The Challenge
Stigma remains a major barrier to individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders, particularly in rural and frontier communities. Negative perceptions can discourage people from reaching out for help — and prevent communities from offering the necessary support.
A campaign to foster understanding and encourage treatment needed to be both personal and deeply rooted in the community.
Our Approach
SE2 partnered with Colorado’s Region 15 Opioid Abatement Council, which brings together the rural and frontier counties of Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and Park. The anti-stigma campaign was funded through the Colorado Attorney General’s settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
The research that informed this campaign showed that stigma reduction efforts are most effective when they center on personal experiences, involve community collaboration, and leverage trusted messengers.
By normalizing conversations about substance use and recovery from residents of these communities, we encourage individuals to seek help and communities to offer support. Through strategic storytelling, profiles and authentic engagement, the campaign helped shift perceptions and laid the groundwork for lasting change.
This initiative sought to break down misconceptions about substance use by amplifying the voices of those with lived experience. The strategy included:
- Personal Storytelling featured residents who courageously shared their journeys of recovery to humanize the issue and inspire others. Hand-drawn portraits brought them to life.
- Community Co-Creation engaged with residents to shape the campaign in a way that reflected their realities and needs.
- Trusted Messengers were leveraged by partnering with local organizations to distribute the campaign toolkit, ensuring key messages reached the community through credible sources.
- Authentic Engagement used culturally relevant and locally resonant messaging to create a sense of connection and understanding.
The Impact
For a modest investment of approximately $50K in paid media over three months, the campaign achieved:
- 17,000+ website visits, demonstrating strong interest and engagement.
- 15% engagement rate on Meta, far exceeding the 1% industry benchmark.
- Nine media articles and reports, including coverage in local outlets and Colorado Public Radio, further amplifying the campaign’s reach.
