CA 484 CASE STUDY

CA 484 Mobile ThinkTeen Case Study

Katlyn Conklin, Senora McCracken, Jennifer Bazzel, Meghan Brabston, Amanda Sanchez
University of South Alabama
Fall 2014

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Case Background
The Mobile County Health Departments teen pregnancy prevention program,
ThinkTeen, is an organization dedicated to decrease teen pregnancy in the Mobile area
(ThinkTeen, 2014). The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) initially promoted the
teenage pregnancy prevention program as the Mobile TEEN Center after recognizing the issue of
Mobile having the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Alabama (Mobile TEEN Center, 2011). The
MCHD has served the residents of Mobile County since 1816. Mobiles Board of Health
predates any other health department in Alabama by 100 years. Although its location has
changed several times, the office of the Board of Health has been on Bayou Street since 1984.
The TEEN Center operated out of one of the health department's previously used buildings,
which it acquired in 1957 (Mobile County Health Department, 2014). In 1993, the Mobile
County Health Department celebrated 150 years of service to Mobile. In 2010, the Mobile TEEN
Center rebranded as ThinkTeen to focus on the early discussion of sexual health between parents
and their children and the prevention of teen pregnancy (ThinkTeen, 2014). That same year, the
MCHD ThinkTeen program received funding from the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population
Affairs as a part of the Presidents teenage pregnancy prevention initiative (CDC, 2013).
ThinkTeen is striving to prevent teenage pregnancy within the city of Mobile. According
to the 2014 County Health Rankings, prepared by the University of Wisconsin Population Health
Institute, Mobile County females aged 15-19 give birth at a rate of 58 per 1,000 (Live Better
Mobile, 2013). The organization's key stakeholders include teenagers, parents, the community of
Mobile and the Mobile County Health Department.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

The organizations key problem is it needs more recognition among the community in
Mobile county, specifically among young teenagers. In order to spread its message, ThinkTeen
must reach out more to the community and establish more of a presence on social media to bring
awareness to their younger audiences. ThinkTeen lacks virtually any relevant media coverage.
After searching through local and regional news sources, only one news mention was found
(AL.com, 2013).

Public Relation Objectives

Mobile county has one of the highest birth rates for young females aged 10-19 in the state
of Alabama (CDC, 2014). ThinkTeens primary behavioral objective is to decrease teenage
pregnancy in Mobile County. Within the organizations mission, it states [we want]to increase
the capacity of organizations to utilize best practices to decrease teen pregnancy through
community engagement, health education, public awareness and advocacy in Mobile County
(ThinkTeen, 2014). Some of the organizations attitudinal objectives are to promote responsible
family planning, educate teenagers about sexual health and relationships and encourage teens to
make healthy life decisions. Some other organizational objectives are to lower high school
dropout rates, decrease crime rate, decrease the number of individuals and families living in
poverty, promote responsible family planning and ensure a healthier, more productive workforce.
The organization's website is designed to resemble a tablet where links to other sections of the
website look like apps. This layout design highlights their target audience and their objective to
engage teenagers and build a community that encourages casual, open discussion between the
organization and teenagers.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Public Relations Strategies and Tactics

To reach these objectives, ThinkTeen implemented a variety of tactics and strategies to
meet their goals. The organizations first strategy was to create a program to encourage health
education for teenagers. To enforce this strategy, ThinkTeen used a variety of services and
educational programs. This specifically included health education through their Values, Impact,
Behavior and Empowerment (VIBES) Program, individualized case management, health
insurance programs, child care, counseling services, parenting education, family support,
pregnancy prevention education, prenatal and womens health classes, GED preparation and life
skills classes (Mobile TEEN Center, 2011).
In an effort to combat this local issue, another strategy ThinkTeen implemented was to
educate and nurture teens through broad-based community partnerships. The partnerships were
to provide opportunities for teens to make healthy life decisions. The tactic ThinkTeen used in
order to enforce this strategy was done by employing a two-step flow and engaging prominent
young males in teenage pregnancy prevention. On June 5, 2014, ThinkTeen partnered up with
the Mobile Kappa League and The Mobile Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
at the University of South Alabama. These groups were chosen for their influence among
teenage males and their history of stability and commitment within Mobiles community. The
Kappa League was an ideal organization to partner with because their values aligned with
ThinkTeen. The Mobile Kappa Leaguers hosted a variety of teen programs, one of which was
called Making Proud Choices, which was a program to provide young adolescents with the
proper tools, knowledge, confidence and skills to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted

