Our Healthy Environment And Economy Advertising Campaign Testing
Final
Report
Submitted
to:
Environment
and Climate Change Canada
For more information on this report, please email:
Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.
Submitted
by:
Supplier
Name: Narrative Research
Supplier
Address: Suite 5001-7071 Bayers
Road, Halifax NS B3L 2C2
Contact
Phone: 902.493.3820
Contact Fax:
902.493.3879
POR Number: POR 022-21
Contract
Number: K0A37-220238/001/CY
Contract
Value: $90,134.45
Contract
Award Date: July 5, 2021
Delivery
Date: August 9, 2021
Our
Healthy Environment and Economy Advertising Campaign Testing
Final
Report
Prepared
for Environment and Climate Change Canada
Supplier
Name: Narrative Research
August
2021
This
public opinion research report presents the results of online focus groups
conducted by Narrative Research on behalf of Environment and Climate Change
Canada to inform the development of an advertising campaign on the
environment and climate change. The research included a total of 16 online
focus groups conducted from July 19-22, 2021, divided into the following
categories: five sessions with members from the general population; four
sessions with homeowners; four sessions of parents of children less than 18
years old; and three sessions with business leaders/owners and industry
professionals. Focus groups were distributed across five regions: Western
provinces (BC, AB), Prairies (SK, MB), Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic (NB, NS,
PE, NL).
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français
sous le titre :
Évaluation de la Campagne : Une économie saine dans
un environnement sain – Rapport final
This
publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written
permission must be obtained from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Catalogue
Number:
En4-443/2-2021E-PDF
International
Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-40573-5
Related
publications (registration number: POR-022-21):
Catalogue
Number En4-443/2-2021F-PDF (Final Report, French)
ISBN 978-0-660-40575-9
©
Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by Environment and
Climate Change Canada, 2021
Appendix A: Recruitment Screener
Appendix C: Materials Shared During the Focus
Groups
Executive Summary
Narrative Research Inc.
Contract Number: K0A37-220238/001/CY
POR Registration Number: 022-21
Contract Award Date: July 5, 2021
Contracted Cost: $90,134.45
Background
Environment
and Climate Change Canada is looking to support their Our Healthy
Environment and Economy advertising campaign with public opinion research. Focusing
on three key areas (nature and conservation; zero-emission vehicles and
transportation; and energy efficiency), the overarching goal of this campaign
is to both inform Canadians of existing efforts currently in progress in the
fight against climate change (e.g., federal programs, incentives
and efforts to accelerate the fight against climate change and encouraging
further climate action), and to promote the economic benefits of such change. Moreover,
the campaign will aim at building collective support for such actions, and
Canadians, businesses and communities regarding what
they can do to further accelerate climate action. While this campaign is being
led by ECCC, it will feature services offered by various Government of Canada
departments.
The first phase of the campaign
involved a soft-launch aimed at increasing general awareness of existing
programs and initiatives through informational text-based ads with search
engine marketing (e.g., Google AdWords, Bing Search). The second phase, planned
for a late summer 2021 launch, will introduce the campaign visuals and taglines,
aiming to further enhance visibility of programs and initiatives through an
increase in the reach and breadth of messaging to the campaign’s target
audiences across multiple touchpoints (such as video, rich online media and
web, mobile apps, social media, out-of-home, etc.).
Prior to finalizing the
development of the advertising campaign, ECCC wanted to obtain feedback from
key target audiences to ensure that proposed concept elements resonate with
Canadian residents and businesses, and contribute to a
strong call-to-action. This feedback will help identify which concepts should
be further developed into the final campaign.
Three concepts were included in
the testing, in video format and a series of web banners (both English and
French). Each video/web banner included a different tagline, key messaging and
use of imagery for testing.
As mentioned, the main goal of the
testing was to determine which advertising materials best engage stakeholders
and are most effective in its call to action.
Specific research objectives
related to the study included:
·
Evaluate
variations of the campaign’s proposed creative concept to determine if the
content is:
o informative;
o clearly understood by the target audiences (e.g.,
main message, campaign’s intent);
o recognized as a credible source by audiences;
o relevant and of value to the audiences;
o appealing and attention-grabbing to the audiences;
o memorable in the minds of the audiences; and
o able to motivate the audiences to take intended
actions.
·
Ensure
the concepts demonstrate why it’s important for individuals, businesses
and communities to take action.
·
Determine
if the concepts clearly identify the economic benefits of a green economy.
·
Elicit
suggestions for potential changes to the selected creative concepts.
·
Ensure
the messages and creatives resonate with the target audiences.
Research Methodology
To achieve these objectives, a
qualitative research approach was undertaken. A total of 16 focus groups were
conducted, specifically: five sessions with members from the general population
18-54 years old (including a mix of gender, age, household income, education and ethnic background); four sessions with parents
of children less than 18 years old; four sessions with homeowners; and three
sessions with business owners/leaders and industry professionals (mix of
business sizes over 5 employees and mix of industries). Good geographic
coverage was achieved across Canada, with five regions being represented (West,
Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) and urban/rural representation in each
region. The focus groups were conducted from July 19 to 22, 2021.
Group discussions were held in
English except for those in Quebec, which were conducted in French. Sessions
each lasted between 1.5 and 2 hours and participation incentives were $100 for
consumer groups and $150 for business groups. Across all groups, a total of 192
individuals were recruited, with 155 attending a session. All participants were
recruited in accordance with Government of Canada specifications. Recruitment
was conducted through qualitative panels stored on Canadian servers, with
follow up calls to confirm the details provided, and to ensure quotas were met.
This report presents the findings
from the study. Caution must be exercised when interpreting the results from
this study, as qualitative techniques are used in marketing research as a means
of developing insight and direction, rather than collecting quantitatively
precise data or absolute measures. Results cannot be attributed to the overall
population under study, with any degree of statistical confidence.
Political Neutrality Certification
I hereby certify as a representative
of Narrative Research that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of
Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Directive on the
Management of Communications. Specifically, the deliverables do not include
information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences,
standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political
party or its leaders.
Signed
Margaret Brigley, CEO &
Partner | Narrative Research
Date: August 9, 2021
Key Findings and Conclusions
The following summarizes the key
findings and conclusions from the focus groups on the Our Healthy
Environment and Economy Advertising Campaign Testing.
Participants were presented with
three concepts for a national advertising campaign, each including a mock-up
for a video (in the form of a stillmatic preceded by
a recorded explanation of the approach) and three web banners in print format.
The concepts are referred to as, Build, Seeds of Change, and In
Our Hands. The order of presentation of concepts was rotated across focus
groups to avoid order biases. The call to action of web banners for two of the
concepts (Build and Seeds of Change) were changed partway through
the fieldwork, resulting in about two-thirds of participants having seen the
original version and about one-third (including all businesspeople and all
French-speaking participants) having seen the revised version.
Of the three concepts evaluated,
both the In Our Hands and Seeds of Change were equally selected
as the strongest concept. That said, findings suggest that the In Our Hands
concept poses some risks of eliciting negative reactions, and accordingly, it
is recommended that the Seeds of Change concept be further developed.
The In Our Hands campaign
suggested that addressing environmental issues is in the hands of individuals
and puts onus on citizens rather than implying that the government and
corporations have an important role to play. Further, it suggested that small
personal gestures will have a significant impact on improving the environment,
which is contrary to popular belief that addressing large polluters is most
important. While the actions shown in that concept were appealing to many, they
were considered too simplistic and failed to engage the public to do more. This
concept also implied that addressing the consequences of climate change /
pollution is more important than addressing the cause.
The Seeds of Change concept
generally elicited positive reactions for clearly indicating the government’s
involvement in addressing environmental issues, as well as providing a reason
to explain the importance for focused actions. The concept was deemed eye
catching, with interesting imagery that was powerful and tugged on the heart
strings.
While it is recommended that Seeds
of Change be further developed, findings suggest that some modifications to
the Seeds of Change concept would enhance its effectiveness and overall
impact. In summary, the final creative should:
·
Clarify who is
targeted and the desire for a collaborative approach.
·
Recognize that
different players need to be a part of the solution
·
Provide tangible
examples for how citizens and businesses can get involved.
·
Create a stronger
call to action by explicitly inviting citizens and businesspeople to continue
in their efforts to make greener choices.
·
Provide suggested
actions are accessible, relevant and easy to
implement.
·
Ensure that
visuals have strong alignment with the call to action.
·
Streamline the
URL to make it more memorable.
As any concept is further developed, findings highlight that
consideration should be given to create a heightened sense of urgency in the
campaign. Further, providing a rationale, such as the consequences of climate
change, will help to motive individuals to take action.
Finally, results suggest there is merit in ensuring that messaging communicates that
government programs and incentives are part of the government’s overall plan to
address climate change.
Introduction
Context
Climate
change is one of the primary challenges of our century and poses many
consequences for our future. Climate change is a key government priority that
requires urgent and coordinated action to effectively implement Canada’s
ambitious climate change plans. Achieving a clean and healthy environment and
economy for present and future generations requires involvement from all
Canadians.
Environment
and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) commissioned Narrative Research to support the
Our Healthy Environment and Economy advertising campaign with public
opinion research. The campaign will aim to both inform Canadians of existing
efforts that are underway in the fight against climate change (including
federal programs, incentives and efforts to accelerate
the fight against climate change and encouraging further climate action), while
promoting the economic benefits of such change. Users will be directed to a web
portal informing Canadians of GC-wide environmental programs and tools tied to
climate change, nature conservation, and a cleaner and safer environment.
The main objective of this
research is to determine which advertising materials will best engage the
campaign target audiences and be most effective in its call to action. More
specifically, the research is intended
to
assist ECCC in making a final creative concept selection for production.
Objectives
Specific research objectives
included:
·
Evaluate three
variations of the campaign’s proposed creative concept to determine if the
content is:
o informative;
o clearly understood by the target audiences (e.g., main
message, campaign’s intent);
o recognized as a credible source by audiences;
o relevant and of value to the audiences;
o appealing and attention-grabbing to the audiences;
o memorable in the minds of the audiences; and
o able to motivate the audiences to take intended actions.
·
Ensure the
concepts demonstrate why it’s important for individuals, businesses
and communities to take action.
·
Determine if the
concepts clearly identify the economic benefits of a green economy.
·
Elicit
suggestions for potential changes to the selected creative concepts.
·
Ensure the
messages and creatives resonate with the target audiences.
This report presents the research
findings. It includes a high-level executive summary, a description of the methodology
used, and findings of the online focus group discussions, including
recommendations made. Working documents appended to the report include the
recruitment screener (Appendix A), moderator’s guides (Appendix B), and materials
tested (Appendix C).
Research Methodology
Target Audience
For the study, there were four target audiences, namely:
·
Members
from the general population who are between the ages of 18 and 54 years old
·
Parents
or guardians of children 17 years or younger
·
Homeowners
·
Business
owners/leaders and industry professionals
Research Approach
The study included a total of 16 online
focus groups conducted from July 19-22, 2021. The following table provides a
breakdown of the number of sessions based on the audience, region, and
language.
Number of Online Focus Groups |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audience |
West (BC/AB) | Prairies (SK/MB) | Ontario | Atlantic (NB/NS/PE/NL) | Quebec | Total Groups | |
| General Public (18-54 years old) | 1 English | 1 English | 1 English | 1 English | 1 French | 5 | |
| Families / Parents | 1 English | 1 English | 1 English | 1 French | 4 | ||
| Homeowners | 1 English | 1 English | 1 English | 1 French | 4 | ||
| Business Leaders/Owners and Industry Professionals | 1 English | 1 English | 1 French | 3 | |||
| TOTAL | 16 | ||||||
To achieve strong participation, a
total of 12 individuals were recruited for each focus group to ensure that
between 9 and 10 attend each session. Overall, 192 people were recruited across
all focus groups, and 155 took part in the sessions. Each focus group lasted
between 1.5 and 2 hours and each participant received an incentive in
appreciation for their time ($100 for citizens and $150 for businesspeople).
Each focus group with citizens
(general population, parents/guardians, and homeowners) included a mix of ages
(within range), gender, household income and ethnic backgrounds communities
(including Indigenous representation). Business groups each included a mix of
business sizes (minimum of 6 or more employees) and industry. All were also
from the private or not-for-profit sectors. Businesspeople who took part in the
sessions were either the owner of the business or held a leadership position.
All were involved, at least in part, in business decisions that affect the
organization’s operations, building retrofits and major investments. Where
possible, a mix of age, gender and ethnic backgrounds were included in each
business group. Across all focus groups (citizens and businesspeople), a mix of
locations was included within each region, with rural and urban representation.
To participate in the online focus group, participants required access to a
desktop or laptop computer, or a computer tablet connected to the internet,
along with a separate phone line.
All participants were recruited according
to the Government of Canada's recruitment specifications. Recruitment was
conducted through qualitative panels stored on Canadian servers, with follow up
calls to confirm the details provided and to ensure quotas were met. In a few
instances, referrals were accepted for a different focus group, given the tight
recruitment timeline. Those with current or past employment in sensitive
occupations were excluded from the research, in addition to those who have
others in the household in this situation. These sectors included marketing,
marketing research, public relations, advertising, media, graphic design, and
Government of Canada employees.
