Reaching the Still Suffering Alcoholic Through Digital Platforms (NAATW 2025)

Transcript

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability from the original caption file. Speaker names are standardized using first name and last initial where available. Timestamps are adjusted so the edited audio begins at 0:00.

Presentation: Reaching the Still-Suffering Alcoholic Through Digital Platforms. Presenter: Dawn H. From the NAATW 2025 Workshop, Cincinnati.

[0:00] Presenter Introduction

[0:00] Host: Our next presenter is queued up and ready to go. She's online because we are a true hybrid event. So, our next presenter is Dawn H., a dedicated A.A. member who's passionate about using technology responsibly to reach the still-suffering alcoholic. Her presentation, Using Digital Ads to Carry the Message, explores how A.A. groups and service entities can use digital and social media advertising within the bounds of our traditions, extending A.A.'s message of hope to those who may not yet know we're here. Please join me in welcoming Dawn H.

[0:38] Dawn H.: Thank you. I’m Dawn H., an alcoholic. Funny story. So, when I signed up, this is my first time attending, so when I signed up, I thought they were taking topics and so on, and then I got an email, like, hey, we would like you to present. I'm like, oh. But I'm really grateful to be asked, and you know, this is, as a trusted servant. This has been a journey. Throughout this process, I sat on the public information… We call it PI/CPC here, but I sat on the committee, and then this came up. So, I'm just gonna share my screen. As we all do, so let me cue it up here. My computer is being weird. Okay. Can everyone see my screen? Great. Okay, perfect.

[2:17] Opening: Technology & Traditions Working Together

[2:17] Dawn H.: Technology and traditions, and how to carry the message. So… When we think about technology and traditions, they might seem a little bit opposite — one rooted in spiritual principles, and the other one in constant change, but… it's really… the journey that we've had is just when we bring them together with purpose and respect, they can just work hand-in-hand to carry the message, you know, better than before, right? So… Today, you know, the message hasn't changed. One alcoholic helping another, right? What has changed a little bit is how we could reach that person, especially the one who may never walk into a meeting or pick up a phone book, which I… I was thinking about that, those of you that know what a phone book is.

[3:03] Dawn H.: So, you know, technology, when used responsibly and guided by our traditions, becomes another tool for connection, not promotion, right? It helps us extend the hand of A.A.A. in new ways, while keeping anonymity, humility, and attraction at the heart of everything we do, so… You know, the way I like to think about it, and you know, this has been a journey, right? At the group level here. At the area level here, at the district level here, at every… part of the process, you know, was discussion, and it always came back to whatever decisions we made, the traditions, right? So, traditions guide us, and technology helps us reach further. So together, you know, they can still carry the same, you know, message of hope.

[3:50] Outreach Evolution

[3:50] Dawn H.: So, I want to talk about, you know, the evolution. So, you know, in the beginning, handwritten letters, newspaper listings, phone directories, you know, someone… a way for the still-suffering alcoholic to find a number and reach out for help. And we've always carried the message through connection. One alcoholic talking to another. Sharing experience, strength, and hope. That hasn't changed. The only thing that has become available is how and our tools have changed, and everyone has such… done such a great job of really leading into that at this conference. I'm just… I've been on it all morning. I'm like, oh my god, that's amazing. Kind of a nerd. Not that anyone else is a nerd, but I'm kind of a nerd. you know, hotlines, mailings, public service announcements, radio and TV, It just helped the message travel even further.

[4:45] Dawn H.: So today, we're in a new era, right? Internet, social media, search engines have just become, you know, the modern phone book, where someone may be searching for hope. at two in the morning, alone, who may be ready. And so the challenge is, and an opportunity, is to just use these digital tools with the same humility and purpose that have always, you know, guided A.A. So… To make sure that when someone reaches out, the hand of A.A.A. is there to meet them, wherever they are. So… The tools may change, but our message really doesn't.

