THE CHALLENGE:
Talking to teenagers isn’t easy — for any parent. Every family navigates the same tough conversations: how to stay connected, how to guide good choices. For many Colorado families, that challenge runs deeper. Language barriers, limited health information, and busy schedules make it even harder to reach kids when it matters most. These gaps hit BIPOC, rural, and low-income communities hardest, leaving families without the tools to help their children steer clear of risky behavior.
THE SOLUTION:
The Idea Marketing partnered with CDPHE to develop a comprehensive support system for every Colorado parent. We started where trust already existed: in-person sessions in schools statewide, delivered in both English and Spanish.
Taking this effort to the next level meant increasing access. And where better than their phones — the one place every parent already checks, no matter how full their day is?
We built a bilingual, educational text messaging program delivering weekly tips straight to parents’ and caregivers’ phones, covering everything from adolescent development to substance use prevention and how to actually talk to a teenager. The program reached roughly 11,000 parents and trusted adults across Colorado.
The training was also taken to the digital world with a self-paced e-learning platform that offered a deeper dive into teen development, communication strategies, and healthy coping alternatives, available whenever a parent has a few free minutes.
TURNING PARENT EDUCATION INTO A CONVERSATION VIA TEXT
Beyond providing information, the platform also serves as a two-way communication outlet, allowing parents to ask questions and receive personalized responses in English or Spanish through a Helpdesk. To further support parents, a “Mail Bag” feature invites subscribers to submit questions, which are answered and shared with the entire user base.
To enroll parents and caregivers in the platform, grassroots efforts were implemented through partnerships with over 200 schools and 70 organizations. A parent ambassador initiative also played a crucial role by enrolling their peers at school and community events. To further extend the campaign’s reach, multiple touchpoints were added, including social media outreach that encouraged parents in both private and public Facebook groups to join the platform. Additionally, digital and social media paid advertising campaigns were launched to further expand enrollment efforts.
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