Social Marketing: Let the Audience Drive Your

Communication StrategyJulia Galdo, Managing Director,

Public Communication

American Institutes for Research

June 30, 2009

Social Marketing

Applies the techniques of commercial marketing to influence behavior change that benefits the target audience.

AIR’s Support Role in the RTL Outreach Grant

Apply the principles of social marketing to reach RTL families

Conduct and analyze audience, market, message and materials research

Plan and implement RTL marketing and community engagement activities in 20 RTL markets

Examine Progress & Assess Results

Understand

the Target Audience

Learn How to Communicate With This Audience

Implement Marketing & Community Engagement

Formative Research Message DevelopmentChannel Selectionand Distribution

AudienceSurveys

Model Development

Reaching RTL Families and Caregivers

Share SuccessModels

Formative Research

• Environmental scan• Interviews: national organizations• Interviews: community organizations• RTL Families Analysis based on PRIZM segmentation• Focus groups with RTL families• In-home interviews and observations of RTL families• Interviews with PBS station grantees

Formative Research

• Identify and understand:– RTL families and

caregivers– Marketplace of literacy

initiatives and services to RTL families

– Current brand and position of RTL

– Distribution and communication infrastructure

– Potential partnerships & resources

PRIZM Analysis

• Geographically-based• Zip codes• Segments, built on zip +4• Demographic information (education, income,

race, ethnicity, size of household, and more)• Lifestyle and psychographic information (typical

activities, where shop, product usage, use of media and more)

Target Audience: Eight PRIZM-NE Segments

• Eight PRIZM-NE segments where identified as having a high concentration of RTL families

– RTL New Beginnings– Multi-Culti Mosaic– Family Thrifts– Bedrock America– Big City Blues– Low Rise Living– Shotguns and Pick

Ups– Kid Country

Big City Blues With a population that's 50 percent Latino, Big City Blues has the highest concentration of Hispanic Americans in the nation. But it's also the multi-ethnic address for downscale Asian and African-American households occupying older inner-city apartments. Concentrated in a handful of major metropolitan areas, these young singles and single-parent families face enormous challenges: low incomes, uncertain jobs and modest educations. More than 40 percent haven't finished high school.

Low-Rise LivingThe most economically challenged urban segment, Low-Rise Living is known as a transient world for young, ethnically diverse singles and single parents. Home values are low--About half the national average--and even then less than a quarter of residents can afford to own real estate. Typically, the commercial base of Mom-and-Pop stores is struggling and in need of a renaissance.

Big City Blues (San Antonio)• Ethnic Diversity: With a population

that’s 50 percent Latino, Big City Blues has the highest concentration of Hispanic Americans in the nation

• Age: <45• Education: More than 40 percent

haven’t finished high school• Urbanicity: urban• Median HH Income: $29,998• Young singles and single-parent

families face enormous challenges: low incomes, uncertain jobs and modest educations.

National City, CA 91950 Base Target: RTL families

Zip code

Town/CityAll residents

in 91950

Number of RTL HH’s in zip code (each dot represents 10 RTL HH’s)

% Penetration

91950 National City, CA 14,757 7,196 48.8

Total 14,757 7,196 48.8

91902

91910

91913

91915

91950

91977

92101

92113

92114

92118

92136 9213992155

Marcy Ave

Fig Ct

Donnington Way

Arg

a P

l

Karra Ct

PRIZM Geo Maps Created for Each RTL Zip Code Community

Shopped in Last 3 Months(Number of adults per 100 HH’s)

53

77

61

8194 89

98104

66

41

7060 59

148

53

138 143

167

5162

76

5463

31

51 5059 64

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

NB FT BA KCU BCB LRL MC

Target

Wal-Mart

Kmart

Walgreens

91950 Zip CodeWal-Mart Locations

18 stores near 91950 :

1. National City, CA 919502. Chula Vista (W), CA 919103. Chula Vista (S), CA 919114. San Diego, CA 921155. San Diego, CA 921546. Chula Vista (E), CA 919157. La Mesa, CA 919428. San Diego, CA 921239. El Cajon (C), CA 9202010. San Diego, CA 9211111. Santee, CA 9207112. El Cajon, CA 9202113. Poway, CA 9206414. San Marcos, CA 9206915. Vista, CA 9208316. Oceanside, CA 9205617. Oceanside, CA 9205418. Oceanside, CA 92057

Focus Groups• Fall 2006• 8 focus groups in Baltimore, MD; Jackson, MS; Greenville, MS; San

Antonio, TX• Total 64 participants• Recruited through Community Geo Mapping, Target Random Digit

Dialing within designated ZIP Codes, local community sites• Eligibility criteria:

– Communicate in English or Spanish– Income status– Age– Primary caregiver of one or more children between ages 2 and 8

In Home Observations

• AIR conducted 13 in-home interviews in Baltimore, MD, Jackson, MS, Greenville, MS; and San Antonio, TX This qualitative research was used primarily to explore issues,

perceptions and attitudes.

• Research provided more information about: the daily lives and challenges of RTL families the role of consumer electronics children’s lives children’s favorite TV programming and characters participants involvement in either reading to or doing other

educational activities with their children

Peggy’s Story I have three kids. I love them to death. I wish I had more time to spend with them. When I get home, I just have time to make sure they do their homework and have some dinner. Then it is bath-time. They watch some TV and it is bed-time. We sometimes watch TV together but mostly the kids watch their own TV programs. I try to make sure that the stuff they watch on TV is not violent. My kids love Dora and Diego. The kids also play video games, plug and plays and on-line games.

Understand the Target Audience

Key Findings:

• Most low income parents are focused on such basic family needs as food and shelter, reliable transportation, health care, child care and safety.

• Parents do not see teaching as their responsibility.

• Parents want better opportunities for their children to succeed in life (beyond school); free time to relax; fun and entertainment; and to be good parents.

• They have little time for being involved in their children’s activities or for spending quality time with them. However, they are willing to try activities with their kids if they could easily fit it into their schedules.

Understand the Target Audience

Key Findings:

• Parents did not know that simple behaviors (rhyming and letter recognition games) can help their children get ready to read.

Many parents do not read to their kids every day, because they do not have time, do not read well or cannot read English.

Parental interaction primarily: Completing homework Watching adults/teen TV Eating at fast food restaurants Shopping (often at) big box and “dollar type” stores

TRANSLATING THE RESEARCH INTO MESSAGES AND OUTREACH

STRATEGY

Traditional Learning-to-Read Awareness Campaigns

• Previous RTL Grant Approach: View-Read-Do

• Message audit revealed “inspirational” and “how-to” messaging

• Inspirational: Communicate the importance of early reading skills to academic achievement

• How-to: Provide practical tips for reading with children– Read aloud to kids everyday.– Read from a variety of children’s books

RTL Key Messages• “Any time is learning time.” Do simple, fun and

easy things with your kids anywhere (while in the car and grocery stores)

• Direct your children to watch PBS shows that are not only fun and can help them get ready to read.

• Go to ReadyToLearnReading.org

Perceived Benefits to Parents

Children can be entertained and educated at the same time with little effort on behalf of the parents.

Choosing RTL content for their children can make parents feel like better parents.

By accessing RTL content parents give their children a leg up in life – helping them build a foundation for success and reach their potential.

Creative Materials

Thank You!

Julia Galdo

American Institutes for Research

jgaldo@air.org