[5:24] The Mission and the Challenge

[5:24] Dawn H.: So, the mission and the challenge, right? A.A.’s primary purpose hasn’t changed: stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. That's our guiding mission. Like, everything we do, including technology, supports it, right? There's so many amazing people in this room that are just, like. blow my mind, and I'm so grateful, I'm so grateful to be sober, and just to be a part of it, and to be… of service. It's just like… you know, before I did this presentation, I was like. you know, I'm coming up on an anniversary, you know, and you get a little emotional, so, you know. I just… my heart is full. So, anyhow, that was a side note. But, for years, outreach meant flyers, directories, word of mouth, right? And today, people search for help online. And that's the digital age gap, right? Between how we've always reached people.

[6:13] Dawn H.: And how they now look for us, right? So, our role is to just bridge that gap. you know, ethically, respectfully, and, you know, in harmony with our traditions. just using modern tools to make the hand of A.A.A. easier to find. So again, the mission hasn't changed. The tools have changed.

[6:39] Facebook’s Potential for Outreach

[6:39] Dawn H.: So, you know, Facebook and, you know, and Instagram gives us something we never had before, a way to reach people where they already are. Millions of users log in daily, and many of them are just quietly searching for help, or hope, you know, or maybe they, like, want to quit drinking. You know, we don't know, we just want to make sure that they have that message of. A.A. you know, in front of them, because the broad reach and targeting… and when I say targeting. Let me make sure we understand that. One thing about it is… if I'm, you know, running digital. PSAs, not ads, because that word really has a negative connotation. These are PSAs off the AA.org website that we've always used on TV. You know, there's audio for radio, so it's the same… But when I talk about that, I'm talking about the fact that, for example, I'm in Arizona.

[7:46] Dawn H.: And I probably want this message to show up in this area, right? So… We… it's… every… you know, alcoholism doesn't discriminate, right? We're just in the area so that the hotline, or the website, or the community we serve is seeing the messaging. And, you know, making it visible to those who may never find it. This isn't about numbers or advertising. It's just about carrying the message to a larger audience, so… At the heart of it is service, right? Bringing awareness that, hey, we're here. learn more, not buy something. And just for an example, East Valley Intergroup, which is where I'm located. I also do this for Salt River Intergroup, Agua Fria Intergroup. In the past 2 years, as we've… as we've gotten this message out and this content out.

[8:47] Dawn H.: We've reached over 350,000 in the EVI campaign, and 30,000… of those, 30,000 people have viewed at 100%. 30,000. viewed the video through the end. And I am at some point, gonna share my screen so you can see it, but… It's on AA.org. My Drinking Built a Wall was the one that really resonated with a lot of people. And our digital presence should always be, you know, compassionate, calm, and non-promotional. Every word, every image, should reflect the same humility and hope that define our principles. And that's why it was important. You know, this… a lot of people, a lot of alcoholics went into this process, you know? I mean, thank God, because, you know.

[9:43] Dawn H.: Thank God we have that ability. And, you know, it's a lesson in humility. Like we said before, you know, if you're a designer and, you know, you see things, but it's really about all of us, right? Coming together and having discussions and remembering the primary purpose, and… You know, because I have a big ego, and I'm smart, so… But yeah, just… sit on a committee, and that will throw you out the window. But… So…

[10:14] Aligning with A.A.’s Eleventh Tradition

[10:14] Dawn H.: Dawne right, this approach represents anonymity and honors Tradition 11, and keeps the focus exactly where it belongs. on connection, not conversion. You know, we're not selling anything. We can't control who sees the message, but we can control how we share it. With compassion, integrity, and purpose. And, you know, with the… with that in mind. So… Just a little bit of data, because I'm kind of a nerd.

[10:42] How Data Can Save Lives

[10:49] Dawn H.: this shows us that social media has become another place, you know, whether we like it or not, right? Whether we like it or not. There's a lot of… Still suffering alcoholics? That may want to reach out. Quietly, and often for this first time. It's where people gather, connect, And, you know, look for help, right? Really want the connection. So in January 2025, about 250 million social media user identities in the US. 73% of the total population. So if someone's searching for Help Connection or Hope Late at Night, chances are they're not flipping through a directory. They're online, and they're on platforms like Facebook, Instagram. Google, right? And the Google piece is more related to that whole, this is related to Facebook and Instagram, not Google, but… Searching, we all search for something.

