COVID-19 Public Education Campaign – Concepts Testing - Final Report

Prepared for: Health Canada
Supplier Name: Quorus Consulting Group Inc.
Contract Award Date: September 25, 2020
Delivery Date: April 2021
Contract Amount (incl. HST): $149,809.85
Contract #: HT372-203411/001/CY
POR Number: 040-20

For more information, please contact:
hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

This public opinion research report presents the results of 26 online focus groups conducted by Quorus Consulting Group on behalf of Health Canada. The research consisted of a first wave of 12 online focus groups (from January 18 to January 21, 2021) that focused on the general population, 18 years of age and older, and on members of ethnic communities. A second wave consisted of eight online focus groups (from February 10 to February 13, 2021) which focused on young Canadians, 16 to 24 years old. A third wave consisted of six online focus groups (from March 8 to March 10, 2021), which focused on young Canadians, 18 to 24 years old.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Campagne de sensibilisation pour la COVID-19 - Test de concepts

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from the Health Canada. For more information on this report, please contact the Health Canada at: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca or at:

Department of Health
200 Eglantine Driveway
A.L. 1915C
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9

Catalogue Number:
 H14-363/2021E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
 ISBN 978-0-660-38533-4

Related publications (registration number: POR 040-20):
 Catalogue Number H14-363/2021F-PDF (Final Report, French)
ISBN 978-0-660-38534-1

©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2021

Political Neutrality

I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Quorus Consulting Group Inc. that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications - Appendix C.

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:

Rick Nadeau, President
Quorus Consulting Group Inc.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Background and Research Objectives

In December 2019, a new coronavirus (COVID-19) was confirmed to be identified in humans, quickly evolving into a worldwide pandemic. In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada, more specifically Health Canada (HC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), launched a multi-phase public education campaign in February 2020.

Public education through advertising achieved a large national reach, increasing awareness, motivating interest and generating engagement with federal information and resources about the virus and preventative measures throughout 2020 and into early 2021. However, even with the rollout of vaccines, many Canadians remained susceptible to COVID-19 as case counts climbed. As a result, there was a need for public education advertising investments to help protect the health of all Canadians.

HC and PHAC commissioned Quorus to conduct exploratory research through three phases of focus groups to be held in the early months of 2021 to assist the development of creative advertising concepts. This research was designed to support the Government of Canada's mandate to pre-test campaign creatives with a media buy over $1 million and to assist the goals of COVID-19 prevention and public safety measures.i

Methodology

This report is based on 26 online focus groups that Quorus completed between January 18 and March 10, 2021.

In total, 176 individuals participated in the research.

For the first wave of groups, English sessions were conducted with participants in Atlantic Canada, Ontario/Nunavut, and in the Prairies/British Columbia/Yukon/ North West Territories and French sessions were held with participants in Quebec. For the second wave of groups, English sessions were conducted with participants in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and in the Prairies/British Columbia and French sessions were held with participants in Quebec. For the third wave of groups, English sessions were conducted with participants in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia and a French session was held with participants in Quebec

Qualitative research is designed to reveal a rich range of opinions, reactions and interpretations from participants. It is not intended to be used to measure what percentage of a target population holds a given opinion. The results from this qualitative research are therefore directional in nature. That is, they can be used to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the advertising concepts that were tested to inform the Government of Canada's decision-making process for a concept to produce. As well, this research was designed to provide the Government of Canada with ideas and suggestions to improve the concepts.

Research Results – Overall

Government of Canada COVID-19 advertising recall

Each of the focus groups started off with a brief discussion on recall of Government of Canada COVID-19 advertising.

While in all groups, some or most participants had seen or heard advertising about COVID-19, not everyone was able to recall specifics. Moreover, upon discussion, many ads recalled and at first identified as sponsored by the Government of Canada, were in fact local or provincial instead.

Some of the Government of Canada ads recalled most often included those featuring Dr. Tam, ads mentioning the COVID alert app, and ads featuring a young Canadian talking about their experience contracting COVID-19. More generally, messages about "following the health guidelines" were discussed, especially some seen earlier on in the pandemic.

In general, the ads seen did not change behaviours, but were rather said to serve as reminders. A few participants said they downloaded the COVID alert app after seeing an ad urging them to do so.

Ads were seen and heard on all media, including radio, television, bus shelters, billboards, and online. Social media was also often mentioned, especially among youth and young adults.

COVID-19 and impact on life of Canadian youth and young adults

In the groups with youth and young adults, participants were asked to briefly talk about how COVID-19 had impacted their lives. By and large, the impacts discussed fell into a few larger categories:

Research Results – Wave 1

Four concepts were tested in the first wave of research, namely:

  1. "Marathon," featuring a runner and an analogy between running a marathon and people dealing with the realities of pandemic life;
  2. "A year," featuring many different Canadians in situations and settings that have changed for many during the pandemic;
  3. "Tougher," an ad about Canadian winter during the pandemic and people looking out for each other; and,
  4. "Can't go halfway," showing scenes of people doing things halfway, including following COVID-19 protocols.

"Can't go halfway" was most often chosen as the top concept and recommended for production. Participants in the young adult groups in particular felt this would be the most effective ad, as it was seen as attention grabbing, slightly humourous and unique, making it most likely to stand out and be remembered. Among the adult group, this concept also often made it into the top two. It was also often said to be relatable, as the behaviours shown (people not distancing and not wearing their masks properly) were often seen in the community. The main message of following these guidelines completely, and not halfway, was said to be straightforward and easily understood.

In general, "A year," was seen as a particularly strong concept in the adult groups. It was seen as relatable, inclusive and more positive and encouraging in tone than the other concepts. Many participants saw themselves and their situations reflected in this concept, giving it a broad appeal and a wide target audience. Its main messages of staying the course, being in this pandemic situation together and to continue following public health measures were generally easily identified and understood and seen to serve as reminders rather than as new information.

"Marathon" had its supporters, particularly among young adults. The idea of pandemic fatigue was easily recognized and resonated in particular with this cohort. However, it was also seen as perhaps too narrowly focused and not as relatable to those who do not run or see themselves reflected in this ad. There was also some sense that the story was a bit disjointed, as it jumped from the runner to seemingly unrelated scenes featuring other people, and back to the runner again.

The concept of "Tougher" received mixed reviews. While the idea of a "COVID-19 winter" and how this might be tough was clearly understood, the main critique of this concept was that it was trying to say too much and did not say anything clearly enough. There was also the general sense that the winter idea might not work for a number of reasons: winter would likely be over by the time this ad would run; many Canadians enjoy winter and might not appreciate how this season was being portrayed; depending on which region of Canada people live in, winters may not look the way they are depicted in this concept.

All ads were seen as targeted to "all Canadians," regardless of age, gender, location or ethnicity. Participants identifying as belonging to an ethnic or Indigenous group also felt that they were represented. Two concepts ("Tougher" and "A Year") were called out for being the most inclusive and representative of different ethnic backgrounds represented in Canada. Feedback on whether any ad produced should be translated into languages other than the two official languages was mixed, but in general there was some support for the idea of translation in order for the ads to be featured on popular ethnic media.

Research Results – Wave 2

The four concepts tested in the second wave of research were:

  1. "No fun alone," showing a man dancing alone in an empty club;
  2. "Where we started," featuring a young man leaving to see friends, only to end up back in his living room instead;
  3. "Everyone loses," an ad showing businesses closing; and,
  4. "Open house," featuring a group of young people gathering indoors, followed by scenes showing other people seemingly also at the party.

Overall, "Where we started" and "Open House" received the most positive reviews.

Among the young adults, "Where we started" was most often seen as the winning concept. It also made it into the top two among the younger cohort relatively frequently. Its identified strengths were related to it having a clear and realistic message of circularity or not moving forward if guidelines were ignored, and it clearly showing the consequences on society of people not following the public health guidelines. It was also said to have a broad appeal because "everyone" was living this reality and was getting tired of isolation. Of all concepts, the "or else" message was the most evident in this storyline. It was also said that it made good use of the familiar images of hand sanitizer and masks. As well, the unexpected twist set it apart in the landscape of COVID-19 advertising.