CA 484 CASE STUDY

diseases (STDs), HIV and pregnancy through abstinence or use of condoms (National Kappa
League, 2014).
ThinkTeen also incorporated two-step flow communication to spread the word about
their programs and services to teens. The operation of these programs is mostly through referrals.
ThinkTeen contacts local school and clerical officials to spread the word to the teens in order to
get clients.
Another tactic used was a recent initiative of ThinkTeen, their One Night. Think Twice
campaign that was released in 2013. Some of the images that were used to promote the campaign
was a couple intertwining their hands, holding a positive pregnancy test stick. ThinkTeen spread
the campaigns message through billboards, print advertisements and by handing out condoms
outside of barber shops and beauty parlors during prom season (AL.com, 2013). The campaign
was not just meant for teens and to increase their awareness about the consequences of poor
sexual health decisions, but also to encourage parents to begin conversations with their kids
about sexual health (AL.com, 2013).
Key Messages
ThinkTeens primary message to its audience is safe sex and open safe sex
conversation. They encourage teenagers to make healthy lifestyle decisions that could ultimately
counter Mobiles rising number or teenage pregnancy. One of the organizations stakeholders,
The Mobile County Health Department, presents the key message is that Mobile County has the
highest teen birth rate in the state of Alabama and that that something within the community
must be done in order to preventing teenage pregnancy (Mobile TEEN Center, 2011).
Critical Analysis

CA 484 CASE STUDY

ThinkTeen is proving to be an effective approach to a serious problem for the Mobile

County community. The best evidence of success has been the rise in contraceptive use among
female adolescents from 3.1% in 2012 to 12.8% in 2013 (CDC, 2014). The primary goal of
ThinkTeen is to decrease teen birth rates by 10% by 2015 (CDC, 2014). Although we cannot
perform a complete evaluation yet, if the increased contraceptive use is any indication,
ThinkTeen can expect to come close to meeting their objectives.
Considering the high rate of teenage pregnancy in Mobile County and the large effect that
it has on the citizens, the decision to tackle this issue was a good one, as was the decision to
focus on prevention. They have approached the problem strategically. In order to reach their
goal, the ThinkTeen program successfully tailored the campaign to the target audience. They had
the forethought to survey teens, as well as parents, to determine the best way to serve them. The
clinic was made specifically for teens. They created a private and teen-friendly environment and
trained the staff accordingly. This was vital to the project because teens surveyed said they did
not feel comfortable going to pediatricians or health clinics for sexual and reproductive issues
(CDC, 2014).
The program also takes advantage of media widely used by teens. They have a website
which provides facts, advice and assistance, as well as information about the program.
ThinkTeen is also active on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, which is an effective way to reach
their target audience. The program includes participation from community organizations which
are influential to local teens. In conclusion, the program has taken the right approach to solving
the problem and should expect continued success.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Recommendations of Additional Strategies and Tactics

There are several additional strategies and tactics the ThinkTeen program could plan and
implement in the future. One strategy includes establishing a greater presence in the community.
This strategy is appropriate as Mobile has ignored the teen pregnancy issue for years now as the
teen pregnancy statistics keep increasing due to a lack of awareness and sexual health education.
Over the years, the ThinkTeen program has had a weak presence in the community, and this
needs to change as the teens in Mobile should feel comfortable coming to the program for sexual
health education and advice. The ThinkTeen program could implement this strategy by hosting a
special weekend event for the community in the fall and spring.
The ThinkTeen program would need to develop an effective media campaign to generate
awareness, motivate action, urge funding for the event and keep the community focused on
reducing teen pregnancy. After an effective media campaign has been developed, the program
would need to employ several media outlets to reach their targeted audiences. The programs
media outreach would include outdoor, indoor, print, radio, TV and social media advertising.
Until the event, the program should keep the community informed of the event and encourage
them to attend so the community knows the ThinkTeen program takes this issue very seriously.
By hosting the event on a Saturday, more members of the community will be able to attend. The
event should be held at a central and family-oriented location in Mobile such as Cottage Hill
Park, where strict rules and regulations are enforced. The events activities should consist of
activities both teens and their families can participate in such as zumba fitness, sporting events,
arts and crafts, music concerts featuring local artists and bands and outdoor movie showings. For
food and drink services to be available at the event, the program could reach out to local