Context of Qualitative Research
Qualitative discussions are
intended as moderator-directed, informal, non-threatening discussions with
participants whose characteristics, habits and attitudes are considered
relevant to the topic of discussion. The primary benefits of individual or
group qualitative discussions are that they allow for in-depth probing with
qualifying participants on behavioural habits, usage patterns, perceptions and
attitudes related to the subject matter. This type of discussion allows for
flexibility in exploring other areas that may be pertinent to the
investigation. Qualitative research allows for more complete understanding of
the segment in that the thoughts or feelings are expressed in the participants’
own language and at their own levels of passion. Qualitative techniques are
used in marketing research as a means of developing insight and direction,
rather than collecting quantitatively precise data or absolute measures. As
such, results are directional only and cannot be extrapolated to all Canadians
falling within the key groups participating in this project.
Research Findings
This section provides a detailed
account of the focus group discussions, and the topics are presented in the
order in which they were discussed.
Advertising Recall
There was minimal recall of advertisements related to the
environment from the past two years.
To begin the discussion, participants were asked if they recalled
having seen or heard any advertisements about the environment in the past two
years. Across audiences and locations, recall is very low, with just a few
individuals in each group mentioning specific advertisements. Of note, many
recalled ads generally, but were unsure of the sponsor.
The following identifies the advertisement recalled, including the
sponsor, media and content recalled:
·
Across
audiences, one or two participants in each of the French groups recalled a
recent television campaign by Recyc-Québec.
·
One
citizen mentioned a television commercial about a washing detergent that was
claiming to be environmentally friendly.
·
Several
participants across multiple jurisdictions cited utility advertisements,
specifically encouraging energy efficiency.
·
Several
Prairie participants recalled an advertisement from an energy company talking
about clean energy and the benefits of the Excel pipeline.
·
A
few citizens in Toronto remembered a City of Toronto advertisement asking the
public to make greener choices and to recycle.
·
One
parent recalled a television commercial about a woman walking and being
increasingly surrounded by water bottles. While the sponsor and the message was not recalled, this parent felt that the topic related to
the environment.
·
One
parent and one homeowner recalled a television commercial for Dawn soap in
which the product was used to clean a bird coated with oil.
·
Several
homeowners recalled advertisements – posters, television, bus stops – related
to Canada’s National Action Plan that spoke of environmental issues.
·
Across
locations, a few participants mentioned political party advertisements speaking
of environmental platforms or policies.
Concept Testing
Participants were presented with three concepts for a public
awareness campaign, each including a mock-up for a video (in the form of a stillmatic preceded by a recorded explanation of the
approach) and three web banners in print format. The order of presentation of
concepts was rotated across focus groups to avoid order biases. The call to
action of web banners for two of the concepts (Build and Seeds of
Change) were changed partway through the fieldwork, resulting in about
two-thirds of participants having seen the original version and about one-third
(including all businesspeople and all French-speaking participants) having seen
the revised version.
General Reactions
A few reactions span across concepts and should be considered,
regardless of the final choice of concept.
Sense of Urgency
Across concepts, although the positive tone was well received, it
positioned the message as lacking a sense of urgency in addressing climate
change and engaging the public to do more than they currently do. The campaign
was also seen by some as an initiative to promote what the federal government
has put in place so far, and to state its commitment to continuing to improve
the environment in the future, more so than to engage citizen and business
action.
“I am not feeling overly
engaged. There is no sense of urgency” – referring to concept B (In Our Hands); General Population
“L’environnement c’est un sujet chaud, il faut
agir et c’est toutes des affaires qu’on aurait pu voir il y a dix ans. C’est
dépassé, on est rendu dans l’urgence. Ramasser le plastique sur la plage c’est
bien mais le gouvernement a plus de pouvoir que ça. Il pourrait aller à la source du plastique.” (The environment is a hot
topic; we have to act and these are all things we
could have seen ten years ago. It’s over, we’re in a hurry. Picking up plastic
on the beach is fine, but the government has more power than that. They could
address the source of the plastic.) – referring to concept C (Seeds of Change);
Homeowner
Providing a Rationale
Some felt that showing consequences of climate change may be more
effective in motivating individual action than presenting the message that
programs and initiatives are currently in place to address environmental
issues. This was seen as less problematic with the Seeds of Change
concept, where the rationale for change behaviour was stated (i.e., to have a
healthier planet for future generations).
“The problem is we have
tried to talk about climate change long enough and we see that the average
person doesn’t give a damn. We need to show … what
happens if we don’t.” – referring to concept A (Build); General Population
“It’s too
happy, too cheery. It says: ‘we are in a good place
and everything is fine’.” – referring to concept A (Build); General Population
“J’ai un doute sur le fait que ça convainque plus
de monde que ceux qui le sont déjà. Ce n’est pas assez fort. Il faudrait
bousculer les gens. On voit de belles images mais il n’y a pas de comparatif
avec la situation actuelle.” (I am doubtful that it
will convince more people than those who already are doing something. It’s not
strong enough. People should be pushed. We see beautiful images but there is no
comparison with the current situation.) – referring to concept C (Seeds of
Change); Parent
Recognizing the Role of all Parties
The government was seen as playing a role in incentivizing
citizens and businesses to take action, in addition to
putting in place legislation to limit behaviours that are harmful to the
environment. That said, all three concepts failed to show what else the
government, the public and businesses can do to address the sources of the many
issues associated with climate change, beyond what they are currently doing.
Businesses were seen as an important source of pollution, and it
was believed that they should be specifically targeted through awareness
campaigns and stricter legislation. Finally, it was felt that the final
campaign should recognize the public’s existing awareness and knowledge
regarding the importance of taking action, while
suggesting that citizens and businesses continue to play an important role
through their action, in support of legislative change and stricter business
practices.
Addressing the Sources of Pollution
Although the three concepts depicted actions being taken to battle
climate change, it was believed that they did not effectively show how the
government is addressing the sources of pollution. Rather, the concepts
suggested that actions can be taken by individuals to limit the impact of
pollution, rather than specifying how government is legislating the use of
pollutants. This was notably the case for plastic pollution, where legislating
the sale of single-use plastic was seen to have a greater impact than recycling
these products.
“Statistically, the
average person does not contribute that much to climate change. It is the
activity of large businesses. While we can make small changes, we are past the
point where we can affect huge change.” – referring to concept B (In Our Hands);
General Population
“C’est bien beau de ramasser des bouteilles, mais
arrêter d’acheter des bouteilles [de plastique… ce serait bien mieux. Ils devraient bannir le plastique à usage unique.” (It's all well and
good to pick up bottles, but stopping buying plastic
bottles would be much better. They should ban single-use plastic.) – referring
to concept C (Seeds of Change); Parent
Provide Context
While the government is informing the public of the availability
of environmental programs and incentives in the campaigns, the concepts failed
to mention that these are part of the government’s overall plan to address
climate change. Indeed, there is a keen interest in seeing visible and tangible
evidence of the changes experienced and the impact of initiatives that are
underway. While this may be difficult to effectively execute in a short
advertisement, it could be included and explained on the campaign’s web page.
There may be merit, however, in suggesting in the campaign advertisements that
the initiatives referenced in the creative are part of a larger plan.
Reconsider the Message Related to the Economy
The economic impact of addressing climate change was not readily noticed
in any of the concepts’ advertisements. Rather, the focus was seen as being on
improving the environment, with the ultimate benefit being leaving a healthier
planet for future generations, rather than contributing to the economy.
Familiarity
Although to varying degree, the concepts appeared to provide
little new information regarding the government’s plans to address climate
change and the citizen actions being encouraged. Most participants considered
themselves as being conscious of reducing their environmental footprint through
small actions, and they felt that most of the recommendations shown in the
concepts were already common practices for a good number of people. This
reaction appeared to lessen the impact of the call to action and made the
concepts feel outdated.
“On ne m’apprend rien donc je n’ai pas besoin
d’aller chercher de l’information. Ça fait 10 ans qu’on entend le même message.
Il n’y a rien de concret ni de nouveau.” (I am not learning anything, so I do not need to look for information.
We’ve been hearing the same message for 10 years. There is nothing concrete or
new.)– referring to concept C (Seeds of Change); Business
“Ce que j’ai plus de difficulté c’est que c’est
le genre de message qu’on entend depuis 30 ans, que chaque petit geste compte
et que tout le monde doit faire sa part et oui en bout de compte c’est
important mais ce sont les grandes choses qui ont plus d’impacts.” (What I have more difficulty with is that this is the
kind of message that we have been hearing for 30 years,
that every little gesture counts and that everyone must do their part and yes
in the end it is important, but it's the big things that have the most impact.)
– referring to concept B (In Our Hands); General Population
“C’est un thème intéressant mais ça m’incite
seulement à continuer ce que je fais déjà. De ne pas voir les conséquences ne
me fait pas agir.” (It’s an interesting
theme, but it only inspires me to continue what I’m already doing. Not seeing
the consequences doesn't make me act.) – referring to concept B (In Our Hands);
Parent
“Ce que j’ai trouvé dans ça c’est qu’on a déjà vu
ces choses-là. Une personne qui plante un arbre on a déjà vu ça. J’aurais pensé qu’il
y aurait de nouvelles idées.” (What I found is that we have seen those things
before. A person who plants a tree has already been seen. I would have thought
there would be new ideas.) – referring to concept C (Seeds of Change) Homeowner
Tangible Benefits
While the call to action from all concepts was considered weak,
the reference to government incentives being available held high appeal.
“The incentives work and
that talked to me.” – referring to concept B (In Our Hands); General Population
“Je trouve ça intéressant. Au niveau des véhicule
électriques qu’il existe des subventions c’est intéressant.” (I find that interesting. In terms of electric vehicles that there are
subsidies, it is interesting.) – referring to concept B (In Our Hands); Parent
Provide a strong call to action
While the provision of incentives and programs is appealing to
most and essential to elicit interest, there needs to be a stronger call to
action and a reason for citizens and businesses to seek additional information
online.
“It says, ‘click here to
help fight climate change’. They need to make a stronger call to action: Give
me a reason to click through. Otherwise I will sit on
the sideline and watch someone else doing it.” – referring to the original
concept A (Build); Parent
“I did not get enough of a
sense that I need to educate myself more. There isn’t enough to make me
curious… There could be more information in terms of why someone should be
looking for information. Why we need to learn more.” – referring to concept A
(Build) Homeowner
The following outlines highlights for each of the three campaign
concepts tested.
Concept A: Build
Overall Impressions
This concept was generally considered visually appealing and
lively, establishing relevance with a wide audience given the variety of settings
shown throughout the web banners and in the video. The use of animation in the
video was deemed simple but effective in catching viewers’ attention.
“I love the animation it
got my attention, it pulled me in, especially starting with the tree planting.”
Parent
The concept held relevance to the population at large, creating a
sense of community and inclusivity through the illustration of homes and
vehicles in its imagery. The inclusive language in the concept (use of ‘let’s’)
was well received and spoke to a wider audience. That said, the focus on
expensive technology (electric vehicles; solar panels), and the urban/suburban
settings depicted, pointed to a more affluent segment of the population.
“I definitely liked this
commercial better because they are trying to do something different with the
graphics. It would grab my attention.” General Population
Messaging/Relevance/Appeal
The main message of this concept was deemed to be that everyone
has a role to play and that there are programs available to assist. Participants
appreciated that this concept showed progression, with both individuals and
businesses making change.
“It is asking for us to
take action on the climate; to make changes. It is showing you little things
you can do. I believe it is important.” Parent
“Cela s’adresse à une catégorie large de gens –
les électeurs. Elle s’adresse
aux citoyens.” (This is targeting a broad category of
people - voters. It is for citizens.) Homeowner
Across locations and audiences, there was a perception that this
concept is more targeted to businesses.
“It seems directed more
towards business owners or engineers. How can the average person relate to
people on the field building wind turbines or building homes? How can you be
affected by that?” Parent
This concept spoke of broad, familiar initiatives associated with
a green future. Some, however, felt it offered the ‘same old’ with no new
information. In fact, participants criticized the messaging for speaking of
ideas that they have heard about for many years (electric cars/buses, solar
panels, and windmills).
In BC, the prevalence of electric vehicles (EVs) was more common
and accepted, while others felt EVs were cost prohibitive and not attainable
for most. Many were curious of the technology but were unsure of the strength
of the Canadian recharging network. Opinions were mixed as to whether the
government should be subsidizing EV purchases, with some believing such actions
in essence helped to fund the electric automobile sector and benefited a
wealthier, more urban segment of the population. Those living in some rural
communities and in parts of Atlantic Canada, questioned the relevance of the
imagery shown, particularly given that the scenarios (electric vehicles,
electric bus, windmills) were not relevant or realistic in their community.
“I did not like it. It
feels unrelatable; energy efficient windows, solar panels, electric cars – all
upper class. It made me turn off.” General Population
“They are focusing on the
people that can afford electric cars and solar panels.” General Population
“It is kind of 19th and
20th century - buy electric cars, windmills – an old message. It’s largely
based on consumption. It’s stetting forth a goal, but no path to get there.”