[11:50] Dawn H.: And we don't search for things unless we want something, so it's not like… You don't search for something and get something else, but in this case, we're just going to talk about the social piece. So, the steady growth from 2020 to 2029 The audience is large, it's growing, and it's accessible, right? And we just want to get the message out there. We're not promoting anything. And, we just want to make sure the hand of A.A.A. is visible in that space. And so, the people we're trying to reach are already online, our message just needs to meet them there. So, you know, we… As part of the PI committee, we go to events, we sit at tables, we have stuff. You know, people, wherever we are, whatever event we're at, we're there. You know, and we're not walking around, you know, beating people over the head with a big book, but we're available.

[12:46] Dawn H.: In case they want information. And this is just another place to be available. So first… respect, right? Everything we do online should reflect a spirit of attraction rather than promotion. You're gonna hear me repeat that over and over. I know it's so much. There's no, you know, no persuasion, just quiet, honest visibility, and we let the message of hope speak for itself. And at some point, I am going to share my screen, just to show you what the EVI what it looks like. And we also caption it for those that are, hearing impaired. Sec… use… always use… A.A.-approved messaging and media. That has just made it so much easier.

[13:39] Dawn H.: to be able to use that, you know, because it just… it's consistent, it's available, and, you know, it's not only here, but it's here, and we don't have to make up and have our own ideas about, you know, we should do this or we should do that. It's just very easy. And it keeps the con… like, someone was saying about websites, and that always… I get excited about that, the journey, right? The journey. And that just keeps content consistent, right? And that's what it is, and that's why we use the AA.org PSAs. And information. Keep it simple. Yeah, I struggle with that. Clear, factual information. what A.A. is, and we drive people to the site. And then the site is a reflection of

[14:33] Dawn H.: who is going to the site, right? Groups go to the site, members go to the site, but the still-suffering alcoholic doesn't even know, like, for me, personally. I'd never heard of Alcoholics Anonymous, and I certainly wasn't searching for it, but… So grateful I'm here. I made it. But what A.A. is, where to find meetings, and how to reach us, that's it. inform and not influence. And then when we respect the traditions, use… the PSAs on the site, and then share only information, you know, we keep it intact. So… You know, our goal isn't to sell recovery, it's just to re… give them an idea that we're here, right? A.A.'s not anonymous.

[15:22] Implementation Blueprint

[15:24] Dawn H.: We are letting them, you know, to let them know you're not alone. There's some really cool, and I'll show you, it's a My Drinking Built a Wall. And I'm sure many of you have seen it, the “My Drinking Built a Wall” PSA on the site. getting to the site and helping people find a meeting, or learn about what we are, and especially what we're not. And never targeting an individual or group, right? When I say hopeful imagery, the reason… the reason why we use that… the My Drinking Built a Wall video, because it's… It's kind of hopeful, and it kind of, like, gives a really good visual about maybe what it feels like. You know, when you're… when you're isolated, but then the wall's broken down. It's super cool. I know. I get excited about silly things. You know, again, the videos are there. The PSAs are there. And… It allows for consistency.

[16:27] Dawn H.: And then, you know, keep the focus on connection and awareness. We're not trying to convince, we're not trying to convert. It's just basically… it's a visit to the… it's a visit to the website. Or a call to the hotline. Right? That's it. Each one of those represents, you know, in, you know, in our mind, because we really thought about this at a, you know, all the levels, you know, because we don't make… It's the… the group… You know, everywhere along the line. The steering committee, it was like… Who are we trying to help, right? And we want it… want them to find information. And so, when they get there, when they're on the site. They can see what we are again and make a phone call. and… I think the messaging for that particular video is really… It's not advertising tactics, it's really about… Just… here, you know? Like, here.

[17:30] Dawn H.: And when we leave… when I… when I is a very… you know. smart person and ego, you know, I take myself out of it, and it's just really, like, keeping focus, like, what am I doing? What am I doing? What are we doing? What are we doing? Because, you know. It was a lively discussion over the process. It took probably… 7 months for us to get here. And I'm glad for that. Right? I'm glad for that. Let's see… So… So this is important. We don't collect or store personal information. Now, I know a lot of people, you know, not gonna get into the weeds on that. There's a bunch of tech people here. You know, we have things like pixels and things like that. But ultimately, The data, it comes through is anonymous and accurate.

