Rethinking how to tackle Binge Drinking using social marketing: a neo-tribal analysis

In this work the authors report on primary research undertaken with young people in a deprived area of North West England who use regular binge drinking as the lynch pin of their social group. Traditional health messaging approaches have had little success with this hard to reach group. Findings were analysed using neo-tribal concepts. It was found that the search for community and belonging occupied a central place in binge drinking behaviour for this group. A discussion is offered of appropriate up and down stream social marketing solutions, based on the principle that any exchange will need to offer community and other benefits equal to those currently delivered through binge drinking.