Business
A few mentioned that the message recognizes that some people are
already supporting improvement to the environment through their behaviours, by
inviting the public to “do more”. This is in part why the tagline (Let’s do
more than imagine a brighter future, let’s build one / Au lieu de juste rêver à un meilleur avenir, bâtissons-le)
appealed to many. The concept of building also suggested positive change and
moving forward, as well as being an action verb. To some, the concept of going
from the imagination to concrete actions suggested that time is running out and
action is needed now. Finally, the terms “let’s build” was believed to be bring
people together, although some were unsure who the let’s was referencing.
“In terms of the
messaging – let’s build more sustainable cities, it would resonate with a
demographic of 30 to 60 years old. It sounds modern, futuristic, it aligns with
that age group and what they want in a modern city. They want it to be more
sustainable.” General Population
“The use of words like
“we” and “doing more” acknowledges that some people are already working towards
a better environment. It says that everyone can get onboard that train.”
General Population
“I like that tagline. It
invites people to take action. Building is taking
action.” General Population
“I like the ‘let’s’ part.
It is a call to action for all of us instead of just us or just what the
government is doing. I like the idea of a partnership.” General Population
“It was more inclusive,
language - let’s build versus we’re doing this; shows progression, shows that
people are making change as well.” Parents
“It does let people know
that this is something we are thinking of now and in the future. It’s not
something that we are putting off. If we are doing it, it needs to happen right
now.” General Population
“Let’s, who is the let’s?
Is it the government or is it the people?” General Population
Yet to a few, the concept of building together implied a sense of
action, and to a certain extent, demonstrated the need to act now.
“Je pense qu’on veut mettre de l’avant qu’il ne
faut pas trainer, il ne faut pas juste y penser il faut agir.” (I think they want to emphasize that we shouldn't hang
around, we shouldn't just think about it we should act.) Homeowner
Clarity/Creative Approach
While the use of animation was well received in the video,
especially the bright, opening scene with the seedling growing, it caused
confusion in the web banner ads’ design. Further, the colours used in the web
banners, except for the banner showing the wind turbines, were felt to be cold
and dreary.
Electric Vehicle Banner Ad:
Participants liked seeing real home settings in the ad. That said,
the animation in the car web banner concept was criticized for being too
subtle, potentially missed, and some confused it as showing two vehicles being
plugged together. More so, some saw the image as being reflective of a single
home and felt the notion of having one home with two electric vehicles was
unrealistic. The colour scheme was considered too dark and bland, and unlikely
to grab attention.
“The banners I did not
think much of them. For the car drawing I did not see the lines at first. The
bus was not different than a regular bus and I had to look for the electric
sign to find out it was an electric bus otherwise it did not stand out as a
green ad.” General Population
“Let’s build a greener
future; it’s not very green of a picture. It needs a house with more grass and
trees.” Homeowner
Electric Bus Banner Ad:
This ad proved confusing to many, as they were unfamiliar with
what an electric bus and charging station would look like. As such, they were
not able to ascertain what the image was suggesting beyond promoting public
transit. Several participants commented that the person shown appeared lonely,
sad, or depressed, and they questioned why the bus went by without picking up
the passenger. The message of building more sustainable cities was considered
irrelevant to anyone living outside a metropolitan area. In addition, it was
felt to be speaking more of a government responsibility (developing green infrastructure)
than highlighting what individuals could do to fight climate change. The lack
of contrast between the blue background and the white lines was also felt to be
potentially problematic for those with vision issues.
“Some of the images could
be more exciting. The bus stop with the drawing of the electric bus and the
outside of the building and even the wood turbine are
too monochromatic which is depressing. It looks too boring. It does not evoke a
whole lot of feelings in me.” General Population
“The one with the bus
seems a bit apocalyptic. It needs more people waiting for the bus, more diverse
groups. It looks like an empty scape in the background. It’s lonely and sad.” General Population
Wind Turbine Banner Ad:
This concept was generally well liked and easily understood,
although it did not speak to the public, nor did it resonate with businesses.
Despite the creative using stock images, one participant questioned the type of
wind energy technology shown, and indicated that the
design is contrary to what is accepted and used in Canada. While this concept
speaks specifically to economic contributions, it did not motivate the public
to take action, as it did not show something that had
personal relevance to most and did not provide simple, actionable advice to act
upon.
Video:
The video was considered visually attractive and the use of
animation well-liked. That said, the imagery shown, while visually appealing,
did not grab viewers’ attention nor compel action.
“The video was clean and
clear but basic and boring and dry. It’s not memorable and it does not
register. We need to see natural disaster, something that will make us react.”
General Population
Attention/Memorability/Actionability
The concept was initially criticized for its limited call to
action, with respondents being unsure what they were being asked to do.
However, changes to the creative’s call to action in the web banners enhanced
actionability and provided greater direction. That said, the concept still
failed to effectively engage the public through the provision of actionable
advice. This was in part because there is nothing that says that more ideas can
be found online.
“The call to action is
not as strong. It needs to be more aggressive. If the government wants people
to do stuff like this, they should be clear as to what they want people to do.”
General Population
At the same time, the video does not do a good job of clearly
identifying the availability of incentives and government programs. It was also
felt that where incentives are suggested, the information comes at the very end
which means it may be missed by those who lost interest earlier in the ad.
“These are great ideas,
but people want to know what’s in it for them. What are the benefits for people to take action?”
Homeowner
“I did not like it. We
are basically speaking to people who are already taking
action. Those not interested in the issue will ignore the whole ad. It
needs to be more eye catching or drastic – save 20% on your fuel bill and help
the environment.” Homeowner
Moreover, businesspeople were unclear what role they played and many felt that the campaign lacked clear
direction for how businesses could get involved.
“Ça donne l’impression que les choses vont
changer et qu’il y a de belles choses qui s’en vient mais il n’y a rien de
concret. Il faut prendre action mais sans savoir quoi.” (It gives the impression that
things are going to change and that there are some great things to come but
there is nothing concrete. We must take action but
without knowing what.) Business
Other Comments
Participants’ suggestions to enhance the Build campaign
included:
·
Care
should be taken to ensure wind energy technology reflects what is used in
Canada.
·
A
stronger call to action is needed that provides clear direction on what the
public can do.
·
Show
more people or groups of people together in the imagery to strengthen the idea
of collaboration, in a positive atmosphere.
Concept B: In Our Hands
Overall Impressions
This concept was considered visually attractive and clear in its
intent, though familiar, bland and typical of a
government ad. This concept showed the little things that people can do, rather
than the larger initiatives being undertaken.
“Some of the images shown
in the video are images I have seen in other videos. Like the messages have
been repeated so many times that people are tired.” Parent
“All the actions that are
showed in the video are doable and that is something I can do.” General
Population
“I like the images; it is
clear and not too cluttered.” Parent
“It is definitely
pleasant to look at and the wording is short and sweet and easy to read. If I
am on the bus or walking somewhere it does not take long to read the message.”
Parent
Its imagery was inclusive to a broader audience and attainable for
most. The concept was considered a ‘feel good’ campaign with a gentle or soft
approach that did not present any new ideas. Further, it suggested actions that
many currently undertake rather than inviting people to do more or to explore
different options.
“This doesn’t reach me.
Where I live right now (BC) we are doing all this right now. It hits the
consumer, but it is showing what is already in place - it’s a little bit old.” Business
Nonetheless, some appreciated that the video showed actions that
are not yet widespread (e.g., shampoo bar soap) or less often associated with
helping the environment (e.g., gardening, shopping at farmers’ markets). The
symbolism of the hands as a way to encourage action
was noted, as well as the lack of faces shown which made the message more
relatable to some, but less personable to others.
“It gave me a sense of
hope that these things can be done if we all do it together. I think the hands
are compelling. It’s in our hands speaks to me because I realize that in order to change you have to change. Change has to be met with change. The image of the hands symbolizes
change.” General Population
“It focused on hands
which I would think is a metaphor for getting your hands dirty, getting into
work. So, getting into peoples’ mind that the environment is something we need
to do together not just the government.” General Population
“They should be showing
different backgrounds, different cultures, different places, different people. Just
the hands alone are a bit impersonal.”
General Population
“Ce que je trouve intéressant c’est de voir des
mains en gros plans. Il y a une symbolique intéressante. Les mains démontrent
un geste qu’on peut poser en tant qu’individu. Chacun peut faire un petit
geste. Ça démontre qu’il y a une multitude de façon de contribuer à un virage
vert. Par contre, en tant qu’homme d’affaire ça ne
vient pas me rejoindre.” (What I find interesting
is seeing a close-up of hands. There is an interesting symbolism. The hands
demonstrate a gesture that we can do as an individual. Everyone can make a
small gesture. It shows that there are a multitude of ways to contribute to a
green shift. On the other hand, as a businessman it is not compelling to me.)
Business
Despite some of the confusion, the premise for the creative
approach – hands representing action from citizens and people being responsible
for playing a part – was considered credible despite not providing a complete
picture of the situation.
“It is technically in our
hands. We are the ones that are living on this green earth. We are the ones
polluting. People throw out their Tim Horton’s cup because they don’t want it
in their cars.” General Population
That said, it was still considered unattainable and somewhat
misleading as it did not properly identify the scope of actions required to
effectively address climate change.
Messaging/Relevance/Appeal
The main message of this concept was that every citizen can make
efforts to keep the environment clean and that the future is in our hands. It
suggested realistic and tangible actions that citizens can undertake, and
generally made participants feel good about actions they currently do. Further,
participants appreciated that the web banners suggested that specific programs
and incentives are in place to support such actions.
“It is about us as a
community getting involved in to get a better place. Us as a people, us as a
community, we are planting trees and doing garbage clean up on the beach. Get
involved, take part. I like that they are pushing that initiative.” General
Population
This concept spoke clearly to citizens who are conscious of their
environmental footprint and committed to making positive change. However, it
was criticized for sharing old news, given that it was felt that many people
already put such actions in place. The concept did not instill a sense of
urgency and created no compelling reason to act. It also failed to engage
businesspeople as part of their work, although some felt that it spoke to small
business owners.
“Small changes can make a
difference. I have done everyone of them. This seems like for people who have
not yet done those. Not me. This is excluding me again because I am doing this.
They should say millions are helping but the more hands we get, the better.”
Parent
“I liked that it put the
onus on me and personal responsibility; it suggests we can do it together; we can
make progress. It shows supporting small business; gives more of an idea on
incentives and says it is in our hands, and that we have the power to make
change.” Business
That said, overall, businesspeople were less likely to feel
compelled by the message, mainly as it implied that small, everyday gestures,
were encouraged rather than specifically referencing actions of a commercial
nature.
“Je me sens moins interpellé que la première.
Probablement parce que ce sont juste des petits gestes ce qui est plus pour la
population en générale. En tant qu’entrepreneur,
zéro.” (It is less compelling to me than the first
one. Probably because these are simple gestures, and it is more targeting the
general population. As an entrepreneur, zero.) Business
In fact, for many citizens, the lack of clear mention of how
businesses should get involved and the actions they could take felt as though
their role in addressing climate change was minimized by the message.
“Ça me dit plus tu devrais faire ça mais par
rapport aux compagnies, eux autres ils font quoi? C’est qui les vrais pollueurs?” (It tells me more, you should do that, but
compared to companies, what do they do? Who are the real polluters?) Homeowner
Moreover, the whole idea of teamwork and collaboration was
considered missing, and to some, that lessened the message’s credibility and
appeal.
“Ils mettent l’emphase sur le mot ‘ensemble’ mais
pour moi le mot ensemble c’est toute la société, pas juste les payeurs de
taxes, ce sont les sociétés, les entreprises, le gouvernement.” (They emphasize the word ‘together’ but to me the word
together is all of society, not just taxpayers, it is corporations, businesses,
government.) Homeowner
Overall, communicating this message was considered important given
the perceived serious negative consequences resulting from climate change, and
the urgent need for action.
“It is important because
of everything that is going on these days with climate change. For all of us to
take part and do something about it. It can’t be just that one portion. We can
make a difference together.” General Population
The tagline (It’s in our hands. Together, we can reach our goal of
a greener future / Un avenir plus vert, une économie plus propre et plus prospère
c’est vraiment entre nos mains) generally elicited positive reactions as it
implied collaborative work using the word “together” in the English version,
thus better positioning who was referred to by the word “our”. This did not
translate, however, in the French version. Some felt that the tagline was too
long to be memorable, especially in French. A few felt that the tagline implied
that the reason to take action is ultimately to
improve the economy, more so than to improve our environment and the health of
our planet.
“When they say, we can do
this together, it’s not clear if I am included in that or watching a group of
decision makers making this comment.” General Population
“Some of this is
conflicting to me. I don’t understand if it’s in our hands, whose hands is it?” Parent
The French slogan left some confused as it implies that addressing
climate change is needed to support a healthy economy, a claim that is not
properly explained elsewhere in the campaign.
“Je trouve que le slogan fait un peu comme si
l’objectif c’est d’améliorer l’économie. Ça enlève la valeur environnementale.
