annual respiratory season and routine childhood vaccine awareness year after year to build on progress and prevent erosion of trust, even when facing headwinds.
• Positive Community Norms: Demonstrating that routine childhood vaccines are embraced by a large majority of families, giving others confidence that they’re in good company when they vaccinate.

SE2’s engagement on this issue included promotion of the first COVID-19 vaccines, a campaign that was launched as quickly as the vaccines become available. It featured health care providers of color addressing their motivations for getting vaccinated.

SE2 has also worked with health, community, and philanthropic organizations to fill the gaps in vaccine promotion caused by drastic cuts in federal funding and confusing messages from federal health leaders.

Our most recent vaccination campaigns garnered over 100 million ad impressions, drove over 300,000 visitors to campaign websites, and surpassed industry benchmarks across all platforms.

These efforts contributed one remarkable achievement: The state achieved the nation’s highest RSV vaccination rate among those 60 and older. Following the direct mailer to 72,026 families, 9,868 (or 13.7%) kindergarten-aged children had become up to date on their MMR vaccine.

In just five weeks the “Missing” campaign:

• Generated over 4.9 million impressions and 149,000 clicks
• Drove nearly 2,000 people to act—visiting pages with theft prevention tips or victim resources
• TikTok extended reach to younger audiences, with over 1.3 million views of campaign videos and over 90% view-through rate

The emotional storytelling, combined with clear prevention steps, helped Coloradans connect the dots between how they feel about their cars—and how they act to protect them.

SE2 partnered with the Metro Denver Partnership for Health to develop Let’s Talk Colorado, a storytelling-driven mental health campaign rooted in lived experience and cultural relevance.

At the heart of the campaign was storytelling. SE2 worked with community members to elevate real stories that reflected how mental health shows up in everyday life. Rather than positioning people as experts or spokespeople, the campaign centered individuals as neighbors, parents, workers, and friends. Stories focused on moments of honesty, vulnerability, and connection, helping audiences see that mental health challenges are common and that talking about them is a strength, not a failure.

Storytelling was intentionally inclusive. Content reflected diverse communities, identities, languages, and life experiences, allowing people from different backgrounds to see themselves in the campaign. The tone was warm, non-clinical, and affirming, designed to invite conversation rather than prescribe solutions.

To support these stories, SE2 developed a central campaign website that served as both a narrative extension of the campaign and a practical resource hub. The website was designed to be approachable and easy to navigate, offering clear pathways to mental health information, conversation starters, and support services. Content was organized to reduce overwhelm and help users quickly find what felt relevant to them, whether they were seeking help for themselves, supporting a loved one, or simply looking to learn more.

Together, storytelling and digital experience worked hand in hand. Stories helped reduce stigma and build trust, while the website provided a concrete next step for people ready to explore support.

Let’s Talk Colorado helped shift how mental health is talked about across communities by leading with humanity and connection.

Key outcomes included:

• Reduced stigma through representation, as audiences encountered stories that reflected their own experiences, cultures, and values.
• Increased comfort with mental health conversations, driven by storytelling that normalized struggle and emphasized connection over diagnosis.
• A trusted, accessible website that centralized mental health resources and made it easier for individuals and families to take the next step toward support.
• Stronger relevance across diverse communities, achieved through culturally responsive content and inclusive storytelling rather than one-size-fits-all messaging.

By pairing authentic stories with clear, accessible resources, Let’s Talk Colorado demonstrated that stigma reduction and practical support must go together. The campaign helped create space for honest conversations about mental health and reinforced a simple truth: talking is a powerful first step toward healing.

We leaned into emotion to spark action —and grounded it in data.

Before developing creative, we conducted robust statewide polling to understand how Coloradans perceive the risk of auto theft and what behaviors they were (or weren’t) taking to prevent it. The research revealed distinct audience segments with varying levels of awareness, perceived vulnerability, and motivation to act.

These findings became the foundation of the campaign strategy.

We created audience personas that reflected real-world attitudes and behaviors—then tailored messaging to address each group’s specific barriers and misperceptions. Some needed a wake-up call about risk. Others needed to know prevention was simple and worth doing.

