Brand alliance of D.A.R.E. and keepin' it REAL: A case study in brand dissemination practices
RIS ID
81103
Abstract
This chapter discusses the brand alliance of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program with Penn State University's keepin' it REAL (kiR) substance abuse prevention curriculum. In 2009, D.A.R.E. licensed keepin' it REAL as its new middle school curriculum. What began as "co-branding" emerged into a true alliance as keepin' it REAL's creators and D.A.R.E. America worked together to merge the two brands. This was accomplished by combining the brand image of a non-user, capitalizing on the brand loyalty toward D.A.R.E. and the D.A.R.E. officers and the brand equity of the kid-centric kiR approach. Using this case, we examine how brand alliances can create compelling sales points and build positive brand images/identities in the context of substance use prevention. We also provide implications and strategic considerations of brand alliances in health prevention and promotion. Instead, success may require an alliance between two public health brands. This chapter discusses brand alliance, using the partnership between Pennsylvania State University's keepin' it REAL (kiR) substance abuse prevention curriculum and D.A.R.E. America as a case study to illustrate the process. We begin with a theoretical discussion of brand alliance and then apply the discussion to the alliance between these two exemplar public health brands.
Publication Details
Hecht, M. L. & Lee, J. (2013). Brand alliance of D.A.R.E. and keepin' it REAL: A case study in brand dissemination practices. In W. Evans (Eds.), Psychology of Branding: Psychology research progress (pp. 191-201). New York, United States: Nova Science Publishers Inc.