Ils disent qu’on le fait pour une économie prospère plutôt que les enjeux
environnementaux.” (I think the slogan
sounds like the goal is to improve the economy. It takes away the environmental
value. They say it is done for a prosperous economy rather than (to address)
environmental issues.) General Population
That said, while the concept featured small actions, it did not
provide a good sense of how these actions taken together make a difference in
reaching Canada’s environmental goals. Each individual action is not properly
placed in context to explain how it contributes to achieving the
overall plan. Further, the plan, or goal, is not clearly stated or
implied. Perhaps as a result, many felt that the claim that the issue of
addressing climate change is ‘is our hands’ was misleading and provided an
incomplete overview of what is required to address climate change.
“The message, ‘it’s in
our hands’, is misleading. Climate change is not going to be changed by
individual actions alone.” Homeowner
“I would like to see more
from the government about what they are going to do. That would spark my
curiosity.” Homeowner
Clarity/Creative Approach
The visuals presented in the video were considered attractive,
visually appealing, and positive. That said, there was some confusion regarding
the relevance of some of the actions to fighting climate change. Specifically,
some were unsure if the scene with the eggs was asking people to support local
businesses, avoid the use of plastic bags, shop at local markets, or to eat
organic foods. At the same time, some of these actions were not considered
accessible to those in urban centres (going to a farmers’ market), rural areas
(accessing electric cars and charging network), or businesses (lack of electric
trucks).
“The electric vehicle,
who can afford that in the first place? It is targeted to a very targeted group
of people who can afford that. Same for the solar panels. Very exclusionary.”
Parent
The web banner ads were considered visually appealing, with
further comments outlined below.
Electric Vehicle Banner Ad:
Showing an electric vehicle charger resonated with some
(particularly those in more urban settings and in BC). Others, however,
considered EVs to be unaffordable to most and unrealistic in a successful
introduction in many communities. Thus, they felt the push was not relevant to
them personally. Even with purchase incentives, many considered EVs
unattainable, with some questioning if the government should be financially
supporting one specific sector (i.e., the automobile sector). Some felt the
white font on light blue background lacked sufficient contrast.
Solar Banner Ad:
This visual was problematic to many, as it was often mistaken for
skyscraper window cleaning or a business tower. The visual did not grab
attention or encourage viewers to read on. Further, the visual and the tagline
did not align, given that the mention of the Greener Homes Grant was with an
image of what is perceived to be a commercial building.
“The one with the solar
panels I thought this was confusing at first. I did not recognize the solar
panels.” General Population
Seedling Banner Ad:
This banner’s imagery was visually attractive, with some
appreciating the inclusion of a maple leaf seedling as a reflection of national
pride. That said, the concept was confusing to some in terms of what it asked
them to do personally. Participants were unsure how they become engaged in a
tree planting program and questioned if this was simply discussing the
government’s efforts in this regard. Again, this visual lacked personal
relevance to most. The reference to a specific government commitment (2 Billion Trees program) was familiar to a few and presented a
concrete action taken to improve the environment, something that demonstrated
commitment. The white font on a light green background was felt to lack
sufficient contrast to be readable.
Video:
The video was considered attractive and visually appealing. It was
considered familiar and effectively showed small actions that all individuals
can take. While some appreciated the use of hands as a way to
imply personal involvement and personal relevance, others felt it resulted in
the campaign being impersonal. Overall, this video did not compel viewers to
act, as it did not provide information on incentives to do so.
“The video could have
been more knowledgeable or provide more information about the incentives. I saw
the video as saying the government is doing something for climate change but they did not talk about incentives to help people
save money.” Homeowner
Attention/Memorability/Actionability
Overall, the video and web banners were considered less attention
grabbing than the other concepts, in part for the soft, muted tones and music,
and for showing everyday actions that appear familiar to some. Very few felt
they would remember these ads.
“C’est
une formule réchauffée. On voit la recette utilisée. Ça veut tout dire et
ça ne veut rien dire. Je ne me rappellerais même pas cette publicité.” (It's already done.
We see the recipe that’s
been used. It says everything and it doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't even
remember that ad.) Homeowner
The call to action was also felt to be weak, despite the
advertisements, notably the video, showing actions people can easily
incorporate into their daily lives. The video did not suggest that people could
find suggestions of what they could do online, but rather was vague in implying
that the website would provide insight on how we can reach our goals together.
Moreover, a few felt that the concept did not clearly articulate a
compelling reason for people to change their behaviours.
“C’est difficile pour quelqu’un dans la
quarantaine de changer son comportement. Ça ne m’incite
pas à faire une différence.”
(It's hard for someone in their 40s to change their behavior. (The campaign)
doesn't make me want to make a difference.) Parent
Most importantly, many felt that the concept implied that fighting
climate change is the responsibility of individual Canadians, and that actions
they take would assist in addressing the issues. Without a broader context,
this bothered some as they felt that a focus on reducing negative impacts of
businesses and larger corporations would have greater and more sustained
results in the fight against climate change than asking Canadians to make small
lifestyle changes.
“It feels like the
government is really trying to make the general population and consumers take
accountability for fixing climate change. It’s frustrating!” General Population
“Less of the government
helping, more you have to do something. All you people you need to recycle, and
you need to go to the farmer’s market.” General
Population
“Ça me donnait l’impression que c’est comme si au
lieu que ce soit ce que le gouvernement fait ça montre ce que les gens font
déjà. Ça nous responsabilise nous autre de faire un job pour le gouvernement.” (It made me feel like it was as if instead of what the
government is doing it shows what people are already doing. It makes us
responsible to do a job for the government.) General Population
This impression may be a result of the campaign not clearly
articulating what the government is doing to address climate change, nor that
they are playing a leadership role in developing environmental policies,
embracing greener practices and encouraging such
behaviours across Canada.
“It is mostly on us to go
and do something but what are they doing as well?” General Population
Other Comments
Participants’ additional suggestions and comments to enhance the In
Our Hands campaign included:
·
Consider
changing ‘can’ to ‘must’ (in the web banners) to stress urgency.
·
The
white font on the green background in one of the web banners was problematic
for some (particularly those with visual impairment).
·
Showing
hands without faces makes the ads more relatable, but it also makes the message
less personal.
Concept C: Seeds of Change
Overall Impressions
This concept generally elicited positive reactions for clearly
indicating the government’s involvement in addressing environmental issues, as
well as providing a reason to explain the importance for focused actions. The
concept was deemed eye catching, with interesting imagery that was powerful and
tugs on the heart strings.
Regardless of having children or grandchildren, there was an
appreciation for being reminded that efforts and compromises made to improve
the environment are important to preserve the planet for future generations.
This provided a well-accepted rationale and a motivation for some to join in.
That said, the campaign failed to clearly establish the public’s
and businesses’ role in participating in the effort, and the tone implied to
some that the government wants to take credit for addressing climate change.
Overall, the approach did not strongly convey the sense that improving the
environment is a collaborative effort.
“I love the imagery of
the kids helping. And it suggests, ‘let’s get people do this now to make
positive changes.” Parent
“This one grabbed my
attention more because it is talking about the future. In our lifetime we won’t
see many of the benefits of addressing climate change but the message of
leaving that to our children is good.” Homeowner
Messaging/Relevance/Appeal
The concept clearly expressed a goal for a greener and cleaner
environment and that there are things that could be done differently to help
the environment. The intent of the campaign was seen as informing the public of
what the government is doing to address climate change. The introduction lines
in the video (“The Government of Canada is taking action today to help protect
our environment; cleaning up plastic pollution; making our homes and buildings
more energy efficient; building a cleaner economy”), together with the use of
the pronoun “we” in the web banners, and the lack of suggestion of specific
actions the public can take, all contributed to pointing to government
leadership in addressing climate change. To a few participants, the use of the
pronoun “we (nous)” in the web banners caused confusion as it did not clearly
identify the Government of Canada, without having seen the video.
“It’s about the
government announcing what they are doing to help fight climate change. More of
an information campaign so the public knows what they are doing.” General
Population
“The message is trying to
show it is not just us making a difference.” Business
More importantly, however, the creative approach, combined with
the message that government “has things under control”, failed to elicit a
sense of urgency in the public playing a part in addressing environmental
issues and climate change.
“It’s more informative
where I don’t see anything in here that pulls me to go look.” Homeowner
Nonetheless, a few participants appreciated knowing that the
government is taking action, something they found
reassuring.
“Le message que je comprends c’est ‘il y a déjà
des choses qui existent, qu’on fait; regardez, elles sont là et on continue
encore.” (The message I get is
there are already things that are out there, that we are doing; look, they're
there and we're still going on.) Parent
To a few, the lack of easily applicable actions citizens can take,
the lack of detailed information on government initiatives, and the positive
tone, gave the impression of an informational campaign that speaks mostly to
those who are already conscious of their environmental footprint rather than
trying to convince others to change their behaviours.
The tagline, (Taking action today to help
protect the environment. / Agir aujourd’hui
pour aider à protéger l’environnement)
received mixed reactions. For some, it was considered vague and uninspirational. Others, however, appreciated that its reference
to future generations gave a reason to make change, and established personal
relevance for many.
“Le slogan est bon mais ce n’est rien d’innovant
et ce n’est pas marquant ou mémorable.” (The slogan is good but it's nothing innovative and it's not striking or
memorable.) Parent
“It’s about protecting
our future; your children’s future. Something that has me included in the
solution. Taking action today to help protect our future.” Parent
“I like that tagline. I
like it because it is now and gives reference to the impact down the road.” Homeowner
“I like the tag but the
words taking action today, it should be we started to take action
and this is where we are at. Let’s continue today with the actions we have
started.” General Population
Clarity/Creative Approach
The concept attracted a broad audience across demographics, though
more actions could be shown to make it more accessible to a wider population.
The tone of the campaign, notably the video, was considered happy, hopeful, inspirational and friendly, leaving viewers with a positive
and warm feeling. While this approach was appealing overall, it was believed to
be ineffective at eliciting action from people who may not be conscious of
their environmental footprint and those who do not clearly understand the need
for immediate action.
In terms of clarity, it was felt that there was a disconnect
between the images and the text for some of the web banners. More specifically:
Beach Banner Ad:
Participants enjoyed seeing settings of actions that everyday
people can take. That said, showing citizens picking up litter on the beach,
while suggesting there are incentives and programs that help fight climate
change, was felt to be vague and unclear as to what programs or incentives
would support such citizen action.
Electric Bus Banner Ad:
This ad proved confusing to many, as they were unfamiliar with
what an electric bus and charging station would look like. Many people were not
able to ascertain what the image was suggesting. Accordingly, many failed to
easily identify that this web banner focused on the use of electric buses to
create a clean economy, but rather thought that this advertisement showed the
importance of using public transit. This concept did not hold relevance for
those living in non-urban settings.
Building Banner Ad:
The visual of solar panels was well understood. That said, it was
widely seen as featuring a product that would be installed on a commercial
building (versus on a home), while the call-to-action referenced an incentive
for homeowners. This created some confusion and a sense of disconnect between
the message and the visual. A few business representatives in BC questioned the
relevance of commercial solar panels.
“We have a mix of new and
old buildings and it is horrendously expensive to
retrofit- it doesn’t make sense. Solar panels in BC don’t make sense,
especially with so much hydro potential.” Business
Video:
Visually, the video was warm, inviting and provided a compelling
reason to get involved (i.e., to protect future generations). That said, the
use of the word ‘we’ proved problematic for some, as some interpreted that as
the government taking credit for doing all the work. Further, a good number of
participants found the imagery familiar and consistent with actions that have
been discussed for many years.
“I’m offended saying ‘we
are cleaning up plastic’. I am always cleaning up the garbage - it is not the government
cleaning up the plastic.” Business
“Impartial, it matches
advertising we have seen before, it’s familiar. Nothing is new here.” Homeowner
“‘We are creating a
cleaner economy’; ‘we are cleaning up plastic pollution’; is that referring to
the Government of Canada, or to us?” General Population
Attention/Memorability/Actionability
Given the focus on government actions and the lack of clear direction
regarding how the public can get involved, there was a sense that the campaign
lacks a strong call to action. In fact, the concept presents the government as
being in control of the issue, thus suggesting that there is no need for
citizens to be part of the solution, despite the video narrative inviting them
to do so. Participants questioned what it was asking them to do. Further, the
video featured a soft invitation (“Find out what you can do / Voyez ce que vous
pouvez faire”) which did not support the idea of
urgency.
While the mention of programs and incentives that could support
citizen actions was well received and enticing for its potential personal
financial benefits, there lacks sufficient details in most of the
advertisements to motivate individuals to look online for more information.
This was the case for both the web banners (“Find incentives and programs that
help fight climate change; learn more”) and the video (“Find out what you can
do today to help leave a healthier environment for our kids and grandkids”).
“I don’t have kids, but I
still feel it applies to me. When I see messaging like that it is like a
communal thing. Everybody gets onboard.
