Rewriting overdose prevention campaigns around who is actually at risk.

How clinical validation, behavioral science and a shared measurement model turned a county media campaign into an evidence-backed public health outreach strategy.

Let’s Talk Strategy

THE CHALLENGE

01

The Problem

A county health department wanted to cut fatal opioid overdoses. ABIG's research found that while residents knew about the overdose threat, they didn't see how completely the crisis had changed. As a result, those most at risk didn't see themselves as the people in danger, and were more likely to tune out the efforts to reach them.

02

What We Did

Comcast Advertising, the county's media partner, brought in ABIG Health to develop a campaign strategy. ABIG analyzed official county, state and national overdose data through a public health, clinical and behavioral science lens, then validated the findings with local stakeholders. From that deeper understanding of the problem, ABIG built the strategy playbook and KPI measurement approach that Comcast's creative team could build on.

03

The Result

The strategy drew strong validation from the county health department, Comcast Creative and community stakeholders. The campaign is set to air in 2027, with its marketing performance tied to real public health outcomes along the full intervention chain.

THE CHALLENGE

Challenge Overview

Comcast Advertising, the county's media partner, brought in ABIG Health to reduce fatal opioid overdoses. During our research, one question became central: why aren't the people most at risk acting?

The evidence showed that fatal overdoses had changed faster than public perception: the picture most people carried no longer matched who was dying.

So the challenge wasn't raising awareness of the danger. It was helping the people now at risk recognize that they were at risk.

Four numbers

That illustrate how fatal overdoses have changed:

01.

85%

of the state's overdose deaths involved illicit fentanyl (often unknown to the user), up from 2019

02.

30% ⟶ 10%.

In the county, injection went from the most common route of overdose death to the least common

03.

60%

of the state's fatal overdoses had a bystander present

04.

50%

of those bystanders didn't recognize the signs

Sources: State SUDORS

Our Strategic Approach

Grounded In Evidence

We analyzed official CDC, state SUDORS and county overdose data through public health, clinical and behavioral science. We then validated it with local stakeholders: law enforcement, ER professionals, peer recovery groups and people with lived experience, plus a survey of emergency clinicians in affected areas.
Targeted Audience Mindsets

A behavioral model (COM-B) asked why at-risk people don't act. It surfaced three mindsets essential to overcome for outreach to be effective. Each was a version that enabled the thought "this doesn't apply to me”: “I know what I'm taking", "I've been fine so far", "I'd recognize an overdose".
One Central Message

ABIG shaped a compelling narrative that clearly communicated Calla Lily’s value proposition to potential investors. This helped drive momentum around the $1.3M seed round and additional grant funding.
Tied To Results

Most attribution models in public health marketing start from media metrics and work up toward impact. This one starts with mortality and works down toward media. ABIG developed a tiered tool that connects media metrics to clinical outcomes to overdose mortality, showing whether the chain from message to outcome is intact.