[18:28] Measuring Impact Respectfully

[18:28] Dawn H.: I forget. It shows me within… the plethora of data that I get within the dashboard, trends, not identities, right? Is it working? Are we getting… is it, you know… because in a perfect world, they would be free, like, you know? But a budget had to be set aside for it, right? And it was a matter of, like, is this… is this working? Is it not working? What are we doing? And so it was important to measure, right? It was about how many people engaged with the message. Video views, landing page visits, and many of you that have Google Analytics on your site, you already… you already see the landing page, you already see that. This just gives another layer of the connection between what we're doing over here. Who we're reaching, and the journey of where they're going.

[19:20] Dawn H.: And how long are they staying there? That's a whole different thing, but you know the journey. And no, it's behavioral indicators that help refine it. Simply because of the work. Oops. Hello? Back… So… it's just, like I said, it's only meant for whomever is working through it or doing this to really see What's happening, where it's going, you know. And measuring reach, not identity. Because every click, view, or call could… is just, like… you know, exciting. And the office, you know, they have that data, right? They have, like. How many people called? They have that data on, like, how many website visits, how many people looked at the… they're already looking at that data. I don't… well, I don't know if everybody is, but I know here we… they do, and then they report… the office managers report out to it.

[20:25] Dawn H.: I think… I think it's really important to, like, define, like, We already know, you know. the traditions in mind. We already know who we're trying to reach. Now it's defining, like. Where are they? Right? Like I said, I'm in Arizona, right? So, New Mexico would probably want to run things in New Mexico. It's kind of like when you're running, you know, television commercials, right? Where are you at? You're gonna probably run it on the local TV station versus another… you know, state, so it's really about defining it, that, and the message, and the… like I said, the, the content on AA.org is really… I would like more. If anyone's here, can you make more videos? So, engage, right? So, engage the committees, engage the trusted servants, like, it was a huge pile of people. That really came together. And… super cool to watch.

[21:29] Dawn H.: You know, cause there was a lot of… You know, there was a lot of… differences of opinions, and there should be. You know, it's a change, it's different.

[21:34] Attraction, Not Promotion — Digitally Reimagined

[21:39] Dawn H.: And so… you know, so engaging everybody, like, that's what we should be doing, right? And then, when it goes live, just do it with transparent and shared reporting. So I report out to EVI, I report out to the intergroups, EVI, AFI, and SRI. I report out to all of them, like, here, here's what it's doing. And then it just keeps the focus on service and not self. Now, track. Dawn't even freak out on that number. You know? It's not that I'm tracking… we're not tracking, like, names, people, and everything else. We're just tracking things like visits to the website, calls to the hotline. Right? It's not… it's not any of that. I… I thought about that word in this presentation, like, that is not a good word, but you know what I mean. And the goal of it isn't control, it's just understanding, right? To determine engagement.

[22:40] Dawn H.: You know, are they finding it? You know, are they clicking to learn more? You know, it's about impact, it's not about numbers, it's, you know? And then every click or call represents a person just kind of… taking a brave step, because if you see something, you're not gonna click on it because you're not wondering, right? It's… things come up all the time, you know? they may want to take a look, and so what does that really look like? And so we don't measure people. We measure reach and awareness and what is happening. So it's just as a tool, right? But when guided by our primary purpose, it becomes a powerful… reach. Doesn't replace the message, it just carries it farther.

