Éduc'alcool achieves its five-year objectives and sets a new strategic goal: Promoting the benefits of moderation

MONTREAL, Dec. 8, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - After five years of awareness efforts designed to achieve the objectives of its five-year plan, Éduc'alcool can claim success: more than 60% of Quebecers are able to spontaneously identify the recommended daily drinking limits, and 80% can identify them with some prompting. What's more, new social norms that Éduc'alcool has worked to promote – such as waiting until glasses are empty before refilling them – are now widely accepted, with more than 90% of Quebecers agreeing with them.

Éduc'alcool's results are crystal clear:

• 60% of Quebecers are able to spontaneously identify the daily limits (2 drinks for women and 3 for men);
• With prompting, more than 80% of Quebecers can now identify the daily limits;
• More than 3 out of 4 Quebecers agree that it is preferable to drink small amounts of alcohol regularly than large amounts occasionally;
• 93% of Quebecers think it's a good idea to wait until glasses are empty before refilling them;
• 91% say that people should stick to the limits, even on the weekend;
• 94% agree that people should stick to the limits, even if they're not driving;
• The campaign earned a favourability rating of 80% and reached more than 75% of Quebecers;
• Awareness of the slogan La modération a bien meilleur gout/Moderation is always in good taste exceeded 95% among Francophones, and is close to 90% among the population as a whole;
• Éduc'alcool has a credibility rating of 96%.

"The objectives of our 2011-2016 five-year plan have been achieved and we have reached maximum awareness of the recommended low-risk drinking guidelines. This is a huge accomplishment – it would be difficult to do any better! But we still have work to do to increase the public's awareness of what a standard drink is, and to ensure that more people follow the recommended guidelines. And that is precisely where we are now focusing our efforts," said Éduc'alcool Director General Hubert Sacy.

Knowing the limits is good. Sticking to them is better.

Éduc'alcool is now moving to the next step of its strategy: promoting the benefits of sticking to the recommended drinking guidelines in order to convince Quebec consumers to put their knowledge into practice.

Inspired by the testimonials of ordinary Quebecers, yet based on rigorous scientific data, the advertising phase of the new campaign will highlight four major benefits: better sleep, no hangovers and "mornings after", improved fitness and better weight control.

Five other benefits will be conveyed through social networking and other platforms: improved ability to focus on work, greater patience with people around you, increased ability to taste and appreciate what you're drinking, being able to afford better quality products, and not always having to be the designated driver.

For this new campaign, Éduc'alcool's famous pictograms will move out of the spotlight and make way for two animated animals: a female fish and a male cat.

The campaign will run on TV and the web, with a print campaign aimed at regular drinkers and a poster offensive designed for the younger bar-and-restaurant crowd completing the program. Each medium will feature the icon reminding people of the recommended limits: 2 drinks for women and 3 for men.

Éduc'alcool will continue to inform the public as to what constitutes a standard drink by distributing information cards in SAQ outlets and through a special project involving magazines and the websites of selected media.

The print campaign can be found at http://educalcool.qc.ca/en/a-propos-de-nous/publicite/benefits-2017/.

For more information, people are welcome to visit the dedicated microsite educalcool.qc.ca/benefits.

SOURCE Éduc'alcool

Camille Rochon, TACT Intelligence conseil, [email protected], 514 667-0196 ext. 423