The campaign didn’t just make an impression—it changed behavior.

By tapping into emotion and pairing it with clear, doable actions, the “Missing” campaign motivated thousands of Coloradans to take steps to protect their vehicles.

In just five weeks the “Missing” campaign:

• Generated over 4.9 million impressions and 149,000 clicks
• Drove nearly 2,000 people to act—visiting pages with theft prevention tips or victim resources
• TikTok extended reach to younger audiences, with over 1.3 million views of campaign videos and over 90% view-through rate

The emotional storytelling, combined with clear prevention steps, helped Coloradans connect the dots between how they feel about their cars—and how they act to protect them.

Across campaigns including Ready to Rise, Connecting Colorado, community college workforce initiatives, TalentFound, and the FAMLI rollout, SE2 developed a dual-audience communications approach that addressed workers and employers as interconnected parts of the same system.

Worker-focused campaigns emphasized clarity, confidence, and possibility. Messaging translated complex systems into plain language and showed how new skills connected directly to better jobs, higher wages, and long-term stability. Campaigns normalized career transitions and were designed to reach people who did not always see themselves reflected in traditional workforce or education messaging.

Employer-focused campaigns centered on trust and practicality. SE2 framed new programs and platforms around what employers needed to know, how changes affected their workforce, and what actions to take next. Messaging positioned workforce systems and policies as tools to support business needs, strengthen retention, and build a more resilient workforce.

Across all efforts, SE2 used targeted digital outreach, storytelling, and community-based channels to reach audiences where decisions about work, training, and policy were already top of mind, with a strong focus on equity and access for rural communities, workers facing economic barriers, and small and mid-sized employers.

SE2’s workforce campaigns increased understanding of workforce systems and strengthened engagement across both worker and employer audiences.

Worker-facing efforts helped individuals better understand training pathways, feel more confident pursuing new skills, and take steps toward meaningful employment. Employer-facing campaigns supported smoother adoption of new programs, reduced confusion during policy rollouts, and improved awareness of tools designed to support hiring, retention, and workforce stability.

Together, this work demonstrated SE2’s ability to translate complex workforce policy and systems into clear, human communications that connected people to opportunity and supported a more adaptable, equitable workforce.

SE2 supported early childhood initiatives through a research-informed, community-centered communications approach that treated families and providers as partners, not targets.

Across ECE campaigns, SE2 focused on plain language, cultural relevance, and real-world usability. Messaging emphasized shared responsibility between families, educators, and systems, reinforcing that early learning success is a collective effort. Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all outreach, SE2 developed adaptable toolkits, bilingual materials, and campaign assets that could be used consistently across regions while still allowing for local customization.

For family-facing communications, SE2 prioritized clarity and reassurance. Campaigns met parents and caregivers where they were, using digital media, social platforms, community-based outreach, and trusted messengers to deliver information in moments of need. Messaging normalized common questions and challenges, reduced stigma around seeking help, and offered practical next steps that felt manageable and relevant.

For provider- and workforce-facing efforts, SE2 translated policy and system changes into clear, actionable guidance. Communications supported recruitment, retention, and professional pride, while acknowledging the realities of working in early childhood settings. Throughout, equity was embedded in both strategy and execution, with multilingual content, culturally responsive design, and outreach strategies tailored to communities historically underserved by traditional media.

SE2 also supported the development of accessible digital hubs that centralized information, reduced navigation burden, and helped users quickly find what mattered most to them. These platforms served as durable resources that could evolve alongside policy and program changes.

SE2’s early childhood education work strengthened understanding, trust, and engagement across families, providers, and systems.

Campaigns reached diverse audiences statewide, with particularly strong engagement among Spanish-speaking families and communities that often face barriers to accessing early childhood information. Clear, culturally relevant messaging helped families feel more confident navigating early learning resources and initiating conversations with educators and providers.

For agencies and partners, SE2’s work delivered flexible, reusable communications assets that improved consistency across programs while allowing for local adaptation. Digital platforms and toolkits extended the life of campaigns beyond individual media flights, supporting long-term awareness and system readiness.