[23:29] Dawn H.: And then, you know, when we say willing to adapt, while being grounded, you know, just make it more accessible. I heard a lot about accessibility today, throughout the process, and I'm just, like, again, I've just really enjoyed it, and I'm so grateful that this is here. And… you know, technology… if one person Finds us, because what we've shared, we've… yay! Because, you know. I want A.A. to be found. Like, I didn't go looking for it, I just… just ended up here. And I'm still here! Yay! So technology may evolve, but our purpose remains the same. So, these are just some of the resources that I put

[24:20] Area 87 Social Media Pilot and A.A. Resources

[24:21] Dawn H.: you know, the PSA videos, I put a link there. And it goes straight to that page on AA.org. And here's some of the video… the sobriety in A.A., my drinking built a wall, and when drinking's no longer a party. And I just like that, because it's… it's there, and I don't have to recreate the wheel, and… and I… you know, they've just worked really well. And I did find some information within as I was doing some other research on, you know, the technology committee and things like that, and I found this source. And I think it's a really good one, and it really gives some good guidelines, so I was really, you know, I read through it, I really… I wasn't familiar with it, but I really thought it was impactful. So… I think… I just want to leave you with, like… a thought.

[25:20] Dawn H.: So, technology is always gonna change, right? Tools, platforms… I'm definitely gonna look up some of those little cheap things that were done with the design. I go down the Canva rabbit hole all the time. But… you know, they'll keep evolving, right? But our principles don't change. The heart has always been… One alcoholic talking to another.

[25:44] A.A. Public Service Announcements and Guidelines

[25:45] Dawn H.: And then whether it, you know, whether it happens in a meeting room, on a phone call, through a message someone finds online at 2 AM, it's still the same miracle. And that's, for me, what this is all about, and why I got involved, because it's not marketing, it's not metrics, it's just carrying the message in whatever form helps it reach the next person who… who needs it, so…

[26:11] Closing Reflection

[26:11] Dawn H.: Thank you for letting me be of service.

[26:19] Discussion / Q&A

[26:20] Host: Thank you so much, Dawn. We do have some time for some questions, and for someone who is a reluctant presenter, that was pretty amazing. So, we do have some questions in the room, and maybe we'll have some on Zoom as well. Go ahead. [Microphone adjustment.] Thank you for your presentation, that was awesome. Very, very interesting. I have one general question, more philosophical question. A.org is O somewhere, it's, like, neutral. using Facebook or any other social media platform means that we by default, engaging with another entity. So, what are your thoughts of, let's say, Facebook values, not financial values, but the values behind the organization, Meta, and any other social media enterprise, meaning that we, agree to have a link with those organizations. Thank you.

[27:31] Dawn H.: No, I appreciate that conversation. like I said, no one's all… not everyone agrees with the way to reach today, right? But if we think about the television stations. We don't know what their concept is, we don't know what their values are, we don't know what their mission is. But we use them to deliver a message through PSAs. So, as far as affiliation, It's just another medium. Same with radio. We don't know… we don't know what that radio station believes in. We don't know what their whole involvement is in the world. So we're not affiliating with them, we're using them as a platform to reach the still-suffering alcoholic. This is just another platform. It's not… You know, just like if we went to a tabling event. We're not affiliating with that conference person that's doing the tabling, because trust me, this…

[28:29] Dawn H.: These questions are not something that has not been asked, and I appreciated it, because that is a very big… question, but when we think about it holistically, When it comes to… The platforms that we use, right? There's always gonna be someone else involved. Because we don't own our own radio station or TV station, so there's always going to be someone involved, but I appreciate that, and I understand it.

[29:01] Host: I think we have a question online. Yes?

[29:05] Ray M.: Hi, my name is Ray, I'm an alcoholic. I don't know if this was, mentioned, but I know with, typically with these PSAs on a… on a platform like Facebook, were you… how were you connecting it to a page? Was it a business page that didn't show, Didn't show your personal Facebook, like, how did that get tied in?

[29:30] Dawn H.: Obviously, you need to have a business page to run advertising on Facebook, so… It is set up under a few trusted servants, but no one knows who those trusted servants are, because it's a business page, and that business page is locked out. So, it's basically… a s- like a… it's just a page. That's it. And it's not… it's East Valley Inter… or not East Valley Intergroup, it's a PI/CPC page. Because that's the committee that is public information. So, no one can leave comments on that page, you know, but within that, there are… People that have access to it at different access levels, simply because when there's a rotation of service. We need to make sure that, you know, it's a rotation of service, right? You know? So, it's a locked-out page, and no one knows… it's… It's not attached to a personal profile, per se.