CA 484 CASE STUDY

restaurants to see if they would perhaps be interested in donating food and drinks for the events.
One of the main messages the ThinkTeen program needs to address, during the event, is that teen
pregnancy is an issue that affects the community as it brings both economic and societal
consequences.
Many organizations feel the best way to bring awareness of large issues such as teen
pregnancy, is by presenting the community with shocking statistics and facts about teen
pregnancy. Instead, the ThinkTeen program should be promoting their services and ideas of how
this issue can be resolved. Implementing these recommendations can lead to a more educated
community, and hopefully keep young girls from being one of the statistics that they talk about.
How the organization could have been more proactive
Before the Mobile County Health Department rebranded the Teen Center, the program
seemed to only focus on assisting teen parents, this could possibly have contributed to the
problem. The main goals of the Mobile Teen Center should have been sexual and reproductive
education and pregnancy prevention from the time it was established. After the Teen Center was
transformed into ThinkTeen, the focus shifted to educating adolescents and teen pregnancy
prevention. At the time, that was the right path for the organization, but they overlooked the
importance of informing the public about the change. Even now, three years later, the MCHD
website has a link to the Mobile Teen Center website, and does not have a link to the ThinkTeen
website. The Teen Centers website and Facebook page are still up, as this is misleading and
confusing for teens that are seeking the site for help.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

The correct and more proactive approach would have been to publicly announce their
transformation and their new mission. Next, they should have removed anything related to the
Mobile Teen Center, including the website and Facebook page. Lastly, they should have revealed
the new and improved ThinkTeen website and social media links to the public. Some additional
publicity and news coverage could have been especially helpful in making sure adolescents and
their families were aware of the services the ThinkTeen program offers. These changes could
have improved the current level of success of the program and increased awareness about
ThinkTeen among adolescents as well as the community.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Appendix
Thinkteen is a branch of the Mobile County Health Department and rebranded itself in 2010 to
focus on early discussion of sex between parents and their children. Also, focusing on preventing
teen pregnancy. Researchers began this rebranding after recognizing that Mobile had the highest
teen pregnancy rate in Alabama.
Link 1
The old website link: mobileteencenter.org
Link 2
The new website after rebranding link: thinkteen.org
Table 1

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Table 2
This table discusses the teen pregnancy rates for the city of Mobile.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

Teen Center recognized in Washington

Online ad for ThinkTeen

CA 484 CASE STUDY

References
AL.com. (2013, March 20). Mobile County Health Department launches teen safety campaign
targeted to prom season. AL.com and the Press-Register. Retrieved from
http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/mobile_county_health_departmen_7.html

CDC. (2014, June 26). Addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs adolescents in
Mobile, Alabama. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/phpracticestories/pdfs/PHPSFF_Alabama_June2014.
pdf

CDC. (2013). Integrating services, programs, and strategies through community wide initiatives
(CWI): The presidents teen pregnancy prevention initiative. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/PreventTeenPreg.htm

Cox, S. (2014, April 15). CDC Vital Signs town hall preventing teen pregnancy in younger teens.
[PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/townhall/presentations/2014/vs-april.pdf

Live Better Mobile. (2014). Mobile County Teen Pregnancy Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.livebettermobile.com/partners_p.html

Mobile TEEN Center. (2011). Retrieved from mobileteencenter.org.

CA 484 CASE STUDY

National Kappa League. (2014). The Mobile alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi and Kappa
League addresses male mentoring and teenage pregnancy. Retrieved from
http://www.natlkappaleague.org/index.php/programs/province-initiatives/item/229-the-m
obile-alumni-chapter-of-kappa-alpha-psi-and-kappa-league-addresses-male-mentoring-an
d-teenage-pregnancy

ThinkTeen. (2014). Teen Pregnancy prevention: a project of the Mobile County Health
Department. Retrieved from http://thinkteen.org/