Together, this body of work demonstrated SE2’s ability to support early childhood systems at scale. By translating complexity into clarity and grounding communications in lived experience, SE2 helped create pathways that support children’s development, strengthen families, and build a more resilient early childhood system.

We knew that clarity was key. To ensure our videos resonated, we took a strategic approach to language, stripping away complicated terms and replacing them with everyday words. We focused on real-world scenarios to illustrate key concepts, helping people see how coverage decisions impact their lives.  

Visual storytelling played a crucial role, with engaging animations and clear step-by-step breakdowns that guide viewers through essential information. 

By simplifying language and presenting information in a digestible format, our explainer videos are empowering individuals to make more informed health care choices. Viewers reported feeling more confident in understanding their options and taking the next steps in their coverage decisions. 

The team at the Division of Insurance reports that the video series has been wildly popular and very useful in helping educate Coloradans about available health insurance options.  

The Division’s Assistant Commissioner for Communications and Outreach says: “Working with SE2 was a fantastic experience. The team knows video making. And not just the technical components of putting it together, but they understand the importance of working with the client to grasp the key messages and develop those into easy-to-understand images and words (both text and audio). The team is willing to take the time to work through drafts, edits and reviews to get things right. And, in the end, matching their understanding of communicating with their technical knowledge produces a beautiful result.” 

Rather than relying solely on traditional public awareness channels, we worked closely with trusted messengers—community leaders, local organizations, and grassroots advocates—to share information about 988 in ways that resonated with their communities.  

This strategy helped address key barriers by: 

• Reducing Stigma: Encouraging open conversations about mental health within communities where seeking help might be seen as a sign of weakness. 
• Building Trust: Leveraging the credibility of local leaders and organizations to deliver information in culturally relevant ways. 
• Improving Accessibility: Providing multilingual materials and outreach efforts to ensure that language was not a barrier to accessing 988. 
• Clarifying Misconceptions: Addressing fears about law enforcement involvement and emphasizing the confidential and supportive nature of the service. 

Using our SE2 PowerMap™ approach, we engaged 43 partners across the state to raise awareness of 988 through digital media and over 172 local events.  

By meeting people where they are and using voices they trust, the campaign has successfully expanded access to mental health support, particularly among communities that have historically underutilized these services. 

Through our statewide network we had meaningful conversations with over 32,000 Coloradans and reached another 70,000 individuals through online platforms, leading to significant, positive changes in awareness and perceptions about 988.  

The strategy was so effective that SE2 has been engaged to continue and expand this work in 2025 and beyond.    

The Colorado Department of Law’s Opioid Response Unit engaged SE2 to develop and launch the Connect Effect campaign to harness the protective power of peer and lore ipsum delore est adult connections and highlight positive social norms.

The campaign emphasizes that a vast majority of Colorado teens are making healthy choices and are willing to protect their friends from potential dangers. Key components of the approach include:

• Highlighting Positive Statistics: Promoting data that shows 87% of Colorado teens would intervene to stop a friend from taking a pill not prescribed to them, reinforcing that these protective behaviors are the norm.
• Educational Resources: Providing accessible information about the risks of fentanyl, recognizing signs of an overdose, and the life-saving potential of naloxone (known by the brand name Narcan).
• Facilitating Open Dialogue: Offering guidance for parents and other trusted adults on how to engage in meaningful conversations with teens about substance misuse and peer pressure.
• Multilingual Support: Ensuring parent resources are available in both English and Spanish to reach a broad audience.

A statewide paid media campaign used social, digital, and targeted out-of-home placements in schools and community centers. Using our SE2 PowerMap™ process, we engaged our network of community partners to disseminate campaign messages (e.g., inserting Connect Effect content into their newsletters and social media channels), hanging materials throughout their facilities, and speaking about the campaign in presentations and trainings.