Many participants, and in particular those in the younger cohort, gave high ratings to "Open House." It was seen as recognizable and quite relatable because not being able to gather with friends was high on the list of negative impacts of the pandemic and something that many wanted to do again. The message focusing on the spread of the virus to others also made it a powerful concept, and the inclusion of people from different groups (family, friends, those seemingly unrelated like the postman) gave it a wide appeal. The emphasis on "others" was noted by youth who repeatedly explained that they are following public health measures to protect those around them more than to protect themselves. Besides the strong message in general, the image of the grandmother was also often said to be particularly effective, making an emotional appeal or connection.

The concept of "No fun alone" was appreciated by a smaller group of participants, and also had its detractors, making this a weaker concept overall. While some said they saw the humour in this ad and that it might work with the right (dramatic) production, it often fell flat. Specifically, it did not have the same broad appeal as the top two concepts, mainly because many (younger) participants said that dancing or going to clubs was either not something they did in general, or not something they desired doing at the moment. There was some positive feedback about the general message of this concept, which was seen as not as accusatory or finger-pointing as other concepts. Some also liked that the concept was empathetic to their situation.

"Everyone loses" received mixed reviews at best, with quite a number of participants not grasping the overall concept and the ideas it was trying to convey. It was not immediately clear to everyone why the lights were going out or how that was related to the actions of the individual. The message focusing on the economic impact of people's actions also received mixed feedback, with some appreciating this and others saying that this was not what the Government of Canada's main concern should be. There was also a sense that it was narrowly focused on certain types of businesses that not necessarily everyone felt were essential or should be prioritized. Those who did enjoy or wanted to be able to resume going to restaurants or gyms were more likely to say the concept appealed to them. However, it was said that in many areas of the country, these businesses were already closed.

Research Results – Wave 3

The last wave of the research also tested four concepts, a few of which were repeated from Wave 2:

In a departure from the first two waves of this research, the concepts were paired into two groups.

Among the first pairing ("Know where to go" and "Young and restless"), there was more enthousiasm for "Know where to go." The main reason for this was that it had a more direct message and showed the website URL at the end for people who were interested to go and get the answer to the question that the ad would leave viewers hanging with, giving it a clearer call to action than "Young and restless." On its own merits, however, "Know where to go" received mixed reviews. While some appreciated the message of looking out for family members or the more vulnerable, others said that it was too accusatory of young people and would appeal too narrowly to only those who liked going to the gym. Moreover, the gym setting was a point of debate in a number of groups, mainly in regions where gyms were either closed or that mandated mask wearing in gyms. Some would visit the Canada.ca/coronavirus website as a result of seeing this ad, mostly curious about understanding "activity risk levels."

"Young and restless" mostly fell flat, with both the proposed soap opera execution as well as the use of humour being the main reason why many participants were turned off by it. As was seen with the previous concept, the focus on the gym setting was once again not seen as the best or most effective choice. One of its strengths was that it did pique participants' curiosity a bit more or made them question themselves a bit more than "Know where to go", which in turn would compel some to visit the website.

Among the second pairing, there was no clear-cut winner, with both concepts having quite the strong appeal in most groups. "Where we started" was once again identified as having a strong and relatable message of "being sick of it" and wanting to go out. The idea of going in circles and not moving forward was again seen as something many grappled with and wanted to avoid in the future. In this wave, the timeliness of it was mentioned as one of its strengths, as vaccines were being rolled out across the country. Some felt that it unfairly targeted young people too much.

The concept of "Open House," while also receiving relatively positive feedback for the same reasons as in the previous wave (relatability, emotional connection, broad appeal, strong message), was not clearly understood by all participants this time around. There were some who took the idea of many people at the party literally rather than as a metaphor. The idea of putting others at risk due to the behaviours of a few was again seen as a strong point for this concept.

Overall, the top choice from the second pairing was often chosen as the winning concept of the four tested in this wave of research. Both "Where we started" and "Open house" were praised for their wide appeal and relatability, clear messages, better choice of execution, focus on consequences, timeliness and clear calls to action.

Qualitative Research Disclaimer

Qualitative research seeks to develop insight and direction rather than quantitatively projectable measures. The purpose is not to generate "statistics" but to hear the full range of opinions on a topic, understand the language participants use, gauge degrees of passion and engagement and to leverage the power of the group to inspire ideas. Participants are encouraged to voice their opinions, irrespective of whether or not that view is shared by others.

Due to the sample size, the special recruitment methods used, and the study objectives themselves, it is clearly understood that the work under discussion is exploratory in nature. The findings are not, nor were they intended to be, projectable to a larger population.

Specifically, it is inappropriate to suggest or to infer that few (or many) real world users would behave in one way simply because few (or many) participants behaved in this way during the sessions. This kind of projection is strictly the prerogative of quantitative research.

Supplier Name: Quorus Consulting Group Inc.
Contract number: HT372-203411/001/CY
Contract Award Date: September 25, 2020
Contract Amount (including HST): $149,809.85
For more information, please contact Health Canada at: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

The Project

Background

In December 2019, a new coronavirus (COVID-19) was confirmed to be identified in humans, quickly evolving into a worldwide pandemic. As of February 2021, there were more than 855,000 confirmed cases in Canada and almost 22,000 deaths.2

In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada, more specifically PHAC, successfully launched a multi-phase public education campaign in March 2020. The purpose of the $40+ million campaign was to target Canadians over the age of 18, and various segments, such as youth, with the goal of encouraging preventative behaviours to limit the spread of the virus.

Public education through advertising achieved a large reach, increasing awareness, motivating interest and generating engagement with federal information and resources about the virus and preventative measures. This has helped Canadians take actions to protect themselves and others as a COVID-19 vaccine begins to roll out, starting in December 2020.3,4 However, the vast majority of Canadians remained susceptible to COVID-19 with the possibility of a third wave on the horizon.5 As a result, there was a continued need for high-visibility public education advertising, particularly among youth and young adult populations.

Research Purpose and Objectives

HC and PHAC commissioned Quorus to conduct exploratory research through three phases of focus groups to be held in the early months of 2021 to assist the development of creative advertising concepts. This research was designed to support the Government of Canada's mandate to pre-test campaign creatives to assist the goal of COVID-19 prevention and public safety measures. Generating insights will ensure advertising improves awareness, interest and engagement surrounding Canadians' access to information and resources about the virus. Furthermore, these results generated insight on how the chosen medium to communicate important messages affects the audience and its reception amongst Canadians

The main objectives of the research were as follows:

Methodology

This report is based on 26 online focus groups that Quorus completed between January 18 and March 10, 2021. Each session lasted 90 minutes.

In total, 176 individuals participated in the research.

More details can be found in the Methodology section of the report.

Findings

Research Results – Wave 1

General Recall of Government of Canada COVID-19 Advertising

As an introductory discussion, focus group participants were asked whether they recalled seeing any Government of Canada COVID-19 advertising, at any point, and on any medium.

The pandemic advertising space appears to be quite cluttered, and as some said, somewhat overwhelming. In each group, a number of participants could name an ad that they had seen. On further reflection, not all of them were determined to be Government of Canada ads, but rather provincial or local messages – governments also actively engaged in COVID-19 public education campaigns specific to their public health responsibilities and realities.

Those who did remember Government of Canada ads saw or heard them through a variety of mediums, including on bus shelters, on other outdoor advertising, on television, through mailed flyers, on radio or social media. Young adults, while less likely than adults to recall any advertising in general, were more likely to mention specific social media such as YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.

While recall was often general and most could not remember the specific messages, some of the ads recalled included:

By and large, the advertisements seen did not change attitudes towards the pandemic or personal behaviours. Some participants said it was just a reminder to stay vigilant or it provided some (new) information, in particularly when the ads or announcements featured Dr. Tam. Only a few participants in young adult groups mentioned that they downloaded the COVID Alert app after having seen an ad about it.

