A Content Analysis of Texting and Driving Danger Advertisements

Distracted driving, specifically texting and driving, in the US has become a public health problem in the US. In response, several ad campaigns designed to reduce this behavior among drivers are currently in press. Using content analysis, this study seeks to describe the existing print campaigns and compare to literature about the success of similar campaigns for other risky behaviors, for the purpose of informing future social marketing interventions that may help reduce this dangerous behavior. This is an exploratory study to identify elements and themes upon which further empirical work may be based.

Public Service announcements and corporate cause advertisements are a major element in social marketing campaigns, where companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies have sought to use marketing to promote positive behaviors among certain groups in a population (Andreasen 1994.) Following the methodology outlined by Kassarjian (1977), this study seeks to describe the themes and messages featured in current advertising campaigns aimed at decreasing texting and driving behaviors. Using 25 print, online and outdoor advertising images, with each image as a unit of analysis, the following research questions were addressed: RQ1: What types of images are used in Anti-distracted driving advertisements? RQ2: What consequence appeals are used in Anti-distracted driving advertisements? RQ3: What calls to action are used in Anti-distracted driving advertisements? RQ4: What are the sources of advertisements for anti-distracted driving?

The analysis yielded six categories: graphics, imagery, message, source, comparison of behavior or effects, and call to action. A total of 50 dimensions emerged within the categories and ratings by two investigators yielded an inter-rater reliability of 0.84. Nearly all of the ads used a combination of images and text while six used text only. Of those using images, about half used photographs and three fourths included a computer generated image. Seven ads included images of a crash, and eight included images of a road. The remaining most common images were mobile phones, parts of a car, and broken glass. An image of blood was included in three ads, as were the images of a child and a medical or hospital setting. Other images, each occurring once, included a gun, beer, corpse, and fire.

Messages in the advertisements included statistics about results of texting and driving behaviors. Seven of the ads included specific statistics (numbers). The potential consequences of this behavior illustrated in the ads included the driver’s death (6) someone else’s death (3), damage to a vehicle (6), potential for self-injury (5), and someone else’s injury (6). Of these, two highlighted damage to a vehicle, six mentioned the texter’s death, four mentioned someone else’s death, and two mentioned each damage to a vehicle and damage to other property. Three ads compared driving while distracted by texting or using a smartphone to other behaviors, including using a gun, drinking and driving, and being a detached, “stupid girl.” Nine ads used the word “don’t” in their call to action, seven directed readers to a website for more information, five used the word “stop,” and one each called readers to “wait to (text),” “join the conversation,” and “designate a texter.” Nineteen of the ads were corporate advertising, nine had some affiliation with non-profit organizations, seven with a government agency and one specifically with a law enforcement agency.