Since its inception, the Connect Effect campaign has made significant strides in reshaping perceptions and behaviors:

• Increased Awareness and Engagement: Teens and parents report a heightened understanding of the dangers associated with counterfeit pills and the prevalence of fentanyl. Third-party evaluation showed that in just 12 weeks, nearly three out of five Colorado teens were aware of the campaign. Additionally, the campaign strongly resonated with key audiences, achieving a click-through rate six times higher than industry benchmarks.
• Strengthened Community Bonds: The campaign has fostered stronger connections between youth, their peers, and adults, creating a supportive network that encourages healthy decision making. In addition to activating our network of statewide
•  partners, six regions adopted and amplified the campaign in communities across the state.

By equipping individuals with knowledge and resources, the campaign has empowered Coloradans to act confidently in preventing potential overdoses and supporting their communities.

The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger chose SE2 to design and implement an educational and engagement campaign to enhance awareness of the new program and encourage broad family participation.  

The bilingual, culturally relevant paid media included compelling digital and broadcast TV ads that reached across the state. 

We also administered a community engagement program, providing support to 40 local grantees for their outreach initiatives in the communities they knew best. 

During the 2023-2024 school year, every eligible school district in Colorado opted into the program. Breakfast and lunch meal participation was up 37% and 30% respectively statewide compared to prior years, and approximately 184,000 breakfasts and 435,000 lunches were served daily August 2023 through February 2024. 

Participation in the new program was so strong that a new challenge emerged: ensuring that families still completed the eligibility forms that school districts use to leverage federal funds and qualify families for other benefits. 

The grantees pivoted to highlight the importance of these forms and to help families complete them. This aligned with SE2’s related engagement with the Colorado Department of Education to help districts streamline and promote completing the forms. 

Paid media efforts reached Coloradans online and on broadcast TV and streaming services in English and Spanish. Thanks to the outreach, GoodFoodFuelsGreatMinds.org, which offered information on the program, attracted 206,000 unique visitors for a total of 270,000 web sessions. A quarter of the traffic went to the Spanish-language version of the site.  

The grantees hosted over 250 events reaching more than 100,000 families. 

One grantee reported: “I had families coming up to me on a daily basis expressing how much relief this provided for their families how those extra five dollars a day (not) spent on meal costs, gave them that much more breathing room for meeting their day-to-day budgets; how that extra little bit of time spent not packing lunch made a world of difference; how being ‘just like everybody else’ and not having to wait for the free and reduced line helped kids feel included.” 

We developed an engaging explainer video as a key element to support ADAPT in its outreach efforts to schools and other community partners. This video clearly articulated the concept of social norming and how school staff, parents/caregivers, and others involved could support the campaign effort. When the campaign was complete, SE2 interviewed students and staff to share their experiences and report on the positive outcomes of the campaign.

Video is an effective medium for unpacking complex concepts, as it combines visual elements with concise messaging to create a clear and compelling narrative. This approach caters to the busy schedules of professionals who seek high-level education but have limited time to dedicate to in-depth training sessions or written materials.

The explainer video humanizes and distills the essence of social norming strategies. By using animations, scenarios, and expert insights, the video captures attention and simplifies otherwise hard-to-grasp ideas, making them accessible and understandable. This format not only fosters engagement but also allows professionals to grasp the critical aspects of social norming quickly and easily.

The videos serve as a versatile resource that is being shared across various platforms, facilitating broader dissemination of knowledge and encouraging discussions within professional networks. By providing a succinct overview of social norming strategies, it empowers professionals to implement these evidence-based practices in their own programs and initiatives, ultimately contributing to healthier outcomes for youth in their communities. The ADAPT team reports that this is a highly effective resource to set the stage for the training and technical assistance they provide to communities across the country. It was also featured in ADAPT’s annual summit, which is attended by over 1,000 public health, law and drug enforcement, and other community leaders across the country.

To engage youth and sustain their interest, we developed a series of micro-campaigns that highlighted each school’s unique social norms around healthy behaviors. These micro-campaigns rotated every few weeks to capture students’ attention, prevent message fatigue, and encourage students to think critically about health norms within their peer groups.

SE2 also created a toolkit for each micro-campaign, providing materials such as large posters and floor decals for school hallways, stickers and buttons for teachers and staff, and table tents for cafeterias and lunchrooms.

ADAPT provided technical assistance to each school to help them implement the campaigns.