Concept A – Marathon

DESCRIPTION:

We open on an experienced runner who is running in the dark, illuminated by city streetlights.

VO: Marathon runners will tell you, there's this moment in every race when you hit a wall.

As we see the fatigue begin to set in on his face,

VO: You feel tired. You lose focus. But you know you can't give up.

we cut to a father with young children as he's trying to clean their hands,

VO: We're all in a marathon right now.

a person carrying a heavy bag of groceries to an Indigenous elder's home,

VO: And even with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, it's not over.

and other quick flashes of people following public health measures, like putting on a mask, packing hand sanitizer, handwashing, and checking the COVID Alert app.

We cut to a young woman FaceTiming with her friend

VO: So we have to continue to protect each other.

and we see the same runner passing her house.

The runner hits watch and cools down, looking accomplished.

VO: By continuing to follow public health measures.

Keep following COVID-19 public health measures.

Canada

DESCRIPTION:

On ouvre avec un coureur d’expérience qui court le soir, sous la lumière des lampadaires.

VO : Les marathoniens vous le diront, il y a ce moment dans chaque course où tu frappes un mur.

Au moment où la fatigue se dessine sur son visage,

VO : T’es fatigué. Tu perds ta concentration. Mais tu sais que tu ne peux pas abandonner.

On coupe avec un père entouré de plusieurs jeunes enfants qui tente de laver leurs mains,

VO : On court tous un marathon en ce moment.

avec un homme portant un masque qui transporte un gros sac d’épicerie chez une personne âgée.

VO : Et même avec un vaccin contre la COVID-19 qui se déploie, c’est pas fini.

et on poursuit avec d’autres flashs rapides de personnes qui suivent les mesures de santé publique, comme mettre un masque, déposer du gel désinfectant dans son sac, se laver les mains et vérifier son appli Alerte COVID.

On montre ensuite une jeune femme en visioconférence avec une amie,

VO : On doit continuer de se protéger les uns les autres.

et on coupe au même coureur qui passe devant sa maison.

Il appuie sur sa montre, visiblement satisfait, et marche pour reprendre son souffle.

VO : En continuant de suivre les mesures de santé publique.

Continuez de suivre les mesures de santé publique de la COVID-19.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received moderate to good ratings across all groups. The imagery of a tired runner and the link to COVID-19 and continuing to follow public health measures was understood by most, while playing into many participants' own experience of pandemic fatigue. The idea of the pandemic being a longer-term issue and something that would not have a quick fix even with vaccines being rolled out - much like a marathon as opposed to a short sprint - was also easily understood from this concept. At the same time, the overall message was seen as motivating to continue to practice health and safety measures.

The focus on the vaccine roll-out was also generally appreciated. This was also seen as new information, particularly for many in the young adult groups. This element of the messaging was not always considered positive or uplifting since it reminded them that although people were getting vaccinated, the health measures would not be lifted in the near future or as quickly as they might hope.

Some mentioned that the idea of looking out for others spoke to them, however, this was not the main theme picked up on and emphasized in the groups.

There was some feedback that the concept appeared disjointed and trying to convey too many messages, speaking to concerns about what the ad would look like if produced. The main view expressed was that the switches between scenes with the runner and scenes with other people was jarring. This resulted in the sense that there was "too much going on" and that the ad was trying to say or do too much.

Perceived main messages

Overall, there was a mix of those who felt this concept had a positive and hopeful message (of an end to the pandemic being in sight), and those who said it brought them down (because there was not yet an end in sight).

The main messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Many participants said this ad would serve as a reminder. While it may motivate them to keep doing what they are doing now, it does not necessarily directly call on them to change their current behaviours.

Perceived target audience

While most participants related to the concept of fatigue and being in it for the long haul in general, there was less of a sense that this ad was targeted specifically to one group over another. A few young adults mentioned that the marathon runner would likely speak more to a middle-aged or older audience, while on the other hand, a few older participants felt it was geared towards a younger audience. Moreover, some non-runners (of all ages) felt that the marathon analogy was not highly relatable for them. However, the mid-section "everyday life" scenes in the ad were seen as being relatable to a larger variety of audiences.

Participant suggestions for improvement

A suggestion that was made in many of the groups was to add a scene of the marathon runner crossing the finish line in the end. Not only was this seen as more realistic, but more importantly, as carrying a message of hope that there would be an end to the pandemic at some point, even if not immediately or even in the near future.

It was also suggested that the runner could be shown running by each house or scene instead of only showing up in the first and last scenes, in order to create a more cohesive story.

Across the board, the tagline was seen as a weakness of this concept. Participants said it fell flat, was too general, not memorable, and written in a "finger-wagging" way that felt like the government was "commanding" Canadians to act in a certain way. In French, it was suggested that the word "continuez" should be replaced with "continuons" to suggest a collective effort, rather than a more top-down order.

Some other suggestions included:

Concept B - A Year

DESCRIPTION:

We open on a man behind his laptop, looking serious. Suddenly, his dog jumps up, and we see he's on a Zoom call.

VO: It's been a tough year. But we found ways to keep going.

We switch to the perspective of his friends on call, who are laughing.

VO: We spent time with old friends.

We see a young woman cutting her roommate's hair in their apartment.

VO: And mastered new skills.

We see an Indigenous elder teaching a teenager how to sew and bead a mask.

We cut to a senior couple hiking in the woods.

VO: We explored unknown places.

We see a parent reading a bedtime story to a child.

We cut to a distanced lineup of people waiting outside a grocery store.

VO: And revisited familiar ones.

We see a close-up of hands being washed, then a person checking their COVID Alert app.

We end by revisiting everyone we've seen so far, one by one.

VO: And even now with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, we know we still need to keep going. For ourselves and for others.

Keep following COVID-19 public health measures.

Canada

DESCRIPTION:

On ouvre sur un homme devant son ordinateur portable, l'air préoccupé. Soudain, son chien bondit sur lui, et on voit qu'il est en visioconférence.

VO : Ça a été une année difficile. Mais on a trouvé des façons de continuer à avancer.

On passe à la réaction de ses amis à l'écran : ils rigolent.

VO : On a passé du temps avec de vieux amis.

On voit ensuite une jeune femme qui coupe les cheveux de sa colocataire dans leur appartement.

VO : Et on a développé de nouveaux talents.

Ensuite, une Autochtone âgée montre à une ado comment coudre et décorer un masque.

On coupe avec un couple de personnes âgées qui font une randonnée en forêt.

VO : On a exploré des endroits inconnus.

Un parent lit une histoire à son enfant avant le dodo.

On coupe avec des gens qui font la file à l'extérieur d'une épicerie. La distanciation est respectée.

VO : Et on en a revisité d'autres, plus familiers.

On passe à un plan rapproché de mains qui sont lavées, puis à une personne qui consulte l'appli Alerte COVID sur son téléphone.

On termine en montrant une à une toutes les personnes aperçues dans le message.

VO : Et même si le vaccin contre la COVID-19 est là, on sait qu'on doit poursuivre nos efforts. Pour nous-mêmes et pour les autres.

Continuez de suivre les mesures de santé publique de la COVID-19.

Canada

General reactions

This concept generally received relatively high ratings in the adult groups and more moderate ratings in the young adult groups. One of the main strengths of this concept was its broad appeal, with the various scenes and circumstances showing "the new normal" with some experiences that "everyone" could relate to. This broad appeal was also because it was seen as being inclusive, incorporating people who were young and old, had different family and social groups, were Indigenous and had various ethnicities.

It was also generally felt as having a positive message. Although this was often perceived as a strength in the adult groups in particular ("a nice change from the doom and gloom seen in real life and in most ads"), among many in the young adult groups, this was sometimes seen as not realistic or too rosy of a picture and not as relatable to those who were having a difficult time with the pandemic.

Some also felt that it was congratulatory, with the government acknowledging that Canadians have done well and have been resilient, adaptive, and have been following the rules.