Anyone feels a connection.” General Population
“There is something about
showing children and a lot of children and being invited in something that is a
work in progress. Look how much work we have put into this,
would you like to be part of this?” General
Population
“Si ça aide les générations futures
automatiquement ça m’aide aussi.” (If it helps future
generations, automatically it helps me too.) Homeowner
In a few instances, the URL shown at the end of the video
(Canada.ca/ our-environment – Canada.ca/notre-environnement)
was felt to be too long and complex to be memorable.
Despite the lack of a strong call to action, a few citizens
expressed an interest to find out more about the federal government’s plans and
actions to improve the environment because of the simplicity of the video and
an interest in the topic.
“The video is short and
sweet and not a whole lot of details. Not an information dump. It made me want
to find out more about what they [the government] are doing to create the
cleaner economy, to make buildings more efficient.” General Population
Other Comments
Participants offered several specific suggestions to enhance the Seeds
of Change campaign including:
·
More
clearly establish the role the public plays in taking action.
·
Clarify
the desire for collaboration, including the identification of who should be
involved.
·
The
use of the bright green colour is well liked and supports the happy, vibrant
tone of the campaign, while making a reference to the colour of nature.
·
Ensure
a more collaborative message (the need to work together, rather than the sole
emphasis being on what the government is doing and the government taking credit
for all action).
·
Better
align the solar panel imagery to the call to action (business versus general
population).
·
Use
of “we will”, rather than “we can” to remove doubt.
·
The
use of ‘together we will’ was deemed more collaborative.
·
Ask
a question at the start of the video, to encourage viewers to watch to get and
answer.
Strongest Campaign
After discussing each concept, participants were asked which one
would be most effective at encouraging them to join in the effort to improve
the environment. Businesspeople were asked to choose a campaign based on how it
would engage them as businesspeople specifically.
The following table tallies the preference concept count. Note
that qualitative results are not statistically representative of the population
under study. The exercise results shown in the following table are directional
only and must be considered as part of the overall qualitative analysis of
findings.
| Concept A: Build | Concept B: In Our Hands | Concept C: Seeds of Change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | 44 | 45 |
* Note that the tally of responses does not take into
consideration responses of ‘none’ or missing responses.
When considering both the exercise tally and the group discussions
about each of the concepts tested, findings suggest that across audiences, the Build
concept was considered the weakest at encouraging action. Moreover, this
concept did not outperform any of the other campaigns within any of the
audiences.
While both In Our Hands and Seeds of Change
were equally selected as the strongest concept, In Our Hands poses some
risks of eliciting negative reactions. More specifically, this campaign
suggested to many that addressing environmental issues is in the hands of
individuals which puts onus on citizens rather than implying that the
government and corporations play an important role. Further, it suggested that
small personal gestures will have a significant impact on improving the
environment, which is contrary to popular belief that addressing large
polluters is most important. Moreover, actions shown, while appealing to many,
were considered too simplistic and failed to engage public to do more. Finally,
In Our Hands implied that addressing the consequences of climate change /
pollution is more important than addressing the cause.
Looking at the various segments across participants, two campaigns
performed stronger with English general population groups or parents – namely
In Our Hands and Seeds of Change. No one campaign outperformed the others in
French and business audiences.
Seeds of Change:
“It calls me to action.
there is more of a sense of vitality and that there is real change that begun.”
General Population
In Our Hands:
“It showed individual
actions and instead of being random people, it could be my family. Maybe
because of not showing the face and closer to home. You could imagine you doing
those things.” Parent
Call to Action
Participants were shown the call to action
statements on their own, without the corresponding creative. They were asked to
select the one that is most inspirational to them personally, regardless of the
concept to which it was attached. Overall, and across all audiences, opinions
are equally divided in terms of the statement that is considered most
compelling. All three taglines performed well, with only a slight preference
for the Concept C tagline (Find out what you can do to help), notably
among parents and businesspeople.
The following provides an overview of reactions to each
call-to-action:
Concept A (Build)
See how you can help fight climate change.
Voyez comment vous pouvez aider à lutter
contre les changements climatiques.
Participants appreciated that fighting climate change is a big
deal that requires a concerted effort, and significant actions. That said,
others felt that fighting climate change has become ‘common language’ a bit of
a ‘buzz word’, too generic, lacking in specific focus or simply unattainable.
Accordingly, to some this tagline lacked motivation to take
action and needed to more clearly individualize the statement. A few
participants felt the use of the word ‘fight’ sets the wrong tone, versus the
end goal of encouraging others to help, while others felt that it brought a
sense of urgency and importance to the matter.
“I like the word ‘fight’.
I like that there is energy or impact. It is a good fight, a healthy or
meaningful and purposeful fight. It is very now.” General
Population
“I felt invited in and it specified what the goal was: fighting climate
change. I have a feeling of knowing what I will fight against” Parent
“C’est celui qui parle le plus de pourquoi on
peut aider. Ça donne une direction, c’est précis et clair.” (It’s the one that talks the most about why we can
help. It gives direction, it’s precise and clear.) Homeowner
“Le message le plus complet. Dans les deux autres
ça pourrait être utilisé pour d’autres sujets. Dans cette version-ci, il y a le
mot changements climatiques.” (The message is more
complete. The other two could be
used for other topics. In this version, there is the expression ‘climate
change’.) Parent
Concept B (In your Hands)
Find out how we can reach our goals.
Voyez comment nous pouvons atteindre nos
buts.
Many appreciated the collaborative and focused direction of this
call to action (i.e., reaching goals), particularly that it appeared
substantive with specific goals in mind. This was more individual in focus
given that people are often driven by data and how to achieve goals.
“Ça semble concret. Je ne veux pas essayer,
tenter, je veux réussir. C’est court et précis et ça montre une détermination à
réussir.” (It’s specific. I don’t want to try, I want
to succeed. It’s short and to the point and it implies a determination to
succeed.) Parent
“If there is a goal in
hand and if I can help to reach it that is what I will strive towards. If our
goal is to have a better future, that will inspire me.” Parent
The use of the word ‘we’ indicated more of a partnership. This
tagline applied some accountability and suggested a collective goal that can be
shared.
“I like the wording of
‘we’ and ‘our’- it is not just putting the responsibility on citizen. It’s more collaborative.” General Population
“It tells us it can’t be
just you, it has to be others as well.” Business
“It suggests partnership
by the word ‘we’. It’s more than myself; it is all
encompassing and more in this together and also because it says we can reach
our goals so there is a measurement. It alludes to the possibility of measuring
progress.” Homeowner
“‘Nous’, ‘nos buts’, ça vise tout le monde.
Collectivement comment on peut atteindre nos
buts. C’est plus inclusif.” (‘We’, ‘our
goals’, it is aimed at everyone. Collectively, how we can achieve our goals.
It’s more inclusive.) Business
“Celui-ci parle d’effort collectif, ce que l’on
peut faire ensemble.” (This one talks about a
collective effort, what we can do together.) Homeowner
“I like the use of the
wording. The other two use the word ‘you’ and this one use ‘we’.” General
Population
“It’s more inclusive and
has a broader spectrum. I could find out what I need to do but also what
manufacturers are doing. It suggests a bigger picture.” General Population
Some, however, questioned what the end goal is and wanted to see
clear articulation of what the targets are and how people, businesses and
governments can work towards those. Having no clear goals outlined caused some
skepticism or criticism of government efforts.
Concept C (Seeds of Change)
Find out what you can do to help.
Voyez ce que vous pouvez faire pour aider.
This tagline elicited a slight preference, primarily given its
suggestion that individuals can take action to help and offering wording that
is more direct. Participants appreciated that the tone was one that speaks to
an individual, in essence answering a question (what can I do to help?). This
tagline was perceived to be more concise and to the point. Participants liked
that this implied that there is something they can do personally. It prompts
action and puts the onus on the individuals, suggesting that we are all in this
together. Further, it evokes the individual to help and elicits the feeling
that they are not alone in what they are doing. Some, however, did not like this
tagline for its vagueness and simplistic approach.
“People need to know
their responsibility and what options they have to actually help fighting
against climate change.” General Population
“Je n’ai pas la prétention de changer les
changements climatiques à travers le monde mais je peux aider en faisant de
petits gestes.” (I don't pretend to
change climate change around the world, but I can help with small gestures.) Homeowner
“The other two look for
information; this is more concrete – showing things you can do to help. Sometimes
you want to know what you can do to help. It seems like it involves
me a little more.” Business
To a few, the
fact that this statement did not specify that the reason to take
action is to address climate change was felt to be more compelling, as
there are many other reasons to care for the environment.
“Je
préfère le faire pour l’environnement, pour la terre, pour les futures
générations et non seulement pour les changements climatiques.” (I prefer to do it for
the environment, for the earth, for future generations and not just for climate
change.) Parent
Conclusions & Direction
As
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) moves to further develop its Our
Healthy Environment and Economy advertising campaign, results of the
qualitative research highlight key items for consideration. The following provides additional conclusions from the research
findings.
·
While
both In Our Hands and Seeds of Change were equally selected as
the strongest concept, In Our Hands poses some risks of eliciting
negative reactions. Accordingly, the Seeds of Change concept should be
further developed.
Across
audiences, the Build concept was considered the weakest at encouraging
action. Moreover, this concept did not outperform any of the other campaigns
within any of the audiences.
While
both In Our Hands and Seeds of Change were equally
selected as the strongest concept, In
Our Hands poses some risks of eliciting negative reactions. More
specifically, this campaign suggested to many that addressing environmental
issues is in the hands of individuals and puts onus on citizens rather than
implying that the government and corporations have an important role to play.
Further, it suggested that small personal gestures will have a significant
impact on improving the environment, which is contrary to popular belief that
addressing large polluters is most important. Moreover, the actions shown in
that concept, while appealing to many, were considered too simplistic and
failed to engage the public to do more. Finally, In Our Hands implied
that addressing the consequences of climate change / pollution is more
important than addressing the cause.
Looking
at the various segments across participants, two campaigns performed stronger
with English general population groups or parents – namely In Our Hands
and Seeds of Change. No one campaign outperformed the others in French
and business audiences.
·
Opinions
are equally divided in terms of the call-to-action statement that is considered
most compelling.
Participants
were shown the call-to-action statements on their own, without the
corresponding creative, and asked which one that is most inspirational to them
personally. Overall, and across all audiences, opinions are equally divided in
terms of the statement that is considered most compelling. All three taglines
performed well, with only a slight preference for the Concept C tagline (Find
out what you can do to help), notably among parents and businesspeople.
·
As
the Seeds of Change concept is further developed, several considerations are
warranted:
·
Clarify
who is targeted and the desire for a collaborative approach. Clarify the
desire for collaboration and strengthen the public invitation to act by using
the term “let’s”, rather than “we’re” (e.g., let’s make, let’s create a
cleaner). Consideration should also be given to use other inclusive words in
the narrative, such as “together”, “collectively”, “collaborating”, etc.
·
Recognize
that different players need to be a part of the solution. Consider
clearly identifying the different players involved – the government, citizens,
and businesses – to identify the target audiences (i.e., the government in
leading initiatives and legislating; and businesses and citizens in adopting
behaviours and making choices that are better for the environment). It is
suggested that this element be more obvious in the campaign.
·
Provide
tangible examples for how citizens and businesses can get involved. Demonstrate
accessible actions the public can take to support efforts to improve the
environment. If possible, provide more ideas online, and suggest in the call to
action that viewers can find more ideas online on how they can continue to be
part of the solution. The focus here should be on the concept of continuation,
or “doing more”, thus recognizing that citizens and businesses are already
acknowledging the issues and have in many instances already started to change
behaviours and make better choices accordingly. Otherwise, it will feel like a
campaign to promote government actions rather than ask for participation.
·
Create
a stronger call to action by explicitly inviting citizens and businesspeople to
continue in their efforts to make greener choices. Consider
implying in the call to action that viewers can access information online on
simple ideas to be part of the solution, as well as government incentives to
support their efforts. Be more specific about what programs or incentives might
be available. In addition, give a more compelling reason for them to seek
additional information – let them know what’s in it for them; what they can
find online and be more specific about what programs or incentives might be
available. Consider using the call to action, Find out
what you can do to help for its simplicity and directive instruction. Or even
something stronger.
·
Create
a sense of urgency. Although the positive tone was well-received,
it positioned the message as lacking a sense of urgency in addressing climate
change and engaging the public to do more than they currently do. Words that
suggest the need to act now should be used: BUILD; TAKE ACTION; DO MORE; BE
PART OF THE SOLUTION. Imply the consequences from the status; suggest what’s
going to happen if we don’t do more now
·
Streamline
the URL to make it more memorable. It is suggested that choosing a more
compelling URL may be beneficial. Consider streamlining or shortening the URL
and if this is not possible, consider saying it out loud.
·
Explain
the Rationale. Explain why it’s important to reduce our environmental
footprint. In addition, consider referring to “our children” or “future
generations” rather than kids and grandkids, as a more universal way to
establish relevance.
·
Recognize
that efforts have started long ago and that this is a continuation process. The
focus here should be on the concept of continuation, or “doing more”, thus
recognizing that citizens and businesses are already acknowledging the issues
and have in many instances already started to change behaviours and make better
choices accordingly. Feature simple ideas (reusable water bottle; picking up
litter) by suggesting that people should continue to carry on with these
actions, as well as suggesting there are hundreds or thousands more ideas
online for how else they could take part.
