Social Marketing Research: How Planning Can Lead to a Successful Communications Program

October 20, 2011

Today’s Agenda

• About the Ad Council

• Overview of strategic planning process

• Case study – Drunk Driving Prevention

• Questions

Ad Council’s Mission

Identify a select number of significant public issues and stimulate action on those issues through communications programs that make a measurable difference in our society

Ad CouncilCampaign Development Process

Begin with exploratory research

End with evaluation

Market Research Goals

Planning:

Understanding the mindset of your target audience, identifying how to communicate to them and establishing how to best reach them.

Evaluation:

Assessing the impact and effectiveness of your campaign.

Planning

Develop a Communications Strategy with a Single-Minded Focus

1. Why are we advertising?

2. Who are we talking to?

3. What is the key insight?

4. What should the advertising say?

5. Why should anyone believe us? (Support)

6. What do we want the target to do as a result of seeing/hearing the advertising?

7. How will we know when we have succeeded?

How Can I Find Out What My Target Audience Is Thinking?

Exploratory Research

1. Literature review

2. Primary research with the target audience

- Focus groups, in-home interviews, ethnographies

- Exploratory surveys, quantitative concept testing

Case Study: Drunk Driving Prevention

Drunk Driving Prevention – The Problem

Over 25,000 people were killed in alcohol related car crashes in 1982, highest on record

A large percentage of the population thought it was acceptable to drink and drive

37% of adults admitted to drinking before they got behind the wheel

Intervention not an acceptable social norm

Drunk Driving Prevention – The Solution

The acceptability of drinking and driving was so ingrained, decision made to reach out to intervener, versus drunk driver

The goal was to create widespread acceptance of intervention

The strategy: to convince peers that they must prevent people who have been drinking from driving

Evolution of the Message

The ’80s• Overall Message– It’s not okay to let your friend drive if he’s been drinking

• Target of the Advertising– The friend who has never before taken a stand against

drinking and driving

• Selling Line– Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk

Evolution of the Message

The ’90s• Overall Message– Act to prevent loss of innocent life

• Target of the Advertising– The Intervener

• Creative Focus– Innocent victims of a drunk driver

• Selling Line– Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk

Measures of Success: The Societal Norm Has Changed

The majority of people think it is no longer acceptable to drink and drive

Since launching this campaign in 1983, more than 68% of Americans have tried to prevent someone from driving drunk

Drunk Driving Prevention – Early 2000s

Unfortunately, in 2000, for the first time in 5 years, alcohol-related deaths increased, especially among young males who were legally impaired – not drunk

In 2003, 17,013 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes• 40% of total traffic fatalities • 14,630 (34%) were at a BAC level of .08 or above

21-34 year olds responsible for nearly 60% of all alcohol-related traffic crashes.

A New Direction

In response to the increase in alcohol related fatalities among young men, the strategy of targeting the intervener was re-evaluated and a new plan to talk directly to the moderate drinker was developed.

Extensive Exploratory Research3-phase research project was conducted by NTHSA and the Ad Council from 2001 – 2002• Purpose was to identify, profile and provide context for the

behavior of potential segmented audiences at high risk for driving impaired

Integrates findings of:

• Existing literature identifying high-risk populations

• Focus groups with professionals in hospitality and retail industry where alcohol served

• Segment audience profile using National Consumer Survey of American Consumers

• Comprehensive analysis of FARS data

Potential Audience Segments Were Explored

Bob Rick–Male–Age 26 to 35–Frequents the same places–Low disposable income–Lower level of education–Limited life experiences and decision set–Drinking is part of his “life routine”–22% of crashes at .10+ BAC

–Male–Age 18-29–Single, without children–Career driven workaholic–Highly competitive–Does not acknowledge limitations–Drinking to unwind, relax–36% of crashes at .10+ BAC

We began this exercise by looking at Rick and Bob individually, but…

RICK BOB

Attitudes, Beliefs, Motivators

…what we found was that although they have different demographics and lifestyles- their attitudes, beliefs and

motivations are the same.

Target Principle Beliefs and Attitudes

• Invincibility

• Sensation seeking: Life is no fun without risk

• Entitled to success

• Optimistic

• Work hard to have a good time

• Like to be in control; resistant to authority

Typical Drinking Behavior

• Alcohol = Fun

• Drink at bars or home: after work (everyday occurrence), celebration, night out with the guys, pre-partying

• Pressure to drink, although they don’t admit to it

• Usually drink more than planned

• Levels of being drunk- ‘Buzzed’ vs. ‘Drunk’

• Intervention usually is attempted only when the driver is ‘flamboyantly drunk’

Social Environment Effects On Drinking And Driving Decisions • Little to no planning before drinking

• Judgment about the level of driver/ self impairment is made when impaired

• Unaware of legal BAC level and how many drinks it takes to achieve it

• ‘Skilled’ drunk drivers

• Occasional intoxicated driver vs. Habitual drunk driver

The Occasional Intoxicated Driver Habitual Drunk Driver

Average personMost people (“Everyone does it.”)

The fun guy

UncaringFoolish

Alcoholic

Entitled to be ‘risk-takers’, even more so because they don’t recognize the risk involved

Driving is a by-product of the drinking experience, not a major consideration

The motivation to refrain from drinking and driving must come from the men themselves, not from outside influencers or threats of punishment

Immune to any drunk driving message because they are aimed at drunk drivers, of which these men are not

Target Audience Insights

Creative Brief

Purpose of Advertising

To get people to begin to talk about and recognize the dangers of 'buzzed' driving. And subsequently get people to stop driving buzzed.

Who should the advertising talk to?

People who drink and drive yet don’t consider themselves to be hazards on the roadways or a drunk driver.• Men, aged 18-34 (“Bob” &” Rick”)• Well-meaning “average Joes” who don’t mean any harm but

continue to drink and drive. • Tend to either feel invincible or just unrealistically optimistic

about the control they have over their lives.

Key Insights

Anti-Drunk Driving messages have been ineffective in changing the behavior of our target because, in their minds, the messages are directed at ‘drunk’ drivers

Since they do not consider themselves to be ‘drunk’ drivers, they do not relate to current messaging and have found ways to deflect well-meaning interveners

What Should the Advertising Say?

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

Why Should Anyone Believe Us?

Because from the moment you begin to drink, your judgment becomes increasingly impaired.

The longer you drink, the more your decision-making skills get worse, even though you don’t feel it.

What Do We Want the Target to Think/Do?

Realize that their very own behavior – driving “buzzed” (after drinking a few) – is dangerous

Print PSAs

TV PSAs

Radio PSAs

How Will We Know When We Have Succeeded?Framework for Campaign Evaluation

PSA placement & PR Exposure

Seen or Heard the PSAs

Campaign Website Analytics & Social

Media Presence

Exposure Recognition Engagement Impact

Change in attitudes and behaviors related to drinking and driving

Long term: Reduced number of deaths due to alcohol related crashes

Key Results

Over $335 million in donated media from the 2005 campaign launch through the first quarter of 2011

Among the core target of men ages 21-35, 56% are familiar with the Buzzed Driving campaign.

47% of men ages 21-35 say that rather than drive buzzed, they “will always get a ride from a friend, get a taxi, or use public transportation,” up from 38% in 2005

Every January for the past five years—immediately following the December holiday period—an increasing number of men ages 21-35 report that within the past month they have refrained from driving after drinking, from 17% in 2006 to 25% in 2011.

Since 2005, the number of people who have died in a highway crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver has decreased steadily each year, from about 13,500 in 2005 to just under 11,000 in 2009.

Questions