The concept itself was not seen as overly exciting, new or original, and the message also served more as a reminder than to convey something new. As well, the tagline was generally not seen as strong or new, but rather as blandly reinforcing an old message. It was also mentioned that the tagline was not necessarily related to the rest of the concept, since the story did not overtly focus on health measures.

Perceived main messages

This concept suggested a variety of messages, which some felt was its strength. For others, this detracted and made it less straightforward to understand. In general, the messages were seen as neutral to positive.

The main messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

As was seen in the discussion of the main messages, this concept had a number of calls to action with some being broad overarching ones and others being more specific. In the young adult groups in particular, this was not always seen as a positive and there was a sense that the ad should be more focused. On the other hand, many adults appreciated that this ad reminded them of the many things that they should continue to do as we move closer towards higher vaccination rates and into the end of the pandemic.

Some main calls to action that were mentioned in virtually all the groups were:

Also mentioned were calls to:

Perceived target audience

This concept was seen to have a broad appeal, with the perceived target audience of "all Canadians."

Participant suggestions for improvement

This ad did not have obvious gaps or shortcomings that were consistently mentioned across groups.

Those who did not like it, often expressed that the general concept did not appeal to them because they did not see a cohesive storyline or because they did not appreciate the positive message. They did not believe that small changes would improve this.

Some specific suggestions for enhancements included:

Concept C - Tougher

Description:

We open on a snowy winter evening. We hear the cold wind whistling, then footsteps crunching through the snow. We cut to see a man's face, covered in snow. His glasses are fogged up from his mask.

VO: Winter can be tough. Especially this year.

We cut to a wide shot to see the man has joined a physically-distanced lineup for the bus stop.

A woman alerts the man waiting for the bus to step back as a car drives by, nearly spraying him with slush.

VO: But Canadians know how to get through tough winters. We get through them by looking out for each other.

From here, the energy picks up and we see a quick montage of Canadians getting through the winter months. First, we see a parent snowshoeing with a child on their back.

We see two young men enjoying a distanced backyard bonfire visit. Next, a person shovelling the walkway for a senior who waves from their window.

We see a young person knitting cool mittens on a rainy winter day, then cut to their friend receiving the mittens in their mailbox.

We see a healthcare worker rolling up their sleeve to get vaccinated.

VO: So while COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out, let's continue to follow public health measures

We come back to the lineup at the bus stop. Everyone is wearing their mask and keeping their distance. One person takes off their mitten to check their COVID Alert app.

VO: and download the COVID Alert app.

We end on a quick montage of everyone we've seen. Each person looks to the camera one by one, with a look of determination.

Keep protecting yourself and others this winter.

Canada

Description:

On ouvre sur une soirée d'hiver enneigée. Un vent froid souffle. Puis, on entend des pas dans la neige. On coupe sur le visage d'un homme couvert de neige. Ses lunettes se couvrent de buée à cause du masque non médical qu'il porte.

VO : L'hiver peut être difficile. Particulièrement cette année.

On coupe à un plan large de l'homme qui rejoint une file d'attente à un arrêt d'autobus où les gens respectent la distanciation.

Une femme lui fait signe de reculer pour lui éviter d'être éclaboussé par une voiture qui passe.

VO : Mais on sait comment passer à travers les hivers difficiles. En veillant les uns sur les autres.

À partir de ce moment, l'énergie montre d'un cran et on présente un montage rapide de Canadiens faisant ce qu'il faut pour passer au travers de l'hiver. Tout d'abord, on voit un parent qui fait de la raquette avec son enfant sur le dos.

Ensuite, on voit deux jeunes hommes qui profitent d'un feu de camp dans une cour en respectant les distances. Puis, on coupe à une personne qui pelte l'allée chez une personne âgée. Cette dernière la salue par la fenêtre.

On coupe à une jeune personne qui tricote de jolies mitaines à l'intérieur pendant une journée d'hiver pluvieuse, puis on montre une autre personne qui les reçoit par la poste.

On voit un travailleur de la santé relever sa manche pour se faire vacciner.

VO : Alors continuons de prendre soin les uns des autres en suivant les mesures de santé publique

On revient aux personnes dans la file d'attente à l'arrêt d'autobus. Chacune d'elle porte le masque et respecte les distances. Une personne enlève sa mitaine pour ouvrir l'appli Alerte COVID

VO : et téléchargeons l'appli Alerte COVID.

On termine par un montage rapide de chaque personne vue plus tôt qui regarde la caméra, avec un air déterminé.

Cet hiver, continuons à nous protéger.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received very mixed reviews, with many middle-of-the-road ratings but also some lower-than-average ratings.

The main feedback that was heard across the board was that the concept is too "all over the place," trying to say too much but communicating nothing clearly enough. The myriad of scenes and examples watered down the message(s) of the ad, and the use of a montage was also often said to be over-done.

One of its strengths, and something that was often said to be missing from the other concepts, was the focus on the vaccine – in particular the inclusion of the image of a vaccine actually being administered. However, younger participants would have liked there to be a more consistent focus on the vaccine and information about it.

The general idea of Canadian winters and the "COVID winter" was understood by all and was by some seen as playing into Canadian pride. However, this idea received mixed reviews in terms of detail and execution.

For many, it came down to relatability and timing:

A stronger point of this concept was the tagline. It received more positive feedback than the generic tagline in the previous concepts which calls to continue to follow health measures. The reference to winter made it tie into the rest of the concept, and it was also said to be softer and less "commanding" in tone. It spoke to a sense of solidarity, community and looking out for each other, rather than to individual actions.

Perceived main messages

While for many, this concept did not have a strong main message and there was feedback that the execution was lacking, the overarching themes mentioned were:

Perceived call to action

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

While the target audience was said to be "Canadians like me," quite a few participants did not relate to it and did not see themselves and their experiences reflected in this concept. Many younger participants did not have a strong connection to it and did not recognize themselves in it. As such, these younger participants did not see the concept as being a strong motivator for behaviour change.

Participant suggestions for improvement

In general, the suggestion was to be more focused and to have a more coherent, single message. For example, some mentioned that when the COVID Alert app is shown, and could even be said to be the main focus as it is what the concept appears to build up to, but then there is no follow-through to show where to get the app or what it actually does. The same was said of the scene with the vaccine that was shown without follow through or without additional information on the vaccine roll-out. The addition of a website to get this additional information would accomplish this for some.

Some other suggestions included:

Concept D - Can't go Halfway

Description:

We open on a young man shaving the side of his face in front of a bathroom mirror.

As he turns to face the mirror fully, we see that he's completely ignored half his face. He puts down his razor and walks away.

We see a woman clearing snow off her car. She steps away looking proud, but we see half of it is still covered in snow. Her young kids in the back seat look confused as she starts the car.

We see an older man bundling up to go outside. He puts on a scarf, hat and coat, but when he goes outside, we see he's only half-dressed. He waves at his neighbour, who looks shocked.

VO: There are some things you just don't do halfway.

We see a young woman at a bus stop, wearing a mask. Another person appears and stands too close. Their nose pokes out over their mask.

VO: Fighting COVID-19 is one of them.

Keep following COVID-19 public health measures.

Canada

VO: As vaccines roll out, help keep everyone safe by continuing to follow public health measures.

Description:

On ouvre sur un jeune homme qui se rase le côté du visage devant le miroir.

Alors qu'il tourne sa tête pour faire face au miroir, on remarque que l'autre côté de son visage n'est pas rasé. Ne semblant pas s'en préoccuper, il dépose son rasoir et sort de la pièce.

Une femme déneige sa voiture, puis prend quelques pas de recul pour admirer son travail avec fierté. Pourtant, la moitié de sa voiture est encore recouverte de neige. Alors qu'elle démarre la voiture, ses jeunes enfants ont l'air confus sur la banquette arrière.

Un homme d'un certain âge se prépare à sortir. Il enroule son foulard autour de son cou, enfile son chapeau et son manteau, puis sort dehors. À la vue de ses chaussettes remontées sur ses jambes nues, on se rend compte qu'il ne porte pas de pantalon. Il envoie la main à son voisin, qui a l'air choqué.

