1. Social Marketing: Let the Audience Drive Your Communication Strategy
Julia Galdo, Managing Director,
Public Communication
American Institutes for Research
June 30, 2009
Not for profit organization
Conducts and applies behavioral and social science research to improve people’s lives and well being, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged
Focus of work is in education, health and the workplace

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

3. 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

4. Examine Progress & Assess Results
Reaching RTL Families and Caregivers
Implement Marketing & Community Engagement
Understand the Target Audience
Learn How to Communicate With This Audience
Examine Progress & Assess Results
Share Success
Models
Formative Research
Message Development
Channel Selection
and Distribution
Audience Surveys
Model Development

5. 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
AIR spent the first 18 months of this grant learning as much as we could about the target audience, the literacy and community organizations (nationally and locally) who already reach the target audience and what/how PBS stations who have received RTL grants are doing in their communities or what their needs are for technical assistance support.
Research involved focus groups, in-home observations, audience analysis, meetings with stations and local partners, in-depth interviews with literacy/Title I community-based organizations in local markets and a national environmental scan.

6. Formative Research Current brand and position of RTL
Distribution and communication infrastructure
Potential partnerships & resources
Identify and understand:
RTL families and caregivers
Marketplace of literacy initiatives and services to RTL families
Used to inform:
Message and materials development
Design and execution of a 360º marketing mix approach that became the basis for building local surround sound marketing efforts
Shared with:
Producers and program managers to help in the development of other RTL products such as educational programs and DVDs
Today focusing on one aspect of this research -- what the research told us about out families and how to best communicate with them about helping their children get ready to read – communicate in a way that was relevant to them and their lives.

7. 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)
Introduced the PRIZM strategy to CPB very early on in our work as a means of helping all of us really understand the target audience across TRL markets in a systematic way.
Defining RTL Families for Outreach:
Under the Federal Poverty Guidelines
Has at least one child under 6
The Dept of Ed client believes this is the first time this type audience segmentation analysis has been used in a national education campaign.

8. 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
There are 66 population lifestyle segments identified across the US. Identifying these eight segments gave us a systematic framework for helping the PBS stations understand the target markets in each of their own communities – their target audiences’ attitudes, beliefs and consumers habits. Helped stations prioritize outreach and services – to reach them effectively, with messages and services that made sense to the audience. I

9. Low-Rise Living
The 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
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.

10. 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.
For each station we gave them profiles for each segment that was idenitified in their community.

11. Number of RTL HH’s in zip code (each dot represents 10 RTL HH’s)
PRIZM Geo Maps Created for Each RTL Zip Code Community
National City, CA 91950
Base
Target: RTL families
Zip code
Town/City
All 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
The data gave stations a different lens to look at the community. Looking at where the concentration of neighborhood by geo mapping helped them to prioritize services and target outreach as well build partnerships.
This zip code strategy allows stations to also to pilot engagement strategies and products to learn what is more effective before scaling more broadly.

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

13. 91950 Zip Code Wal-Mart Locations
18 stores near :
1. National City, CA Chula Vista (W), CA Chula Vista (S), CA San Diego, CA San Diego, CA Chula Vista (E), CA La Mesa, CA San Diego, CA El Cajon (C), CA San Diego, CA Santee, CA El Cajon, CA Poway, CA San Marcos, CA Vista, CA Oceanside, CA Oceanside, CA Oceanside, CA 92057
Maybe stop, how are we doing? Any questions and then move on.

14. 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

15. 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
support structures that participants rely on
places they often visit

16. 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.
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.
I know that the education is important and I try to do as much as I can to make sure they do their homework, but our schools are no good.
My kids are at a Head Start program during the day and Boys and Girls club in the afternoon. There are a few programs in this area that help people like me.
Kids spend a little bit of time playing on the computer. They go to Barbie, Nick Jr. and PBS kids sites. They use computers to do homework and play games as well. I think that this whole media stuff can be both good and bad. Sometimes it is hard to tell.
On weekends, we go to the park and run some errands. For fun we go to McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. We also go to Wal-Mart and Dollar Store. Sometimes when I can I would get kids a toy or a DVD out of the sale bin.

17. 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.

18. 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

19. TRANSLATING THE RESEARCH INTO MESSAGES AND OUTREACH STRATEGY

20. 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
Inspirational: Communicate the importance of early reading skills to academic achievement
Research shows that early learning opportunities can contribute to greater success for kids in school and is a result of adult interaction and guidance.
Early literacy training builds a child’s skills and confidence before starting school.
Early intervention is essential to establishing or improving reading skills
Read aloud to your kids everyday. Reading aloud with kids at home is the most important activity parents can do to help their kids develop as readers.
What we are going to demonstrate today is how applying a audience focused, social marketing based approach to message development has moved us away from these traditional messages

21. 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
Development of campaign messages and the outreach strategy to the target audiences were based on this research, with efforts focused on
helping parents and caregivers identify and implement simple, fun behaviors that could be accomplished as part of everyday activities to help their young children become ready to read.
Messages tied the recommended activities to helping children be ready to read and to be successful in life, rather than to be ready for school.

22. 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.

23. Creative Materials

24. Julia Galdo American Institutes for Research jgaldo@air.org
Thank You!
Julia Galdo American Institutes for Research