·
Provide
Suggested Actions. Ensure that any citizens actions that are included or shown
in the campaign are accessible and easy to implement, while making sure that
they are relevant. Recognize that citizens and businesses have already been
implementing change to improve the environment.
·
Visuals:
Ensure stronger alignment with the visual and the call to action in the web
banner ads (i.e., a visual relevant to consumers if the call to action is consumer
specific). Consider speaking of industry incentives when showing the electric
bus; show a home when speaking about the Canada Greener Homes program
(incentives for solar panels).
Overall, a few key factors span
across concepts and should be considered, regardless of which concept is
further developed. Most notably:
·
A sense of
urgency is needed.
·
Providing a
rationale, such as the consequences of climate change, will help to motive
individuals to take action.
·
Any campaign
must recognize that multiple audiences (government, general
public, businesses) have a role to play – beyond what they are currently
doing.
·
Showing (or
providing details online) to demonstrate how the government is addressing the
Sources of Pollution would be beneficial.
·
Context is
needed to inform the public that government programs and incentives are part of
the government’s overall plan to address climate change.
·
Messaging
does not readily address the economic impact of addressing climate change. Instead,
it focuses on improving the environment with the ultimate benefit being leaving
a healthier planet for future generations.
·
The actions
shown are familiar and provide little new information regarding the
government’s plans to address climate change and the citizen actions being
encouraged. This resulted in many feeling the concepts were dated.
Appendix A: Recruitment
Screener
ECCC: 2021
Our Healthy Environment & Economy Ad Campaign Business Recruitment Screener
– FINAL
Name:__________________________________________________________________________
Home phone: _______________
Work phone:__________________ Cell: ___________________
Email: __________________________________________________________________________
Community:
________________________________ Province: ____________________________
SECTION 1:
Schedule & Specifications
| Date | Group | AST | EST | Participant Time | Audience | Language | Moderator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Thursday July 22, 2021 |
1 |
10:30am |
9:30am |
9:30am/10:30am/11:00am |
Ontario/ Atlantic: Business |
EN |
MB |
|
2 |
1:00pm |
12:00pm |
12:00pm |
Quebec:
Business |
FR |
CP |
|
|
3 |
3:00pm |
2:00pm |
1:00pm/12:00pm/11:00am |
West/ Prairies:
Business |
EN |
MB |
|
Specification Summary |
|
|---|---|
|
·
(3) online focus groups
in total: o Two (2) groups with Business Leaders/Owners:
One (1) English group in each of the following markets: West/Prairies (BC/AB/SK/MB),
Ontario/Atlantic (ON/NB/NS/PE/NL); and one (1) French group with residents of
Quebec |
·
Mix of company size
(min 5 employees) and industries ·
Incentive: $150 per
participant ·
12 participants
recruited per group ·
Group discussion lasts
up to 2 hours |
RECRUITER NOTE - WHEN TERMINATING AN INTERVIEW, SAY: “Thank you very much
for your cooperation. We are unable to invite you to participate because we
have enough participants who have a similar profile to yours.”
RECRUITER NOTE: If a respondent wishes to verify the validity of the study, please
contact either:
Brent Novikoff, Public Opinion Research
Advisor, Environment and Climate change Canada, 819-431-1910; OR
Narrative Research: 888-414-1336;
focusgroups@narrativeresearch.ca
INSTRUCTIONS APPEAR FOLLOWING EACH QUESTIONS ON THE SCREENER.
SECTION G: General Introduction
Hello,
my name is _______________ and I am contacting you on behalf of Narrative
Research, a national market research company. We are conducting a market
research study on behalf of the Government of Canada and are looking for
business leaders and businessowners to provide feedback during an upcoming
focus group discussion on communication materials currently in development. The
focus group discussion will take place on <INSERT DATE> and those who
qualify and take part in the group discussion will receive a $150 financial
incentive. Is this something you might be interested in?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK & TERMINATE
Would you prefer to
continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en français ou
anglais?
RECRUITER NOTE - FOR ENGLISH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT
WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN FRENCH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH: "Malheureusement,
nous recherchons des gens qui parlent anglais pour participer à ces groupes de
discussion. Nous
vous remercions de votre intérêt."
The
purpose of this group discussion is to hear business leaders’ and business
owners’ views on communication materials currently being developed by the
Government of Canada. Participation in this research is voluntary and
completely confidential. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change
your point of view. The format of the focus group is an informal small group
discussion led by a professional moderator. May we ask you a few quick
questions to see if you are the type of participant we are looking for? This
should take about 5 or 6 minutes.
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK & TERMINATE
SECTION P:
Profiling Questions
Do
you own or work for a private sector, public sector, or not-for-profit
organization?
Private sector..................................... 1
Public sector...................................... 2
Not-for-profit..................................... 3
B1
INSTRUCITONS: If PUBLIC SECTOR, thank & terminate; Recruit min 8 private
sector
In
what industry does your business operate or what is the nature of your
organization?
RECORD: ________________________________
B2
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit mix; If NOT-FOR-PROFIT (CODE 3) AT B1, only keep if
industry at B2 relates to clean tech (green energy, recycling, et.), foresting,
or an association or group representing business sectors (ex: association of
manufacturers, of fishing, of fuels, of HVAC, of plastics, etc)
What is the
name of your company or employer? Note that this information will be kept
confidential and will only be used to ensure we do not include more than one
individual from the same organization.
RECORD: _________________________
B3
INSTRUCTIONS: Only one individual per organization across all groups
Are
you an owner or do you hold a leadership position within the organization?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
B4
INSTRUCTIONS: If NO, thank & terminate; Ask for referral within the
organization and repeat intro.
Are
you involved, at least in part, in business decisions that affects the
organization’s operations, building retrofits and major investments?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
B5
INSTRUCTIONS: If NO, thank & terminate; Ask for referral within the
organization and repeat intro.
What
is your title or position in the organization?
Owner/Partner....................................................... 1
President/CEO........................................................ 2
Executive Director.................................................. 3
COO........................................................................ 4
CFO......................................................................... 5
Vice President......................................................... 6
Other (Specify)........................................................ 7
B6
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit mix; if OTHER – verify
eligibility with supervisor
How
many employees work for your organization in total (for all locations)?
Between 1 and 5 employees.................................. 1
Between 6 and 10................................................... 2
Between 11 and 25 employees.............................. 3
Between 26 and 50................................................. 4
Between 51 and 100 employees............................ 5
More than 100 employees..................................... 6
B7
INSTRUCTIONS: If BETWEEN 1 AND 5 (code 1), thank and put on hold. Recruit good
mix of company sizes 6+ employees (looking for 2-3 in each category – code 2-6)
In
which province is your primary work location?
RECORD: ________________________________
B8
INSTRUCTIONS: G1: Recruit 6 from Ontario and 6 from Atlantic Canada (mix of NB,
NS, PE & NL); G2: Recruit mix of locations; G3: Recruit 6 from BC/AB and 6
from SK/MB
SECTION P: Profiling Questions
The
next questions will ensure that we have different profiles of participants
taking part in the focus group, in addition to having diverse business
profiles.
Into
which age group are you?
Less than 18....................................... 1
18-29.................................................. 2
30-39.................................................. 3
40-49.................................................. 4
50-59.................................................. 5
60-65.................................................. 6
More than 65 years old..................... 7
P1
INSTRUCTIONS: If LESS THAN 18, thank & terminate. Recruit mix in each
group, where possible
Are
you…?
Male................................................... 1
Female............................................... 2
Gender diverse.................................. 3
P2
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit mix in each group
To
make sure that we speak to a diversity of people, could you tell me what is
your ethnic background? DO NOT READ – CODE ALL THAT APPLY
White...................................................................................................................... 1
Chinese................................................................................................................... 2
South Asian (i.e.
East Indian, Pakistani, etc)........................................................... 3
Black....................................................................................................................... 4
Filipino.................................................................................................................... 5
Latin American........................................................................................................ 6
Southeast Asian (i.e.
Vietnamese, etc)................................................................... 7
Arab........................................................................................................................ 8
West Asian (i.e.
Iranian, Afghan, etc)..................................................................... 9
Korean..................................................................................................................... 10
Japanese................................................................................................................. 11
Indigenous people (First Nations, Métis, or
Inuit).................................................. 12
Other (please specify)_________________........................................................... 13
Prefer not to say..................................................................................................... 14
P3
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit mix in each group. Aim for 1-2 Indigenous people per
group
SECTION N:
Netfocus Questions
NF1.
Do
you have access to a laptop, desktop computer or computer tablet with
high-speed Internet to take part in this focus group?
Yes........................................................................... 1
No............................................................................ 2
NF1
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
NF2.
Once
you are online for the session you will also be required to join a separate
telephone conference call to be connected to the discussion with the rest of
the group. You will need to use a telephone line and NOT your computer audio.
Will you have access to a dedicated telephone (either landline or cellular)
located near your computer? Note that you will not incur long-distance charges.
Yes ..................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
NF2
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
NF3.
You
will need to be in a place that is quiet and free of distractions for the
duration of the session. This includes ensuring you can be on your own, without
pets or other people nearby and in a quiet room. You will not be able to take
part in the focus group from an outdoor area, a vehicle or a public place, as these
locations are too noisy. Are you able to secure a quiet and private environment
without distractions or noises for the duration of the focus group session?
Yes ..................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
NF3 INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR NF1-NF3 THANK & TERMINATE: Based on your responses, we are unable to
invite you to take part in this online focus group, as you do not meet the
technical requirements. We thank you for your interest in this research.
SECTION R:
Previous Focus Group Experience Questions
I
just have a few more questions about your past participation in market
research…
I1.
Have
you ever attended a group discussion or interview for which you received a sum
of money?
Yes...................................................... 1
CONTINUE – Max of 5 recruits per group
No ...................................................... 2
Go To SECTION I: Invitation
I2.
When
was the last time you attended a group discussion or interview? _____________
I3.
How
many groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years? __________ MAX
4
I4.
What
was the subject(s) of the focus group(s) or interview? __________________________
THANK
AND TERMINATE IF THEY HAVE…
·
been to 5 or more groups in the past 5 years (max 4
groups/interviews attended)
·
attended a focus group in the past six months.
·
ever attended a group discussion on advertising
SECTION I:
Invitation
Based
on your responses so far, we would like to invite you to participate in a small
group discussion that will be conducted simultaneously over the telephone and
online at <INSERT TIME> on <INSERT DATE>. The session will bring
together 8 to 10 people and it will last up to two hours. The discussion will
be about communication materials being developed by the Government of Canada
and you will receive $150 in appreciation for your time. To take part, you
would simply log on to a secure website from your computer or tablet and at the
same time join in a group discussion on the phone via conference call.
Are
you available and still interested in taking part in this focus group?
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
The
discussion in which you will be participating will be audio recorded for
research purposes only. Be assured that your comments and responses are
strictly confidential and that your name will not be included in the research
report. Are you comfortable with the discussion being audio recorded?
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
There
will also be employees from the Government of Canada and a marketing agency
they are working with who will be listening in on the discussion. They will not
be given the last names of participants. Are you comfortable with having
observers?
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
The
group discussion will be held [GROUPS 1 and 3: in
English] [GROUP 2: in French]. Participants may also be asked to read text,
write responses and/or review images during the session. Are you able to take
part in these activities [GROUPS 1 and 3: in English] [GROUP 2: in French] on
your own, without assistance?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK AND TERMINATE
DK/NR................................................ 8 THANK AND TERMINATE
Could
we please confirm the email address where we can send you the detailed
instructions for logging in to the group?
Record
email address (and verify): ________________________________________________.
We
will send you the instructions by email at least 1 day in advance of the group.
The group discussion will begin promptly at <TIME> and will end at
<TIME>, lasting up to 2 hours. Please log in on time to ensure that the
session is not delayed. If you arrive late, we will not be able to include you
in the discussion and will not provide you with the incentive.
As
mentioned, we will be pleased to provide everyone who participates with $150,
provided by e-Transfer or cheque, as you’d prefer. It takes approximately 3-5
business days to receive an incentive by e-Transfer or approximately 2-3 weeks
following your participation to receive an incentive by cheque.
Would
you prefer to receive your incentive by e-Transfer or cheque?
e-Transfer.......................................... 1
Cheque............................................... 2
IF PREFER TO
RECEIVE INCENTIVE BY E-TRANSFER:
Could
you please confirm the e-mail address where you would like the e-transfer sent
after the focus groups?
Email
address:________________________________________________________________
And
please confirm the spelling of your name:
_______________________________________
The
e-transfer password will be provided to you via email following the group.
IF PREFER TO
RECEIVE INCENTIVE BY CHEQUE:
Could
I have the mailing address where you would like the cheque mailed after the
focus groups?
Mailing
address:_______________________________________________________________
City:
________________________________________________________________________
Province:
____________________________________Postal Code: _____________________
And
please confirm the spelling of your name: _______________________________________
ALL:
As
these are very small groups and with even one person missing, the overall
success of the group may be affected, I would ask that once you have decided to
attend that you make every effort to do so. If you are unable to take part in
the study, please call_____ (collect) at ________as soon as possible so a
replacement may be found. Please do not arrange for your own replacement.