VO : Il y a des choses qu'on ne peut pas faire à moitié.

Une jeune femme patiente à un arrêt d'autobus. Elle porte un masque. Une autre personne arrive et se tient trop près d'elle. Son nez dépasse de son masque.

VO : Lutter contre la COVID-19 en est une.

VO : Même si la vaccination est commencée, continuons de nous protéger les uns les autres en respectant les mesures de santé publique.

Continuons de respecter les mesures de santé publique.

Canada

General reactions

This concept was received quite well, with relatively high ratings, particularly among young adults but also among adults.

The main reason for the positive feedback was the use of humour and to a certain extent, intrigue at the beginning. Many said the hook of the opening sequence would likely grab their attention and would make them want to continue to watch the rest of the ad in order to find out more of what it was about. It was said to lighten the somber nature of the pandemic a bit and also to be memorable and more likely than the other ads to become shareable.

There were some detractors, mainly in some of the adult groups, who felt humour was inappropriate when talking about the pandemic. In their view, the pandemic is something to be taken rather seriously. They would prefer a more serious tone, more emphasis on what would happen if we continued to do things halfway, or something more "shocking" to persuade those not following the rules to correct their behaviours.

Many said the images of someone wearing their mask improperly and of people not distancing enough were very recognizable and relatable in the sense that they saw these behaviours around them and that it bothered them. A few mentioned that by seeing this ad, they may be more likely to be vigilant around those people or even to call people out who displayed this behaviour. However, it was not something that participants said they did themselves.

The tagline was also seen as a strong point in this ad, with some commenting that it was clear, memorable and spoke to the point of the concept's message.

Perceived main messages

The message in this concept was clear to virtually everyone, and said to be quite straightforward, easy to understand and relevant.

The main messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

The calls to action in this concept were said to be:

Many participants said that this concept asked them to do what they already did, often expressing that while there was a call to action, it was not specifically for them and that their behaviours would not change.

Perceived target audience

The target audience for this concept was mostly seen to be "others," meaning those who did not follow the rules. There was some debate in some groups whether this, or any advertising for that matter, would actually persuade those who were still doing things halfway to change their behaviours. Some felt that those set in their ways or who had given in to "COVID fatigue" would likely not change their behaviours no matter what, while others said that an ad like this may make them reconsider – or may even shame them into – correcting their behaviours as they would not want to be seen as the one doing things halfway. Even some of those who believe they follow the rules themselves felt the ad targeted them since it reminded them to continue what they are doing at the risk of looking as foolish as the characters featured in the ad. A few others also felt that the ad may motivate those who are getting COVID fatigue and are starting to waver.

At the same time, some participants generally expressed that this concept has a broad appeal and could appeal to all Canadians, to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Some suggestions included:

Advertising Comparison

After evaluating each concept separately, a brief discussion was held to identify everyone's top two concepts.

Among the young adult groups, Concept D (Can't Go Halfway) was by far the most often chosen as the top concept. It was appreciated for its clear message, humour and uniqueness, which were said to set it apart in a cluttered advertising world with a lot of similar messages. This cohort chose Concept A (Marathon) most often as the second-best concept.

While a fair number of adult participants put Concept D (Can't Go Halfway) in their top two as well, Concept B (A year) was the most often chosen as the best one by these groups. This cohort often said it was the most relatable and inclusive, and had the right tone, with a positive and more uplifting angle than the other concepts.

Third Language Advertising

During the discussion of each of the concepts, the questions of relevance and target audience made participants reflect on who the ads were geared towards and whether they were "for them" or for "someone else." By and large, all ads were seen to be for all Canadians, no matter their gender, age, social status, or ethnicity. Concepts B (A Year) and C (Tougher) were particularly mentioned as being inclusive and representative of the different backgrounds of Canadians. This was appreciated as it was felt to be reflective of modern Canadian society. Some Indigenous participants and participants from the Territories in particular were pleased to see Indigenous people in some of the scenes, for example of the Elder receiving groceries or the mother trekking in the snow with her child on her back.

Those who identified themselves as belonging to an ethnic community or as Indigenous for the most part agreed that they felt represented as Canadians, who were all in the same situation and feeling the impacts of the pandemic in the same way, regardless of their background.

When it came to the question of whether the ad(s) should be translated into different languages, feedback was mixed. While many felt that on the surface it would be a good idea and that maximizing reach was generally useful, many also saw drawbacks. There was a sense that it would be difficult to prioritize one language over another, even if the most common languages were chosen. By translating, it would automatically not be equitable as there would always be groups who would feel left out. Others brought up a cost-benefit analysis for the Government of Canada, saying it would cost a lot of money for potentially small returns on investment.

Initially, there was also some concern that showing third-language ads in general media that would only be targeted to and understood by a small number of Canadians would not work. However, once the idea of featuring these ads on specific ethnic channels was introduced, many participants turned more appreciative of the idea and said that this would be a more effective approach that they would support.

While this did not do anything to assuage the issue of inequity and having to pick certain languages and not others, some participants, most often those who watched or listened to ethnic TV or radio stations, mentioned that it would have quite a large reach through these alternative language media. Languages mentioned in this context were Punjabi, Hindi, Tagalog and other Asian languages. It was also mentioned that subtitles in these languages could also go a long way. A few others felt that if ads would be translated, Indigenous languages should be prioritized. However, this was then also debated, mainly by participants from the North, because of the sheer number of different Indigenous languages in this country.

There was more support for translating the website Canada.ca/coronavirus, although there was also not a huge push to do so among most groups. If it was seen as a good idea, the same issue with the choice of languages was brought up. Some also felt that since the pandemic is temporary, it would be too much effort.

Young Adult Channel Preferences

In closing, young adults were asked which channels the Government of Canada should choose for their advertising.

The main message received was that it should be "everywhere" in order to reach as many people as possible. In order to reach them, most often mentioned were:

Some also mentioned traditional TV, including (local) news channels, sports channels and rebroadcast channels.

Research Results – Wave 2

Impact of COVID

To start each discussion, youth and young adult participants were asked to talk about how COVID-19 had impacted their lives. Overall, the majority said what had changed most, and what they missed most, was social interactions. Other changes mentioned often were about school, employment, or travel. While these were generally mentioned by both age cohorts, there were some specific examples related to age or life stage that were mentioned more by the youngest participants or more by the older ones.

More specifically, the impacts of COVID-19 mentioned were:

General Recall of Government of Canada COVID-19 Advertising

Government of Canada COVID-19 ad recall was low in these groups, with most not remembering seeing or hearing any. Although when there was recall, it was mainly general, there were some specific mentions of some federal ads that had targeted youth and young Canadians:

Concept A - No Fun Alone

Description:

We open on a closeup of a young man in a club. He's going completely over-the-top with dancing, cheering and yelling.

VO: Tired of COVID-19?

Suddenly, we zoom out to see he's all alone under the lights in an empty room.

VO: You're not alone.

Man looks around, realizes there's nobody around. Man continues to enthusiastically dance.

VO: As vaccines roll out, we all need to stay focused.

Screen blurs, icons representing the safety measures appear.

VO: One day, we'll all be together. For now, we're in this together.

We are in this together.

Canada

Description:

On ouvre sur un gros plan d'un jeune homme dans un club. Il est survolté, il danse, il crie, il est exubérant.

VHC : Tanné de la COVID-19?

Soudainement, un zoom arrière montre qu'il est seul dans une pièce vide.

VHC : Tu n'es pas tout seul.

L'homme regarde autour de lui et se rend compte qu'il est seul.

VHC : Mais même si le vaccin s'en vient, on ne doit pas s'arrêter en chemin.

ALT : Mais même si on a commencé à vacciner, on ne doit pas s'arrêter sur notre lancée.

VHC : Pour pouvoir tous se retrouver, on doit tous se protéger.