[30:36] Dawn H.: But it is run through… A personal profile that is anonymous, but no one sees it. But there's a separate business page, and a separate business account for that. Does that make sense?

[30:55] Host: Yeah, that was good. I, I do… I don't see Tricia in the room, who's one of my fellow sitting delegates. But, you had mentioned earlier, if somebody was listening, we'd like more… more videos from AA.org. This year at conference, the Public Information Committee brought to the floor, and we passed it, instead of reinventing the wheel, to use through… to… adapt 3 videos that were done by A.A. Australia… there she is! Come up here and talk about it. Yeah, I think I heard that. in the room!

[31:32] Dawn H.: I think I heard that through Tim or something.

[31:34] Host: Yeah, I'm gonna let Tricia expand on it a little bit. She served on the PI… I'm on the PI committee. Yeah, on the PI committee, that's right. Here she comes! Walking fast!

[31:46] Tricia: Hi, I'm Tricia. An alcoholic, Panel 74 delegate from Area 61, Rhode Island. I was just being held hostage by Buck, because he talks a lot. So, I have no idea what, what the question is. So, her presentation was on, digital… using digital ads to carry the message, and she really loves PSAs, so I was starting to tell her about the PSAs that we passed from Australia. Okay, so… So the, the slightly longer story, at the 74th. I showed up, you know, we were… we were given the task of reviewing all of our PSAs, so while I'm preparing, I'm watching all these PSAs that are terrible is really the word. They look like they're all from, like, 1995. They're… they're just not happy, right? Like, there's just a lot of…

[32:50] Tricia: just, like, everything was really bad, and now I'm sober. And, like, I'm sorry, that's not A.A.! Like, that's not my A.A.! My A.A. is full of life, and, like, spirit, and happiness, and laughter, and I just… it… so I hated them, and got to conference, we all talked about it. I wasn't the only one, big surprise! Everybody hated all of them. And so we tried, at the 74th, we discontinued a few. And we talked about, how one of our… one of our members had looked at other countries to see what they were doing. And in Australia, they have a set of PSAs that are blow you away. They're incredible. Like, really… goosebumps type stuff. And, we watched them, and then we didn't want to impose lots of workload on everyone, so we made a committee consideration, which is… it's not binding on the board, it's just a, hey, we think this would be a good idea.

[34:00] Tricia: And so that's what we did for the 74th, and nothing happened. And we talked about a lot in our committee about instead of creating more of this same old content, let's take the ship. and turn it this way so that it's doing more. Like, let's change everything, make it stuff that is actually going to pull people, you know, out of the bottle and into a room of A.A. And so this year. We… we went through them with new delegates, because half conf… half of the conference rotates, for those that don't know. So a set of new delegates, showed them to them, and they were… same… same response, like, yeah, why aren't we doing this? And so we took a vote to… to recommend it to the floor. There are… I think there's, like, 7 or 6 in Australia. Some of them don't carry over.

[35:00] Tricia: to us, because we are a, you know, we're U.S. and Canada, so some of them aren't really valid for a Canadian. So we talked about all of that, and how it didn't really make sense to do… to do different… to do different ones, but two of them are, like, really knock your socks off. There's one where a woman is… she's very upset, you can tell she's very upset. There's very little, like, dialogue. And she's, she's, like, crying. There's a kid hiding in the closet. From his mom, obviously, like, it's his mom, crying, scared, and there's, like, this woman there, and she's… she's got a drink in her hand, and she's like. Like, she can't believe what she just did. And that's it. That's it. It's, like, 15 seconds, but, like, it punches you in the gut.

[35:51] Tricia: You know, like, it brings you right there to, like, wow, that… for me, it made me be… that's what I'm gonna be, right? Like, I was never a drinking mom, but if I drank today, I sure would be. So, that's the kind of thing that would happen. And then there was another one where a guy was drinking in the bathroom stall at work. And it was about, you know, are you risking your job? And then that's the… that's the question, and then it has answer, A.A. And it was… they're very powerful. We should play them at some point if you want, but I know we're packed full of stuff, so… But it was… you know, I had a lot of difficult experiences through these two years, and honestly, us passing these PSAs. None of the rest of it mattered, because they're gonna save alcoholics. Period.