Evaluation of the campaign shows that this approach works. 54 of the 60 measured metrics moved in the desired direction, with 70% of them being statistically significant, including:

• Misperceptions of peer substance use reduced by more than one-third.
• Rates of substance use dropped across all substances.
• Substance use was lowest among students with high exposure to campaign messages.

We conducted listening sessions to understand the challenges parents and caregivers face in understanding the EPSDT benefit. We also spoke with health providers and community partners about their difficulties in communicating the benefit to the target population. From these insights, we developed key messages using plain language to explain what the benefit covers and how to access it. 

Next, we created a communications plan focused on deep community engagement and outreach. Given the skepticism many target audiences have toward government-sponsored health services, we prioritized collaborating with trusted community messengers to break down these barriers and make the messaging more effective. 

We then developed a comprehensive toolkit designed to reach parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with eligible children, such as child welfare workers. The toolkit included explainer videos, posters, flyers, FAQs, desk guides, and other resources to help professionals talk to caregivers about the benefit. 

SE2 printed and distributed toolkits to a network of 65 regional child welfare agencies, 67 community-based organizations, and 200 healthcare providers. 

We also disseminated toolkit materials to daycare centers, family practices, and pediatric clinics, prioritizing rural and lower-income zip codes not already reached with the toolkit. 

These materials ran for a total of three months, garnering nearly 14 million views.

The Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing also reported a significant increase in inquires from youth health and child welfare professionals, as well as parents and caregivers.

Opioids, recklessly marketed by unscrupulous pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, have caused a wave of addiction and overdose deaths.

Often, the path to opioid addiction begins with curiosity and experimentation, including among the youth. In fact, our recent research for the Colorado Attorney General’s youth opioid prevention campaign showed that most kids who experiment with pills started by trying pills they found at home in their family’s medicine cabinets. The consequences can be devastating and long-lasting, making it essential to prevent such experimentation from happening in the first place.

SE2 facilitated a discussion group of professionals who work with parents of young children, including doulas, midwives and nurses. We also conducted a statewide survey of 400 Colorado parents of children under two.

We wanted to understand what families think and believe about safe sleep practices and what messages might compel them to adopt safe sleep practices. The discussion group emphasized the

importance of kind, nurturing and compassionate messages to reinforce what providers say is safe for their children. A key: recognizing that parents are doing what they think is best for their family and respecting their values and motivations.

The survey showed that parents generally understand the need for a safe sleeping environment but start to disagree when asked about specific safe sleep practices such as having infants sleep on their back and alone in a crib without toys or blankets.

SE2 developed a culturally sensitive and approachable campaign featuring the most accessible and comforting of all mediums: a bedtime story. We brought it to life in video, digital and printable flyer formats. The campaign took a warm, encouraging approach, steering clear of anything that came close to lecturing or finger-wagging.

SE2 executed a $75,000 paid media campaign to reach parents of young children, including Spanish-speaking, lower-income, rural and immigrant families. Digital platforms included Google Search, Facebook, YouTube and display ads.

We also worked with the Infant Safe Sleep Partnership to distribute digital and printable materials around the state.

In just 4.5 months, the campaign accumulated over 25 million impressions, 56,000 clicks and an average .22% click-through rate.

The campaign outperformed industry benchmarks by two and three times the standard metrics, and Facebook and Search were the top drivers of clicks and engagement. The largest demographic to engage with the Facebook ads (English and Spanish) were females, aged 25-34, and more than 90% of interactions came from mobile ads.

The largest audience to engage with the Safe Sleep YouTube ads (English and Spanish) were males ages 18-24 (Spanish) and 25-34 (English). Because of this, the next iteration of the campaign could benefit from ads targeted at the 18-24 population on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat.

Based on the performance data and the newly refreshed creative (produced in August of 2023 to incorporate grandparent and father caretakers), we’re well-positioned to continue the momentum with future media campaigns.

The Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program’s Youth Leadership Team provided us with insights and highlighted concerns that guided our work to ensure these messages connected with our audience.  