Ensemble, gardons nos distances.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received low to moderate ratings and generally connected better with the young adults (20-24-year-olds) than with participants in the youth groups (16-19-year-olds). It did not receive much enthusiastic or positive feedback and as an overall concept, mostly fell a bit flat.

There was some appreciation for the humour in this concept, showing a person dancing crazily by themselves. It was said to be a bit more lighthearted than other COVID-19 advertising out there. It was also appreciated because it was devoid of the "finger-wagging" or accusatory tone that youth sometimes felt that other ads have towards their generation. Instead, the general feeling conveyed was more one of empathy and understanding of how young people may feel in the current situation. This tone was said to likely go further in convincing young people to follow guidelines.

While some felt the main gist of this concept was a narrow one about clubbing, others felt that it was a broader story about being or feeling alone. This was something many could relate to given the current circumstances, but not everyone said they necessarily wanted to be confronted by or reminded of this feeling through an ad.

There were some who did not understand this concept at all as well as some who could not relate, many of whom ended up giving this concept a poor rating. This was particularly the case among the youngest participants who were still minors and not interested in or not allowed to go clubbing. Even among those who do go clubbing, mainly those 19 years of age and older, there was some confusion about this concept as they say that no one would be out clubbing all by themselves, and furthermore, they felt the ad was not in sync with the current reality since clubs were currently closed.

The tagline shown, together with the voiceover at the end ("One day, we'll all be together. For now, we're in this together,") was often seen as a strength of this ad, again mainly because it was a different, more empathetic and hopeful message than typical COVID-19 ads. There were some, however, who thought the wordplay could be better.

Perceived main messages

The overall hopeful tone of this concept was generally appreciated, but feedback heard in most groups was also that the concept overall did not have the clearest or strongest message among the concepts tested.

The main messages seen in this concept were:

In terms of what this concept shows about the consequences of COVID-19 and people's behaviours, most participants felt that this was lacking. Some mentioned that the consequence was that if we are not patient and/or not follow the rules, we will all be alone for longer.

Perceived call to action

There was some sense that this concept lacked a clear call to action and may not be very motivating to change behaviour in any way. While the "stay focused" message in general resonated, some felt that it was not specific enough in telling Canadians what to stay focused on or how to stay focused, making the call to action a weakness of this concept.

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

Among many of the younger participants, the sense was that they were not the target audience of this concept, as going to the club was not something they did (yet.) While the older cohort who could conceivably go out or want to go out, there was somewhat more of a connection, but again, not everyone felt this specific story was relatable. Some said that the overarching idea of being tired and wanting to go out and have fun, as relayed in the voice over, could be said to target everyone, given the universality of this sentiment among Canadians.

Participant suggestions for improvement

A general suggestion that was made in many of the groups was to have a clearer call to action.

Other specific suggestions for improvement included to:

Concept B - Where We Started

Description:

A young man in his living room is walking toward his front door. He texts "sick of staying in. Coming over." and receives a text back "cool. Invite Bri too".

He zips up his jacket in the entryway and looks in the mirror. He doesn't take the hand sanitizer or mask hanging right there.

The camera follows him as he walks through the doorway.

VO: If we act like things are back to normal…

Instead of ending up outside, he re-enters the living room from another door. He looks around, confused that he's back where he started.

VO: …we could end up right back where we started.

The young man sits down on his couch, taking his jacket off.

VO: As COVID-19 vaccines roll out,

VO: …let's do our part to keep moving forward.

Let's keep moving forward.

Canada

Description:

Un jeune homme est dans son salon et marche vers la porte d'entrée. Il texte : « Tanné d'être confiné. Je m'en viens. » Et il reçoit en réponse: « Cool. Invite Max aussi. ».

Dans le portique, il attache la fermeture à glissière de son blouson et regarde dans le miroir. Il ne prend pas de désinfectant pour les mains ni le masque suspendu devant lui.

La caméra le suit alors qu'il franchit le pas de la porte.

VHC : Si on faisait comme si de rien n'était...

Au lieu de se retrouver dehors, il revient dans son salon par une autre porte. Il regarde autour de lui, ne comprenant pas pourquoi il est revenu à son point de départ.

VHC :...on pourrait revenir là où on en était.

Le jeune homme s'assoit sur le canapé et enlève son blouson.

VHC : Même si le vaccin s'en vient,

ALT : Mais même si on a commencé à vacciner,

VHC :...ne nous arrêtons pas en chemin.

ALT :...on ne doit pas s'arrêter sur notre lancée.

Ne nous arrêtons pas en chemin.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received very positive reactions and mostly high ratings among both age cohorts. The execution was said to be innovative and attention grabbing, with an unexpected twist that set it apart from other ads.

The main circularity idea portrayed in the concept was immediately clear to nearly everyone and was seen as relevant and to the point. It was also seen as quite relatable and realistic, especially by participants in those regions that have had more than one lockdown or who have experienced loosening and tightening of restrictions happen more than once in the past year. It was also often said to be relatable because it portrayed someone who wants to go out and see friends, as many in the groups indicated they wanted to do themselves.

The visuals of the mask and hand sanitizer were also often noticed and generally well-received, as these images have for many become synonymous with the basic rules that Canadians are asked to continue to follow. Only a few said that the use of these images was a bit over-done and cliché, or that the way they are used in this concept suggested that it would be encouraged to socialize as long as we do the right thing by sanitizing and wearing a mask, which would run contradictory to guidelines in most jurisdictions.

Perceived main messages

The messages in this concept were generally clear to participants and seen to tie into the idea of circularity or going back to where we started if we do not continue to be vigilant, thereby carrying a clear "or else" message.

The main messages seen in this concept were:

When asked what this concept shows about the consequences of COVID-19 and people's behaviours, again, the idea of going in circles was clearly understood. Participants expressed that the concept's main theme was that non-compliance or giving into a desire for socializing (without taking precautions) would lead to having to wait longer before things could go back to "normal." Instead, the consequence is that things will stay the same or go backwards rather than improve.

Perceived call to action

Participants said that this concept clearly asked them to:

Perceived target audience

Participants generally felt that this concept portrays an experience or sentiment that a lot of Canadians of all ages are living. As such, it was said to have a broad appeal. This was often seen as one of its strong points. Virtually all focus group participants related to the idea conveyed in the concept and felt that it targeted them, as they also want to go out and see their friends.

For some, the concept was seen to only target those, again of all ages, who did not follow the health guidelines. As with all the ads tested in general, there was some debate as to whether or not those who were not being diligent so far would be swayed by seeing this ad. Overall, it was seen as a reminder to continue and to stick with masking, sanitizing, and staying home as much as possible.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Only a few ideas to make this concept more impactful were brought up. Some felt that it could be made stronger by showing more people and the consequences of people's actions on more than one person. It was also mentioned that there could be additional ways of showing the young man blatantly disregarding the pandemic and the rules. For example, he could be seen watching a COVID-19 news update or scrolling through statistics of cases and deaths on his phone - and then still going out without a mask and sanitizer.

Concept C - Everybody Loses

Description:

A young man gets ready to leave his apartment. He reads an incoming text.

Text: Where are you? Everyone's here already.

The young man texts coming and hits the send button.

We hear the notification sound of the text being sent, but it's slower, longer and sounds stretched out. As the sound continues to stretch, we cut to a college auditorium and see its lights go out. Next, we see a cafe's lights suddenly go out. Then a gym, a restaurant, etc, until we see the whole neighbourhood go dark.

VO: COVID-19 vaccines are here, but we can't let our guard down.

The young man leaves his home, unaware of the consequences of his actions.

VO: Because even if one person breaks the rules, everybody loses.

Keep protecting yourself and others.

Canada

Description:

Un jeune homme se prépare à sortir de son appartement. Il lit le message texte qu'il reçoit: « T'es où? Tout le monde est déjà là! ». Le jeune homme texte : « J'arrive » et appuie sur le bouton envoyer.

On entend le son de la notification du texto qui est envoyé, mais c'est un son plus lent, plus long et qui s'étire. Tandis que le son continue de s'étirer, on coupe sur l'auditorium d'un collège où les lumières s'éteignent.

