LIFE LENDERSLIFE LENDERSLend a pint, and save a life!

Leah Ciolek

Would you donate blood to save her life?

Background: The Need

• Someone in the world needs blood every 3 seconds

• Shortages back to pre-9/11 levels

Source: Health & Medicine Week (Jan. 28, 2002)

                                                            

Study Basics:Research Objectives/Hypotheses

• Attitudes: males, females, freshmen, seniors, volunteers, non-volunteers

• Behaviors: males, females, volunteers, non-volunteers

• Messages and media to promote blood donation among Lake Forest College students

Research Procedures

• Secondary data: periodicals, research reports• Interviews: regular blood donor, Red Cross worker• Focus group: 6 LFC students• Survey: convenience sample of 60 students

Objective 1:To compare attitudes of males & females

• Kieran Healy and John J. Burnett: Donors tend to be male• Focus group: Favorable attitudes among both men

and women• Survey: More favorable attitude among women,

more fear among men, more awareness among men• No significant difference exists between the

attitudes of males & females regarding blood donation

Objective 2:To compare behaviors of males & females

• Kieran Healy and John J. Burnett: Donors tend to be male• Focus group: No significant difference• Survey: More women than men (70%, compared

to 57%) had never donated; among frequent donors, gap disappears

• Significant difference between the behaviors of males & females regarding blood donation

Objective 3:To compare attitudes of freshmen & seniors

• Focus group: Age not a determining factor• Survey: More awareness among seniors,

more fear among seniors, greater understanding of the severity of shortages among seniors

• No significant difference between two groups, but freshmen need to be educated on the subject of blood shortages

Objective 3:To compare attitudes of freshmen & seniors

Application to media plan:

Include STATISTICS about the demand for blood on posters advertising blood drives

Objective 4:To compare attitudes of volunteers and

non-volunteers

• Kieran Healy: No correlation between volunteering and donating blood

• Focus group: Positive attitudes about volunteering don’t impact attitudes about blood donation

• Survey: No significant difference• Act of volunteering is not connected to the

act of donating blood

Objective 5:To compare behaviors of volunteers and

non-volunteers

• Secondary data and focus group: no connection between volunteering and blood donation

• Survey: 64% of volunteers had donated blood; 64% of non-volunteers had donated blood

• No significant difference between donating behaviors of volunteers and non-volunteers

Objective 6:MEDIA PLAN

• John J. Burnett: Use testimonials as promotional tools

• Red Cross worker: Find a “poster child” from among the college population

• Focus group: “People want to see how they’re actually helping”

Objective 6:MEDIA PLAN

• Hold on-campus blood drives at times that are convenient for students

Survey: “Timing and place can be inconvenient,” “The times held make it difficult for everyone to make it”

• Make blood drives more appealing to students (provide T-shirts, balloons)

Survey: “Consider…giving away T-shirts”

Objective 6:MEDIA PLAN

Include statistics and information about eligibility on posters advertising blood drives

Objective 6:MEDIA PLAN

• Acknowledge and address students’ fears• Use web site to communicate general info.

about donating, times/places of blood drives• To spread the address, use radio, email, TV

Are YOU Ready to Donate?Patients and victims

around the country will thank you for

giving…the gift of life!