Reaching Spanish–speaking individuals was important to us as we understand there are cultural differences in how we view our sexual health. We successfully reached over 100,000 young people in Colorado and had 4,500 people go to the website to learn more about their sexual health goals with Be You Colorado. 

SE2 collaborated with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to protect Coloradans with a campaign that highlights the impacts of exposure to lead and encourages parents to get their children tested.  

To best connect with parents, we centered our messaging and materials around reducing real-world barriers to getting tested for lead exposure.  

Keeping testing top-of-mind at routine doctors’ appointments and other health checkups is key – for both parents and health care providers. We placed campaign media in healthcare office waiting rooms, geotargeted digital display ads in communities with higher rates of lead exposure and activated community partners to share campaign toolkit materials through their newsletters, social channels, and websites.

We also developed materials to help professionals easily double-check whether their patients should be tested for lead, as well as a broader toolkit with a range of materials designed to spread awareness about exposure and testing.   

These advertisements take parents to a page (LeadFreeKidsCO.org) where they can learn more about lead exposure, testing, and other resources to protect their families. See more of the creative materials below.  

In the quarter following the campaign, CDPHE observed an almost 13% increase in the number of routine childhood lead tests in targeted communities across the state — corresponding to approximately 20,000 more children tested for lead exposure.  

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) responsible for responding to and preventing emotional, physical, and sexual misconduct and abuse in the U. S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. The Center’s mission is to make athlete well-being the centerpiece of our nation’s sports culture through abuse prevention, education, and accountability. The Center also serves as an educational resource for sports organizations at all levels, from grassroots amateur sports organizations to professional leagues. For more information, please visit USCenterForSafeSport.org.

With the assistance of SE2 and our project partners Lumenati and Generator Media, the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and state agency partners have launched a new initiative – called Ready to Rise – that builds on the CWDC’s ongoing efforts to develop our workforce to speed our recovery and rebuild a more just and resilient Colorado.

Ready to Rise highlights the unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for job seekers, workers and students to complete the skills-building, training and education needed for today’s in-demand careers and prepare themselves to be competitive for the jobs of tomorrow.

To connect Coloradans, especially those most significantly impacted by the pandemic, with these resources as quickly as possible, the campaign was developed at breakneck speed (just under four weeks) and launched on September 1. The campaign will continue to run into the first quarter of 2022.

The advertising will drive Coloradans to a campaign landing page (ReadyToRiseCO.org) where they can explore career paths and get connected to education and training programs and other supplemental resources to help them advance their careers.

The Ready to Rise campaign includes an integrated and mass media approach that provides for TV and terrestrial radio placements (generously sponsored by the Colorado Broadcasters Association), streaming radio, digital out of home boards, convenience store and laundromat advertising, digital display, paid search, and gas station advertising. The campaign will reach communities statewide but targets those populations and communities that the pandemic has hardest hit.

The campaign will run in both English and Spanish and will be amplified by CWDC members such as the Colorado Departments of Higher Education, Human Services, Labor and Employment; the Colorado Offices of Adult Education and Economic Development and International Trade; the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative; Serve Colorado; and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, through a campaign toolkit.

Forward Together reaches both youth and parents/trusted adults to achieve the campaign objectives. Campaign messages are disseminated through a robust paid media campaign that uses an integrated media approach – including broadcast and streaming TV and radio, targeted social media placements, digital display and search, outdoor advertising). We also collaborate with partner organizations across the state by offering mini-grants that help partners promote campaign messages and materials in ways that they think will work best for their community.

The campaign is developed in collaboration with our on-staff youth advisors and a network of young people across the state. These young people represent intersectional demographics (e.g., LBGTQ+ Black youth, rural Hispanic young adults). Their input and insights help guide campaign strategy, messaging and outreach materials.
The campaign also addresses substance use and harm reduction strategies to help young people be safe and healthy.

A third-party evaluation of the campaign has shown that nearly 80% of Colorado youth and 40% of Colorado parents are aware of the Forward Together campaign.

In the first two years of the campaign, there have been 756,000 sessions and 461,000 users on the youth website. The campaign videos for youth have been viewed over 13 million times and nearly 14,000 young people have engaged with campaign content on TikTok, Snapchat, etc.