On voit ensuite les lumières d'un café se fermer soudainement,

VHC : Le vaccin contre la COVID-19 est là,

Puis un gym, un restaurant, etc.,

...jusqu'à ce que tout le quartier soit plongé dans le noir.

VHC :...mais on ne doit pas baisser la garde.

Le jeune homme sort de chez lui, ignorant les conséquences de ses actes.

VHC : Parce même si une seule personne enfreint les règles, on est tous perdants.

Continuons à respecter les consignes de santé publique.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received mixed reviews and mixed ratings, with a weak to moderate appeal overall.

The main ideas of this concept were not immediately understood by all, with a fair number of participants saying they were confused about what the main idea of the concept was. The confusion mainly stemmed from the somewhat unclear link made between the person's actions and the lights going out in the businesses around him. The reasons for lights going out and businesses closing in general, while clear to most from the images, was also often questioned. Some thought there was a power outage, while others said that businesses such as the ones shown are non-essential and currently already closed so this does not signal any change in the situation. Some were also confused because they made a link between the text message of "coming" and the college auditorium scene that would follow, assuming that the young man was on his way to a school or to a lecture. Some felt that going to school would not be as bad or against the rules as going out to socialize, and others questioned whether these are or would be open in the first place.

The reactions to the overall tone were also mixed, with some feeling that this concept felt accusatory and finger-pointing and therefore off-putting. Others felt that showing the direct consequence of a person's actions was a strong message and that it was good to be that direct.

Those who appreciated the concept more were likely to say that the message of collectiveness or of consequences of one person's actions on the community spoke to them and could be motivating to some to reflect on or change their behaviours.

It also tended to speak somewhat more to those who enjoyed and missed going to restaurants and to the gym, which tended to be the older cohort rather than the youngest participants.

It was mentioned in a few groups that the voice over message was a strong element in this concept. It could even be used for a different, stronger concept instead.

Perceived main messages

In general, the main message was understood as showing the negative consequences of one person's actions on a whole community, and in particular on businesses and business owners.

The specific messages seen in this concept were:

In terms of what this concept shows about the consequences of COVID-19 and people's behaviours, it was seen to point both to the human consequences of not being able to go out, go to the gym and to restaurants if they continue to be closed. The concept was also said to point to the economic impacts of closed businesses on the community and on business owners. While a few could sympathize with this latter consequence, for a few others this seemed to suggest that the Government of Canada was more concerned with the economic impact of COVID-19 rather than the impact on the health of its citizens.

Perceived call to action

Participants generally felt that the call to action of this concept was singular and similar to the main message: stay home and do not go out for non-essential reasons.

Perceived target audience

In general, the perceived target audience was said to be "all Canadians" as the main message of all having to follow the rules for the greater good of our communities and society was not seen to target one group over another. However, the way this concept tried to convey this message was not necessarily relatable to all. Some younger participants in particular had a more difficult time seeing themselves in the young man. On the other hand, there were also those who said that they did connect to the person on their phone, wanting to go out to eat or to the gym, because this is similar to their own behaviour and desires. Some also said it was relatable because the scenes of closed businesses showed their current reality, while others said they saw other people displaying this behaviour, even if they themselves did not.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Those who were confused by the overall concept often said that generally, there should be a clearer connection between the person's behaviours and the lights going out.

Some other suggestions for improvement included to:

Concept D - Open House

Description:

We see a close-up of young people lounging on a couch in the basement of a house.

We slowly zoom out to steadily reveal more and more people there: grandparents with walkers, parents,

other family members and even the postman, who are standing off to the side of the teens. They look out-of-place and awkward, like they're not supposed to be there.

VO: You could spread COVID-19 further than you think.

The grandma looks around, lost.

VO: As vaccines roll out, keep following public health measures to help keep others safe.

Let's keep following public health measures.

Canada

Description:

On ouvre sur un gros plan de jeunes gens qui se prélassent sur un canapé dans le sous-sol d'une maison.

Un lent zoom arrière dévoile graduellement de plus en plus de gens présents : des grands-parents avec leur déambulateur, des parents,

d'autres membres de la famille et même le facteur, qui se tiennent à l'écart des jeunes. Ils semblent perdus et mal à l'aise, comme s'ils n'étaient pas censés se trouver là.

VHC : Durant la COVID-19, vos actions peuvent toucher plus de monde que vous pensez.

La grand-mère regarde autour d'elle, l'air perdue.

VHC : Même si on a commencé à vacciner, on doit continuer à tous se protéger.

Continuons à respecter les consignes de santé publique.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received a lot of positive feedback, with relatively high ratings from most participants.

The message was immediately clear to most participants, and it was often said to be a powerful and eye-opening concept overall. Many also commented that it was especially effective because it provoked an emotional response by showing the lost grandmother.

While on the surface, the idea that the behaviour of a small group of people could negatively impact, or cause the disease to spread, among both those they are close to (family) and those they may be more removed from (the postman), was not necessarily new information, seeing it in this direct way hit home for many. Moreover, it was mentioned that showing diversity of people, including people of different ethnicities, made this concept have a broad appeal to a wide audience, considering many people would be able to see themselves reflected in the ad.

Some participants felt that it was a bit too accusatory towards youth as they were portrayed as those not following the rules and thereby causing others harm. It was also mentioned that in some jurisdictions people were allowed to congregate in smaller groups, and that this scenario was therefore not necessarily showing something that was against the rules.

Perceived main messages

The main message was clearly understood that when it comes to the spread of COVID-19, the actions of a few people could have a negative impact on many others in a community.

More specifically, the main messages seen in this concept were:

This concept was said to be very clear and direct in showing the consequences of making the wrong choices.

Perceived call to action

The call to action in this concept was clear to most, mainly due to the voice over and the tagline at the end.

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

While the target audience for this ad was mostly seen to be "everyone," there was also a sense from the feedback that it was specifically targeted to young people, as they are the ones shown socializing.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Overall, the suggestions for improvement were typically not necessarily to make big changes to the concept, but rather to enhance or emphasize its current message even more.

This included to:

Advertising Comparison

After evaluating each concept separately, a brief discussion was again held to identify everyone's top two concepts.

Concepts B (Where We Started) and D (Open House) were the clear "winners" of the four concepts tested.

Overall, concept B (Where We Started) was the most often in the top two in all of the groups with older youth. Among this cohort, both concepts D (Open House) and A (No Fun Alone) were also often preferred.

Among the younger groups, concept D (Open House) was most often chosen as the top concept, and was otherwise often second, with concept B (Where We Started) also appearing frequently in participants' top two choices.

Concept B (Where We Started) was said to clearly show the consequences, and the idea of repetition or taking steps back was impactful. It was also said to have broad appeal beyond young Canadians, and the inclusion of the familiar images of hand sanitizer and a mask made it clear early on in the ad that it was about COVID-19.

Concept D (Open House) was often chosen because of the clear message about consequences and transmission, and because it pulled on people's heart strings. Those who ranked concept A (No Fun Alone) high, mainly did so because of the touch of humour and the more uplifting and hopeful message.

Other Consequences

A short discussion was held in each group about which other consequences an ad could show that would resonate or would have an impact on youth and potentially change their behaviour.

Most often mentioned was to show the "worst" consequence, meaning people being sick and dying. Other ideas included:

Impactful Ads

In closing, participants were asked to name other ads they may have seen that had an impact on them. In general, ads that struck a chord showed a very serious consequence of a behaviour.

Mentions included:

Research Results – Wave 3

Impact of COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has had mostly negative impacts for participants in this wave of focus groups, who were youth and young adults all between the ages of 18 and 24. Some mentioned silver linings, but overwhelmingly, the pandemic has impacted negatively on their lives, mainly related to school, work, social lives and mental health.

While for the most part, impacts discussed were negative, some also mentioned that there were positives, such as connecting with family and saving on travel time to get to school or work.

