APPROVED CONTENT FOR HOSTS & MEDIA
Over 13 years of pioneering, painstaking work, love, and care sit behind our brand, style, tone, language, and approach at SITC. What we've put together below is vital for those we work alongside or collaborate with to ensure that love is honoured and respected.
For those same reasons, we ask anyone we collaborate with (whether that's podcasts, film, stories, interviews, print, etc.,) to carefully read this info. Then, we ask for the professional courtesy of a 'proof and check' before anything is published or released into the wild. This is simply because of the extremely nuanced and parochial ways of rural Australia, which we'd never expect others to understand in the in-depth ways we do, and that's also why it's also a blanket 'non-negotiable' of ours.
Below is information that'll help ensure that you are using:
The right BIO's for introducing us.
The right logos for the right purpose.
Up-to-date professional images.
Our Essential SITC Guidelines & Checklist
Why these guidelines are super important for you and for us:
After 12 years in the arena - we know that people 'new' to SITC can sometimes incorrectly assume we're here to 'preach' prohibition. We aren't. We don’t - and we never will. Because we're aware plenty of our mates can safely have a beer or two.
What we do is promote social inclusion and show rural communities at large that, regardless of our own personal drinking preferences, when we support, respect, and take the time to cater thoughtfully for everyone and ensure it's #OK2SAYNO - we save lives.
That’s why the information here, below, is super important. Whether you’re hosting us, organising a fundraiser or workshop, or you'd just like our help getting alcohol-free options to your events, these guidelines are absolutely imperative to ensure the right tone, language, and messaging.
It'll help protect our hard-won, reputation, make your event more inclusive, and ensure everyone feels welcome, whether they're drinkers or non-drinkers (or somewhere in the middle!)
Social media and event text proofs & checks:
We're not preachers of prohibition. We're showing rural Australia how social inclusion (and options beyond just booze at bush events) is helping to save lives.
When putting a flyer together for an event, it is now a non-negotiable of ours that you include these points:
''If you're new to the work of bush charity Sober in the Country, it's essential to understand they don't preach a message of prohibition, and never have. Their work lies in showing bush communities that when we are all part of being socially inclusive - and catering carefully and thoughtfully (beyond just booze or cheap sugary drinks) for all our mates, lives are changed and saved.
So whether you're a drinker, a non-drinker, or somewhere in the middle, there's something for absolutely everybody to take away from their decade of boots-on-the-ground advocacy and learnings.''
When speaking about addiction, in general:
To help honour Sober in the Country's friendly approach and brand, please be sure to stick with phrases like: alcohol misuse, dependence, addiction, or harm.
Internationally, it's now regarded as best practice that anyone speaking about addiction (in general) strictly avoids super-stigmatising "alcoholics," ''alkies, addicts," etc., because what those words do is prevent people from reaching out for help. Which is the change we all wish to be or to see.
What someone calls themselves is a personal choice, but, in general, this is a universally accepted golden rule for good reason.
Promotion timeline for events, collabs., etc:
Approved BIO for event MCs hosting our founder, Shanna Whan AM:
To save you time, here are our 'BIO's' for your MC or whoever. We ask that you please always include 'AM' after Shanna's name, as this is an internationally recognised honorific that carries weight and will also help your event.
Here's a BIO for Shanna Whan AM:
Shanna Whan AM is the founder and CEO of Sober in the Country, a grassroots charity that's pioneered radical social impact and change across rural Australia since 2015 through a straightforward and effective message we can all support and get behind (whether we're drinkers or non-drinkers) - and that message is simply that it's always #OK2SAYNO to booze.
Shan is an Order of Australia medalist recognised in 2025 for her 'significant contributions' to rural community health. She was also an Australian of the Year (in the Local Hero category) as well as the winner of Marie Claire's Advocate of the Year in 2022.
And, here's a BIO for (just) Sober in the Country:
Sober in the Country is a national grassroots charity that's been driving radical social impact and change across Australia over the past decade through laser-focused bush advocacy, peer-to-peer (online) support, and an incredibly effective, super user-friendly message we can all get behind: it's #OK2SAYNO to booze.
A couple of notes around, including booze-free drink options at your event:
In the past decade, heaps of you legends have stepped up and taken up the mantle of including sophisticated, sugar-free, tasty alternatives to alcohol so that everyone is truly catered for and included. Thank you!
If you are hosting us, or your committee, rodeo, pub, club, or community group (etc) is partnering with us to include alcohol-free alternatives and help raise funds for Sober in the Country, thank you! There's no greater honour for us.
We want to remind hosts new to including "AF" drinks that advance notice and planning (including social media posts) are paramount. Why? Well, quite simply, most rural event-goers are not used to choice and anticipate that all they'll be served is alcohol or, if they're lucky, sugary soft drinks.
So, it's SUPER important you give your guests plenty of notice that they'll have options, as this will also help you ensure you sell your stock. We can help you create social media tiles that strike the right tone and language, ensuring drinkers and non-drinkers feel comfortable and included. More info is here for you.
Using the right logo for the right occasion:
When promoting a gathering, keynote talk, or workshop, please ONLY use the #OK2SAYNO logo.
Why? It's nationally recognised and super user-friendly, and prevents the possible misconception that we're about prohibition or that your event will be an alcohol-free event.
We only use our full ''Sober in the Country'' logo on merchandise, publications, and other uses. If in doubt, please check with us, and we'll guide you.
In summary:
- Be sure to check with us before you post.
- Start cross-promotions well in advance of your event.
- Message us at admin@soberinthecountry.org any time
- Don't forget to tag us via Facebook and Instagram.
- Don't forget to share images of events
- Please only use our #OK2SAYNO logo for event promotion.
Approved up-to-date images for your use:
Authenticity, professionalism, and current/up-to-date imagery are core to our brand when representing our founder, Shan, or any of our team, ambassadors, etc. Please don't Google or use images from a decade ago or screenshots from other sites, such as Shanna's personal instagram.
Below are our current approved images. You can download them individually. Just click the download icon in the bottom right corner of each photo as you hover over it. If you're on a smartphone, simply do a long press on the photo and choose 'Save to Photos' on an iPhone or "Download image" on an Android phone.
We have also included a pre-cut image with negative white space for adding words or your logos if necessary.
All images are legally owned by SITC, so please just credit as 'images supplied.'
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