So
that we can call you to remind you about the focus group or contact you should
there be any last-minute changes, can you please confirm your name and contact
information for me? [CONFIRM INFORMATION ALREADY COLLECTED AND CHANGE/COMPLETE
AS NECESSARY]
First Name:
____________________________________________
Last Name: ____________________________________________
Email:
________________________________________________
Cell Phone:
____________________________________________
Home Phone:
__________________________________________
Work Phone:
___________________________________________
If
the respondent refuses to give his/her first or last name or phone number please assure them that this information will be kept
strictly confidential in accordance with the privacy law and that it is used
strictly to contact them to confirm their attendance and to inform them of any
changes to the focus group. If they still refuse THANK & TERMINATE.
Thank
you for your interest in our study. We look forward to hearing your thoughts
and opinions!
Attention
Recruiters
·
Recruit 12 per group
·
CHECK QUOTAS
·
Ensure participant has a good speaking (overall responses)
ability-If in doubt, DO NOT INVITE
·
Do not put names on profile sheet unless you have a firm
commitment.
·
Repeat the date, time and verify email
before hanging up.
Confirming –
DAY BEFORE GROUP
- Confirm
in person with the participant the day prior to the group– do not leave a
message unless necessary
- Confirm
all key qualifying questions
- Confirm
date and time
- Confirm
they have received the login instructions and completed the diagnostic
test
ECCC: 2021 Our Healthy Environment &
Economy Ad Campaign Recruitment Screener – FINAL
Name:
__________________________________________________________________________
Home phone: _______________
Work phone:___________________ Cell: ___________________
Email:
___________________________________________________________________________
Community:
________________________________ Province: _____________________________
SECTION 1:
Schedule & Specifications
|
Date |
Group |
AST |
EST |
Participant
Time |
Audience |
Language |
Moderator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monday July 19, 2021 |
1 |
6:30pm |
5:30pm |
5:30pm |
Ontario: General Public |
EN |
CP |
|
2 |
8:30pm |
7:30pm |
6:30pm/5:30pm |
Prairies
(SK/MB): General Public |
EN |
CP |
|
|
Tuesday July 20, 2021 |
3 |
6:30pm |
5:30pm |
6:30pm/7:00pm |
Atlantic:
General Public |
EN |
CP |
|
4 |
7:30pm |
6:30pm |
6:30pm/7:30pm/8:00pm |
Ontario/Atlantic:
Homeowners |
EN |
MB |
|
|
5 |
9:00pm |
8:00pm |
7:00pm/6:00pm/5:00pm |
West/Prairies:
Parents |
EN |
CP |
|
|
6 |
9:30pm |
8:30pm |
6:30pm/5:30pm |
West
(BC/AB): Homeowners |
EN |
MB |
|
|
Wednesday July 21, 2021 |
7 |
6:30pm |
5:30pm |
5:30pm |
Quebec:
General Public |
FR |
CP |
|
8 |
7:30pm |
6:30pm |
6:30pm |
Ontario:
Parents |
EN |
MB |
|
|
9 |
8:30pm |
7:30pm |
6:30pm/5:30pm |
Prairies
(SK/MB): Homeowners |
EN |
CP |
|
|
10 |
9:30pm |
8:30pm |
6:30pm/5:30pm |
West
(BC/AB): General Public |
EN |
MB |
|
|
Thursday July 22, 2021 |
11 |
6:30pm |
5:30pm |
5:30pm |
Quebec:
Homeowners |
FR |
CP |
|
12 |
5:30pm |
4:30pm |
5:30pm/6:00pm |
Atlantic
(NB/NS/PE/NL): Parents |
EN |
MB |
|
|
13 |
8:30pm |
7:30pm |
7:30pm |
Quebec:
Parents |
FR |
CP |
|
Specification
Summary |
|
|---|---|
|
· (13) online
focus groups in total: o
Five
(5) groups with General Population (aged 18-54): One (1) English group in
each of the following markets: West (BC/AB), Prairies (SK/MB), Ontario &
Atlantic (NB/NS/PE/NL); and one (1) French group with residents of Quebec o
Four
(4) groups with Families/Parents: One (1) English group in each of the
following markets: West/Prairies (BC/AB SK/MB), Ontario, & Atlantic
(NB/NS/PE/NL); and one (1) French group with residents of Quebec o
Four
(4) groups with Homeowners: One (1) English group in each of the following
markets: West (BC/AB), Prairies (SK/MB), Ontario/Atlantic (NB/NS/PE/NL); and
one (1) French group with residents of Quebec |
· Mix of age,
gender, HHI, education, and ethnic background in each group. · Recruit 1-2
Indigenous people in each group. · Mix of
locations and urban/rural in each group. · Incentive:
$100 per participant · Access to
desktop, laptop or computer tablet. No smartphone
use permitted. · 12 recruits
per group including 2 stand-by · Group
discussion lasts up to 2 hours |
RECRUITER
NOTE - WHEN TERMINATING AN INTERVIEW, SAY: “Thank you very much for your
cooperation. We are unable to invite you to participate because we have enough
participants who have a similar profile to yours.”
RECRUITER
NOTE: If a respondent wishes to verify the validity of the study, please
contact either:
Brent
Novikoff: Public Opinion Research Advisor,
Environment and Climate Change Canada -
819-431-1910;
OR
Narrative
Research: 888-414-1336; focusgroups@narrativeresearch.ca
INSTRUCTIONS
APPEAR FOLLOWING EACH QUESTIONS ON THE SCREENER.
SECTION G:
General Introduction
Hello,
my name is _______________ and I am contacting you on behalf of Narrative
Research, a national market research company. Be assured that we are not trying
to sell you anything. As part of a research project we
are conducting on behalf of the Government of Canada, we are looking for people
to take part in a small online group discussion the week of <INSERT
DATE>. Those who qualify and take part in the group discussion will receive
a $100 financial incentive. Is this something you might be interested in?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK & TERMINATE
Would you prefer to continue
in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en
français ou anglais?
RECRUITER NOTE - FOR ENGLISH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT
WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN FRENCH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH: "Malheureusement,
nous recherchons des gens qui parlent anglais pour participer à ces groupes de
discussion. Désirez-vous que l’on communique avec vous pour participer à une
session qui se tiendra en français?" RECORD
CONTACT INFO AND PROVIDE TO FRENCH RECRUITER
The
purpose of this group discussion is to hear people’s views on advertisements
currently being developed by the Government of Canada. Participation in this
research is voluntary and completely confidential. No attempt will be made to
sell you anything or change your point of view. The format of the online focus
group is an informal small group discussion led by a professional moderator.
May we ask you a few quick questions to see if you are the type of participant
we are looking for? This should take about 5 or 6 minutes.
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK & TERMINATE
SECTION P:
Profiling Questions
To
begin, do you or any member of your household work in or has retired from…?
Marketing/Market
Research............. 1
Public
relations.................................. 2
Advertising......................................... 3
Media (TV,
Radio, Newspaper).......... 4
Graphic
Design................................... 5
Federal
government.......................... 6
P1
INSTRUCTIONS: If yes to any of the above, thank & terminate
Are
you a Canadian citizen at least 18 years old that normally resides in
[PROVINCE]?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
P2
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
In
which city, town or village do you currently live?
Record name: ______________________
P3
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit a mix of urban/rural in each group
Into
which age group are you? [READ RESPONSES IN ORDER]
Less than 18....................................... 1
18-24.................................................. 2
25-34.................................................. 3
35-44.................................................. 4
45-54.................................................. 5
55-64.................................................. 6
65 or older......................................... 7
P4
INSTRUCTIONS: Thank & Terminate those less than 18 or over 65
GP groups
(18-54): recruit 2-3 in the 18-24 age group; Recruit 5-6 in the 25-44 group;
Recruit 4-5 in the 45-54 group;
Parents &
Homeowners group: recruit a good mix of ages 18-65
Are
you…?
Male................................................... 1
Female............................................... 2
Gender diverse.................................. 3
P5 INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit equal mix
in each group
Are
you a parent or guardian of a child 17 years of age or younger who lives with
you at least half of the time?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
P6 INSTRUCTIONS: If YES consider
for Parents
groups; Max 3 YES in GP groups
Do
you currently own or rent the home where you live?
Own.................................................... 1
Rent.................................................... 2
Neither............................................... 3
P7
INSTRUCTIONS: If OWN consider for Homeowners groups and continue; If RENT or
NEITHER, skip to P9
What
kind of home do you own?
Single detached.................................. 1
Duplex................................................ 2
Semi................................................... 3
Condo................................................. 4
Other (Specify___)............................. 5
P8
INSTRUCTIONS: If CONDO, thank & terminate
Do
you own a residential building, such as a house or apartment building, that you
rent to tenants as a home?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
P9
INSTRUCTIONS: If YES consider for Homeowners groups; aim to recruit 2-3 per
group
Approximately
how old is…
A) …the home you live in?
B) (ASK ONLY IF YES IN P9) …the residential
rental building you own?
Less than five years old........................................................................................... 1
At least five years old, but less than 10
years old.................................................. 2
At least ten years or older...................................................................................... 3
I am unsure............................................................................................................. 4
P10
INSTRUCTIONS: If LESS THAN 5 YRS OLD for both A & B, thank & terminate
Have
you considered or do you intend to undertake major renovations or upgrades on your
home or the residential rental property you own over the next couple of years?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
Unsure................................................ 3
P11
INSTRUCTIONS: Aim to recruit 5-6 “YES” in each Homeowners groups
What
is the highest level of education that you have completed?
Some high school or less................... 1
Completed high school...................... 2
Some college/university.................... 3
Completed college/university........... 4
Post-graduate studies........................ 5
Prefer not to say................................ 8
P12
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit a mix in each group.
What
is your current employment status?
Working full-time (at least 30 hours per week)..................................................... 1
Working part-time (less than 30 hours per
week)................................................. 2
Self-employed......................................................................................................... 3
Retired.................................................................................................................... 4
Unemployed............................................................................................................ 5
Student.................................................................................................................... 6
Other (Specify: _____)............................................................................................ 7
Prefer not to say..................................................................................................... 8
P13
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit max 4 in each group who are unemployed, retired, student
or who prefer not to say; If WORKING or SELF-EMPLOYED, ask P13; if RETIRED,
skip to P14; all others, skip to P15
IF
EMPLOYED, ASK: In what sector do you work and what is your current occupation?
Sector: ____________________________________
Occupation: ________________________________
P14
INSTRUCTIONS: Thank & Terminate if similar occupations as in P1
IF
RETIRED, ASK: In what sector were you last employed before retirement and what
was your occupation?
Sector: ____________________________________
Occupation: ________________________________
P15
INSTRUCTIONS: Thank & Terminate if similar occupations as in P1
What
was your household’s total income last year? That is, the total income of all
persons in your household combined, before taxes?
Under $20,000................................... 1
$20,000 to under $40,000................. 2
$40,000 to under $60,000................. 3
$60,000 to under $80,000................. 4
$80,000 to under $100,000............... 5
$100,000 to under $150,000............. 6
$150,000 or more.............................. 7
Prefer not to say................................ 9
P16
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit a mix in each group.
White...................................................................................................................... 1
Chinese................................................................................................................... 2
South Asian (i.e. East Indian, Pakistani, etc)........................................................... 3
Black....................................................................................................................... 4
Filipino.................................................................................................................... 5
Latin
American........................................................................................................ 6
Southeast
Asian (i.e. Vietnamese, etc)................................................................... 7
Arab........................................................................................................................ 8
West Asian (i.e. Iranian, Afghan, etc)..................................................................... 9
Korean..................................................................................................................... 10
Japanese................................................................................................................. 11
Indigenous
people (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).................................................. 12
Other (please
specify)_________________........................................................... 13
Prefer not to
say..................................................................................................... 14
P17
INSTRUCTIONS: Recruit mix in each group. Recruit 1-2 indigenous persons per
group.
SECTION N:
Netfocus Questions
NF4.
Do
you have access to a laptop, desktop computer or computer tablet with
high-speed Internet to take part in this focus group?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
NF1
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
Yes ..................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
NF2
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
NF6.
You
will need to be in a place that is quiet and free of distractions for the
duration of the session. This includes ensuring you can be on your own, without
pets or other people nearby and in a quiet room. You will not be able to take
part in the focus group from an outdoor area, a vehicle
or a public place, as these locations are too noisy. Are you able to secure a
quiet and private environment without distractions or noises for the duration
of the focus group session?
Yes ..................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2
NF3
INSTRUCTIONS: If no, thank & terminate
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR NF1-NF3 THANK & TERMINATE: Based on your responses, we are unable to
invite you to take part in this online focus group, as you do not meet the
technical requirements. We thank you for your interest in this research.
SECTION R:
Previous Focus Group Experience Questions
I just have a few more questions
about your past participation in market research…
I5.
Have
you ever attended a group discussion or interview for which you received a sum
of money?