[36:42] Tricia: We're gonna save alcoholics with them. And look at that. Ask, you will receive. Is that one of them? Hold on. Hold your breath. Oh, so, Mike of Tech 12 is part of my area, so right before I went to conference, I was like… or I was actually at conference, and I sent him it, and I'm like, hey, can you change this and make it say A.A. instead of A.A. in Australia? And he did. Still, I've seen it a hundred times, and it's still… So… Anyway, that's… that's it. That's enough. Sure. Unplanned. That was great.

[38:10] Host: All right, well, Dawn, did you have any parting words for us?

[38:15] Dawn H.: No, I just…

[38:17] Host: We go. We got a question online. I'm sorry?

[38:20] Dawn H.: No, I think there's someone that has a question.

[38:22] Host: Yeah. Go ahead.

[38:24] Carrie J.: Hi everyone, I'm Carrie, I'm an alcoholic. I'm the webmaster for California Northern Interior Area 07. And Dawn, thank you so much for that presentation. This has been something I have been bringing up at our district level, and I would like to see us pursue more at an area level. And as with any new thing, there's so much fear and pushback, and you know, that… definitely that argument of, oh, it's, it's promotion, it's advertising, it's… and so getting that connection of it's no different than the newspaper ad, or the 2AM TV ad when the screen goes, you know, And also, just the recognition of the changing audience and the shortage, like, that… that video is phenomenal, and it…

[39:10] Carrie J.: you know, people aren't reading a bunch of text… you know, talking about doing, like, a pamphlet for young people. People aren't reading a bunch of texts, you've got 15 to 30 seconds to get their attention. where are they up at 2 in the morning watching Amazon, or Netflix, or Hulu, or, you know, so being realistic about where do we get the message. So, thank you so much for your presentation. I will be sharing it at our district and area level, to hopefully get some more traction with, moving ahead with that. So, thank you.

[39:39] Dawn H.: Corresponding.

[39:42] Host: All right, Dawn, thank you so much. Let's give Dawn another round of applause.

[39:48] Dawn H.: I'd like to just share… I just want to share my screen real quick, because you'll be able to see all the ad… advanced preview of the ads that are running, or the PSAs. It's… I'm a digital marketer, so it's in my head that way, but it's actually PSAs. Do you mind if I share my screen real quick, and then you can see the visual?

[40:05] Host: Sure.

[40:05] Dawn H.: Okay, cool. And then I'll stop talking. Can you see?

[40:16] Host: Almost.

[40:18] Dawn H.: Coming with you. Can you now?

[40:24] Host: We got you, Dawn. Yeah.

[40:26] Dawn H.: Okay.

[40:28] Host: we see… 5 columns of images.

[40:32] Dawn H.: Are they running?

[40:33] Host: Yeah.

[40:34] Dawn H.: Okay, so this is… This is what we have to work with today. Awesome to hear what… not maybe later, but this is pulled right from that, and you can see that there's captions. So… This is what we use, this is what it looks like. And it's the 22nd one from there, or the 15-second one from there. So, I just wanted to give you guys a visual of what it looks like. And this is… this is the one that really performs the best. The one where the lady's walking in the dark, like, down the street, and that one wasn't so successful, but this one was, so I just wanted to show that, and I'll stop sharing.

[41:16] Host: Awesome. One of the things you said in your presentation was, you know. we're anonymous, the program isn't anonymous. And I say that too, I usually say, we're Alcoholics Anonymous, we're not Alcoholics Secret.

[41:30] Dawn H.: I have to.

[41:32] Host: be found by people who desperately need us. Thank God I got sober before the internet, Facebook, because I would have been one of those… you would have known everything I was doing.

[41:40] Dawn H.: I know! Okay? Scary.

[41:44] Host: Yes, it wasn't, yeah. But, we have to go to where the drunks are, right? Everybody's online, so… Yeah. I love it. Thanks so much.

[41:54] Dawn H.: For the future, we see young people's, content. So, you know, it's a process. But thank you.

[42:05] Host: Thank you so much, Dawn.