Empowering Trusted Messengers to Drive Public Health Behavior Change

Challenge

Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and youth in Colorado. Nearly 80% of unintentional firearm deaths among children ages 0–14 occur in the home, often while playing with unlocked and loaded firearms, and over 80% of child and teen suicides by firearm involve a gun owned by a family member. Despite Colorado’s 2021 law requiring secure storage in homes with minors, many families remain unaware or continue storing firearms unsafely.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter (AAP-CO) recognized that while families sometimes resist information from advocacy organizations on sensitive topics, they trust their pediatrician. Building on a pilot initiative led by a dedicated pediatrician member, AAP-CO partnered with GroundFloor Media (GFM) to launch Secure Their Future, a statewide campaign to equip and activate trusted clinical voices to lead the conversation about firearm safety with patient families.

Sample campaign sticker

Approach

GFM worked with AAP-CO to develop an integrated communications strategy built on the insight that pediatricians are uniquely positioned to normalize secure firearm storage the same way they counsel families on car seats, safe sleep and medication safety. Our approach centered on equipping clinicians first, then letting trusted relationships do the work.

We created the Secure Their Future name, brand identity and full visual system, along with an evidence-based messaging framework carefully designed to be non-polarizing. Deliverables included a campaign website with practice enrollment, a clinician discussion guide, training video and a bilingual practice toolkit (flyers, posters, social media content and more).

A cornerstone of the program is AAP-CO’s provision of free cable locks to enrolled practices, giving families an immediate, no-cost way to take action.

To drive awareness and enrollment among Colorado’s pediatric provider community, we executed targeted Meta advertising and programmatic display campaigns and activated AAP-CO’s newsletter to reach members directly. We also established a Regional Ambassador Program, recruiting five pediatricians from diverse Colorado geographies — urban and rural — as trusted peer messengers to expand reach through word-of-mouth and community events.

Social post of a toddler at the pediatrician that reads, "Let's protect what matters most"

Sample social post

Graphic showing that 3 in 4 kids know where firearms are stored in their homes even if parents think they don't

Graphic showing that 80% of unintentional firearm deaths among children ages 0-14 happen in their own homes

Graphic showing that 4.6M in the U.S. live in homes with unlocked and loaded firearms

Sample social carousel posts

"Let's protect what matters most" over a photo of a mom and daughter talking used as a paid ad.

Banner ad

Social media toolkit cover

Campaign video

Results

The campaign successfully transformed a politically sensitive public health issue into a routine pediatric safety conversation. Highlights from the first two years include:

29

Pediatric practices enrolled across 14 diverse Colorado counties

10,000

Nearly 10,000 cable locks distributed to families at no cost

Tens of thousands of children reached annually through routine pediatric visits

1.2 M

Paid media impressions across Meta and programmatic campaigns

1,800

Nearly 1,800 website clicks from advertising

7,000

Nearly 7,000 website pageviews in 2025

Perhaps most significantly, the campaign achieved measurable behavior change in communities where guns are deeply embedded in culture. A pediatrician in Steamboat Springs reports that even families who decline a lock leave the conversation thinking differently about safety. At Altitude Pediatrics in Grand Junction — a practice serving 7,000 patients in a strong hunting culture community — the expected pushback never materialized: nearly 500 locks have been distributed, and families appreciate a conversation that respects their choice to own firearms while helping make their homes safer for their children.

Secure Their Future proves that thoughtful communications strategy and trusted messengers can move even the most sensitive public health issues. The model is now expanding across Colorado, one clinic, one family and one more secure future at a time.

Secure Their Future was funded by CDPHE’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention with additional support from Colorado Safe Futures Fund, housed at Rose Community Foundation.