Yes...................................................... 1
CONTINUE – Max of 5 recruits per group
No ...................................................... 2
Go To SECTION I: Invitation
I6.
When
was the last time you attended a group discussion or interview? _____________
I7.
How
many groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years? ___________
MAX 4
I8.
What
was the subject(s) of the focus group(s) or interview?
__________________________
THANK
AND TERMINATE IF THEY HAVE…
·
been to 5 or more groups in the past 5 years (max 4
groups/interviews attended)
·
attended a focus group in the past six months.
·
ever attended a group discussion on advertising
SECTION I:
Invitation
Are
you available and still interested in taking part in this focus group?
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
The
discussion in which you will be participating will be audio recorded for
research purposes only. Be assured that your comments and responses are
strictly confidential and that your name will not be included in the research
report. Are you comfortable with the discussion being audio recorded?
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
Yes...................................................... 1
No ...................................................... 2
THANK AND TERMINATE
The
group discussion will be held [GROUPS 1-6, 8-10, 12:
in English] [GROUPS 7, 11 and 13: in French]. Participants may also be asked to
read text, write responses and/or review images during the session. Are you
able to take part in these activities [GROUPS 1-6, 8-10, 12: in English]
[GROUPS 7, 11 and 13: in French] on your own, without assistance?
Yes...................................................... 1
No....................................................... 2 THANK AND TERMINATE
DK/NR................................................ 8 THANK AND TERMINATE
Record
email address (and verify): ________________________________________________.
We
will send you the instructions by email at least 1 day in advance of the group.
The group discussion will begin promptly at <TIME> and will end at
<TIME>, lasting up to 2 hours. Please log in on time to ensure that the
session is not delayed. If you arrive late, we will not be able to include you
in the discussion and will not provide you with the incentive.
As
mentioned, we will be pleased to provide everyone who participates with $100,
provided by e-Transfer or cheque, as you’d prefer. It takes approximately 3-5
business days to receive an incentive by e-Transfer or approximately 2-3 weeks
following your participation to receive an incentive by cheque.
Would
you prefer to receive your incentive by e-Transfer or cheque?
e-Transfer.......................................... 1
Cheque............................................... 2
IF PREFER TO
RECEIVE INCENTIVE BY E-TRANSFER:
Could
you please confirm the e-mail address where you would like the e-transfer sent
after the focus groups?
Email
address:________________________________________________________________
And
please confirm the spelling of your name:
_______________________________________
The
e-transfer password will be provided to you via email following the group.
IF PREFER TO
RECEIVE INCENTIVE BY CHEQUE:
Could
I have the mailing address where you would like the cheque mailed after the
focus groups?
Mailing
address:_______________________________________________________________
City:
________________________________________________________________________
Province:
____________________________________Postal Code: _____________________
And
please confirm the spelling of your name:
_______________________________________
As
these are very small groups and with even one person missing, the overall
success of the group may be affected, I would ask that once you have decided to
attend that you make every effort to do so. If you are unable to take part in
the study, please call_____ (collect) at ________as soon as possible so a
replacement may be found. Please do not arrange for your own replacement.
So
that we can call you to remind you about the focus group or contact you should
there be any last-minute changes, can you please confirm your name and contact
information? [CONFIRM INFORMATION ALREADY COLLECTED AND CHANGE/COMPLETE AS
NECESSARY]
First Name:
____________________________________________
Last Name:
____________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________
Cell Phone:
____________________________________________
Home Phone:
__________________________________________
Work Phone:
___________________________________________
If
the respondent refuses to give his/her first or last name or phone number please assure them that this information will be kept
strictly confidential in accordance with the privacy law and that it is used
strictly to contact them to confirm their attendance and to inform them of any
changes to the focus group. If they still refuse, THANK & TERMINATE.
Thank
you for your interest in our study. We look forward to hearing your thoughts
and opinions!
Attention
Recruiters
·
Recruit 12 per group – including 2 stand-by participants
·
CHECK QUOTAS
·
Ensure participant has a good speaking (overall responses)
ability-If in doubt, DO NOT INVITE
·
Do not put names on profile sheet unless you have a firm
commitment.
·
Repeat the date, time and verify email
before hanging up.
Confirming –
DAY BEFORE GROUP
- Confirm
in person with the participant the day prior to the group– do not leave a
message unless necessary
- Confirm
all key qualifying questions
- Confirm
date and time
- Confirm
they have received the login instructions and completed the diagnostic
test
Appendix B: Moderator’s
Guide
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CANADA
2021 Our Healthy Environment & Economy Ad Campaign Testing
Study Goals (Confidential – Not read to participants)
- Evaluate
three variations of the campaign’s proposed creative concept to determine
if the content is:
o
Informative;
o
clearly understood by the
target audiences (e.g., main message, campaign’s intent);
o
recognized as a credible
source by audiences;
o
relevant and of value to the audiences;
o
appealing and attention-grabbing
to the audiences;
o
memorable in the minds of the
audiences; and
o
able to motivate the
audiences to take intended actions.
- Ensure the
concepts demonstrate why it’s important for individuals, businesses and communities to take action.
- Determine if
the concepts clearly identify the economic benefits of a green economy.
- Elicit
suggestions for potential changes to the selected creative concepts.
- Ensure the
messages and creatives resonate with the target audiences.
- Better
understand how the target audiences prefer to receive such information
(getting feedback on the proposed media buy selection), and how to tailor
messaging to best resonate with these audiences.
Introduction (10
minutes)
·
[SLIDE 1] Welcome: Introduce Narrative Research as an independent
marketing research company; introduce self and function of a moderator
·
Topic
& Sponsor: Today I’d like to explore your thoughts on advertising that is currently
being considered by the Government of Canada
·
Length:
Discussion will last about 1.5 hours
·
Explain
process: Netfocus group (discussion by phone; material shown on the computer
screen); all opinions are important; no right/wrong answers; need to understand
agreement/disagreement; talk one at a time (identify yourself by first name before you speak)
·
Logistics: Session recording; government employees & marketing firm
representatives as observers
·
Confidentiality:
Individual comments are confidential; no names in report; voluntary participation;
ask participants to keep content of discussion in confidence
·
[SLIDE 2] Participant Introduction: In which city or community you live;
who lives in your home; and your favourite hobby;
Business Introduction: where are you located; in what sector is your business;
what is your role.
General Discussion (5
minutes)
[SLIDE 3] The material we will look at today relate to
the environment and climate change.
·
Before we look at the ads, I would like to know if you remember having
seen or heard in the past couple of years advertisements about the environment?
o
If so, what do you remember about those ads?
o
Where have you seen or heard those?
Creative Testing (60
minutes (20 minutes per concept))
[SLIDE 4] As I mentioned, I’d like to show you a number of ideas for communication materials, or
advertisements, that could be used by the Government of Canada for an
advertising campaign being considered on the topic of the environment and
climate change. We will look at three ideas, also referred to as a campaign, with
each idea including a web banner and a video (that could be seen online or on
television, for example) once produced.
The ads are still in development, so they have not yet
been produced. As such, I will show you an animated version of each ad to give
you an idea of what they would look like once produced. For example, the video
uses a series of still images with basic animation and a narrator’s voice
providing the storyline and messaging you would hear once the ads are finalized
and professionally produced. The animation style in the videos is simply to
show the story, not the style intended to be used for the final animation. So,
you will have to use your imagination to envision the final video once
produced, which would include real people in action and filmed in real
settings. The final video would also feature professional actors and narrators.
A couple more things to keep in mind as you watch the
concept ads:
- The
concepts presented do not take into consideration the current pandemic
prevention measures (masks and social distancing)
but the final ads will reflect public health guidelines.
- There
will be a good show of diversity shown in the final ads.
[SLIDES 5 TO 15] We will look and discuss each concept one at a time.
Hold your thoughts as I show you the ads. Once I am done, I will ask for your
individual opinion before we discuss the concept as a group. I will play the
video twice, once at the beginning and once after showing you the web banners.
Please pay attention to the message in the video and how it is communicated, as
we will be discussing that together. MODERATOR PRESENTS EACH CONCEPT ONE AT A
TIME – ROTATE ORDER OF CONCEPTS ACROSS GROUPS
Concept A: Build
Concept B: In
Our Hands
Concept C:
Seeds of Change
|
Audience |
GP |
Parents |
Homeowners |
Business |
|
Atlantic (EN) |
A-B-C (G3) |
C-A-B (G12) |
B-A-C (G4) |
B-C-A (B1) |
|
Ontario (EN) |
B-C-A (G1) |
A-B-C (G8) |
||
|
Prairies (EN) |
C-B-A (G2) |
B-C-A (G5) |
A-B-C (G9) |
C-A-B (B2) |
|
West (EN) |
B-A-C (G10) |
B-C-A (G6) |
||
|
Quebec (FR) |
C-A-B (G7) |
B-A-C (G13) |
C-B-A (G11) |
A-B-C (B3) |
AFTER THE PRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPT: Before we talk about this idea,
I’d like you to complete an individual exercise. Take a moment to answer the
questions you see on the screen. Keep in mind, I can see your responses, but
other participants will not; and I will not ask you to share your responses
with others. Be as honest as possible.
Indicate on a 1-10 scale the extent to which the statement aligns with
what you think (where 1 means “not at all” and 10 means “absolutely”):
- [POLL
1A-C – ATTENTION] These ads would grab my attention.
- [POLL
2A-C - MEMORABILITY] I would remember these ads.
- [POLL
3A-C – MOTIVATIONAL] This motivates me to take action
now [BUSINESS GROUPS: as part of my work].
- [POLL
4A-C – MOTIVATIONAL] These ads motivate me to seek out information on
Government of Canada environmental initiatives.
AFTER THE EXERCISE:
Now let’s talk about this idea together… [FOCUS 2/3 OF DISCUSSION ON THE VIDEO]
Overall Reactions:
·
What one or two words come to mind after seeing this concept?
·
What, if anything, grabs your attention? Why?
Intent/Message/Credibility:
·
What is this trying to communicate?
o
What does it suggest about the need of addressing climate change? PROBE
ON ECONOMIC BENEFITS IF NOT MENTIONED
·
How important, if at all, is it to communicate this information?
·
Is anything surprising? Have you learned anything?
·
Do you believe what it says? Why/why not?
Clarity/Appropriateness:
·
Is anything unclear, confusing or problematic?
·
What do you think of the imagery, the settings and situations shown?
·
CONCEPT C: The end message in the video says: “Find out what you can do
today to help leave a healthier environment for our kids and grandkids”. For
those without children and/or grandchildren, does this message connect with
you? (why/why not?)
·
What does the tagline suggest?
o
Concept A (Build): Let’s do more than imagine a brighter future, let’s
build one.
o
Concept B (In our Hands): It’s in our hands. Together, we can reach our
goal of a greener future.
o
Concept C (Seeds of change): Taking action
today to help protect the environment.
Relevance/Appeal:
·
Who is this speaking to: you, or someone different? IF NOT THEM: Why not
you? FOR BUSINESS GROUPS, PROBE TO SEE IF EFFECTIVE AT REACHING
BUSINESSPEOPLE/INDUSTRY
Intended
Call-to-Action/Memorability:
·
What is the intent of this campaign?
·
What, if anything, would you do [BUSINESS GROUPS: as a
businessperson] after
seeing these ads?
o
What actions would you take [BUSINESS GROUPS: at work]? What is
it asking people to do?
o
Would you seek out more information after seeing these ads? (probe: what info and where would you look?)
o
Is this saying why it’s important to take action?
How so?
·
To what extent is this memorable or not?
·
Does this ad give you a feeling of hope? (probe:
on the environment or on the economy or both? (why/why not?)
·
Before we look at the next concept, what would make this idea stronger?
Now let’s have a look at the next concept. REPEAT THE
EXERCISE AND QUESTIONS FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD CONCEPTS
Final Choice (15
minutes)
[SLIDES 16-17] Now that we’ve seen all three ideas,
I’d like to know which one you think would be strongest at encouraging you [BUSINESS
GROUPS: as a businessperson] to take action to help
fight climate change and learn more about the potential incentives that could
apply to you (to help you transition towards greener solutions). Take a few
minutes to answer the question individually:
- [POLL
5] Which concept is best at encouraging you [BUSINESS GROUPS: as a
businessperson] to
join in the effort to improve the environment? Why did you choose that
one?
·
Which one did you choose? Why that one?
·
Any other suggestions on how it could be improved?
[SLIDE 18] Amongst the advertising concepts we saw
three calls to action: SHOW ON THE SCREEN
Concept A:
See how you can help fight climate change (Build)
Concept B:
Find out how we can reach our goals (It’s in our Hands)
Concept C:
Find out what you can do to help (Seeds of Change)
·
With a show of hands, which one is most inspirational to you personally,
regardless of the concept to which it was attached? ASK FOR SHOW OF HANDS Why
that one?
Thanks & Closure:
[SLIDE 19] That’s all
my questions; thank you for taking part in our discussion. We will follow up
with you regarding the incentive. Note that once finalized, the study report
for this project will be available to the public through a government agency
called Library and Archives Canada.
Appendix C: Materials
Shared During the Focus Groups