The negative impacts of COVID-19 mentioned were:

General Recall of Government of Canada COVID-19 Advertising

There was limited recall of Government of Canada COVID-19 advertising. Often, either upon further reflection of what was seen or upon discussion of the details of an ad, it became apparent that the ads seen and thought to be from the Government of Canada, were in fact provincial or local instead.

Some described specific ads they saw or heard, such as:

Ads were most often seen on social media, with some recalling TV ads. Almost no one undertook any actions based on seeing the ads. This includes visiting a government website, if mentioned.

When asked where they would go if they had a question about COVID-19, many say they would either do an online search, talk to their parents, get it from the news (such as updates from their local health official on the radio or print/online media) or from social media. Some specifically mentioned provincial government websites. A few participants said they had visited the Canada.ca website to learn about travel restrictions or about symptoms.

Concept 1A - Know Where To Go

Description:

We see a young man working out in a gym. He's exercising so his mask is down. He gets a phone call from his grandma, and the shot goes into a split screen.

JESSE: Hi Grandma.

Suddenly, Jesse's grandma pokes her head through the split screen, crossing into the gym world.

GRANDMA: Hi Jesse dear, I'm having computer problems. Can you come over later?

Jesse pulls up his mask, surprised, and looks around.

JESSE: Yeah, but you shouldn't be here!

Grandma slides off screen.

Suddenly Jesse has a realization.

But if I'm here, should I go there?

Assess activity risk levels at Canada.ca/coronavirus.

VO: Don't know if it's safe to go? Look it up.

Canada

Description:

On voit un jeune homme s'entraîner dans un gym. Comme il fait du sport, son couvre-visage est baissé. Il reçoit un appel de sa grand-mère, puis l'écran se divise en deux pour révéler à la fois la scène du gym et celle de la grand-mère.

ALEX : Allo grand-maman.

Soudain, la grand-mère d'Alex sort de la tête de sa scène pour entrer dans la scène du gym.

GRAND-MAMAN : Allo mon chéri... j'ai des problèmes d'ordi! Tu peux passer voir ça tantôt?

Surpris, Alex remet son couvre-visage et regarde autour de lui.

ALEX : Oui, mais tu devrais pas être ici !

La scène de la grand-mère disparaît de l'écran.

Alex prend soudainement conscience de la situation. Mais si moi j'suis ici, est-ce que c'est correct que j'aille là-bas?

VHC : Vous ne savez pas si c'est sécuritaire ou pas? Vérifiez.

Évaluez le niveau de risqué pour chaque activité à Canada.ca/le-coronavirus

Canada

General reactions

This concept received mixed reviews, with some groups giving it mediocre ratings overall and other groups rating it somewhat higher.

Those who liked it, tended to say it made them think about others and not only themselves, and that they could relate to it because they are worried about their grandmother as well. Some also mentioned that the idea that the protagonist is thinking for himself - and puts on his mask when he sees his grandmother - rather than being told to blindly follow rules, is a refreshing concept. It also made them question their own actions and compelled them to assess their own activity risk levels to a certain extent.

As for the execution, there was some appreciation for the idea of the split screen as it was different from what they had seen before when it comes to COVID-19 advertising.

On the other hand, there were a fair number of criticisms from those who did not like the concept as much. This most often had to do with the setting of the story in a gym, which became a bit of a headscratcher for quite a few participants, distracting from the message or making them question or even dismiss the concept altogether. It was mentioned that gyms were closed (in certain jurisdictions) or that if they were open, then it would be safe to go there and it wouldn't be an issue. Others said that the rules state that he should be wearing a mask in the gym, or that it pits federal against provincial rules and decision-making as they relate to gyms being open or not. As well, there was a sense that this vilified or targeted only those who go to gyms.

Some did not like the idea of the unanswered question and said the ad would leave them hanging. This, combined with the fact that almost none of the participants would feel compelled to visit the Canada.ca website, made for a relatively weak call to action in this concept. Those who did say they would likely visit the website, mentioned that they would expect to find information on the risk levels of different activities. If it brought them to a general Coronavirus information page, they would not find it very useful and not what they would expect to find based on the ad. As well, some questioned whether the information would be aligned with the guidelines in their province.

Perceived main messages

In general, the message was seen as straightforward and immediately clear, with a number of participants mentioning they particularly liked the line "If I'm here, should I go there" as it made them think about their own behaviour.

The main messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

In all groups, the main call to action was clearly seen as visiting the website Canada.ca/coronavirus to stay informed and to assess risks based on behaviours. However, in most groups, none of the participants said they would actually do this.

Some other perceived calls to action included:

Perceived target audience

Nearly all agree that this concept targets youth their age. For some, the audience is more narrowly defined as gym-goers, while others feel this also targets the elderly, who should also be assessing their risk.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Suggestions for improvements mainly focused on changing the setting away from a gym and to a more common activity or place that would be more relatable to a larger audience. Examples given were a mall, restaurant, grocery store, walk-in clinic or hospital, airplane, at home (hanging out with friends.)

Along these same lines, it was suggested that if the setting were changed, instead of the young person, it could also feature a somewhat older person, or a mother with a baby, who was being compelled to visit their elderly parent.

Concept 1B - Young and Restless

Description:

This spot is shot like an over-the-top soap opera, with lots of close-ups to show extreme reactions.

We see a grandmother calling her grandson.

The screen splits into two as they have a conversation.

GRANDSON: Hi Grandma!

GRANDMA: Oh hi Sam, can you come help me with my TV?

GRANDSON: Sure!

Dramatic close-up

GRANDMA: You…follow public health measures, right?

Slowly zooming in, music swells

GRANDSON: Grandma…I mask up, sanitize, distance!!

Dun dun dun…

GRANDMA: Even at the gym?

The grandson looks up dramatically at the camera, paralyzed with uncertainty.

VO (dramatic): Should Sam visit Grandma?

Canada

Description:

Ce message est surjoué, façon roman-savon, avec beaucoup de gros plans montrant les réactions démesurées des comédiens.

Une grand-maman appelle son petit-fils.

Alors qu'ils discutent, l'écran se divise en deux.

PETIT-FILS : Allo grand-maman!

GRAND-MAMAN : Salut mon beau Alex, penses-tu que tu pourrais passer pour régler ma télé?

PETIT-FILS : Ben oui!

Plan serré dramatique.

GRAND-MAMAN : Tu... Tu suis les mesures de santé publique, hein?

Lent zoom in, la musique s'intensifie.

PETIT-FILS : Oui, oui, grand-maman... le masque, le désinfectant, le 2 m de distance, pis toute la patente.

Ta ta taaannn...

GRAND-MAMAN : Même au gym?

Le petit-fils regarde la caméra de façon dramatique, comme paralysé par l'incertitude.

VHC (ton dramatique) : Est-ce qu'Alex devrait rendre visite à sa grand-mère?

Canada

General reactions

This concept received mainly mediocre to low ratings. For the most part, the overall concept was not relevant to participants.

The soap opera idea in and of itself was polarizing at best, with some quite liking it, but with many others turned off by it. While for a small group of participants, the humourous and over-the-top soap opera idea worked in grabbing their attention and making it a potentially memorable ad, for the most part, the opposite was true. Many participants did not feel that a goofy or joking approach was appropriate for an ad about something as serious as a global pandemic. It suggested to some that the government may not be taking the pandemic seriously, which made the whole ad less credible.

There was also some sense that the concept was light on factual information about COVID-19 or on what to do. On the other hand, for some, it was enough that the ad made them think about their own actions, and no further information or message was required for them to think about their own actions more critically in the future.

Again, as was seen in the previous concept there were those who questioned the focus on going to the gym, and why that would be chosen as an example.

Perceived main messages

In general, the main message gleaned from this concept was that everyone should assess their own behaviours as individual actions may impact others around them.

Overall, the messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

In general, the calls to action in this concept were seen to be the same as the main messages. To a handful of participants, the call to action was not very clear.

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

Participants in all groups felt that this was mainly targeting youth and people their age. However, some were feeling somewhat singled out. As well, this is seen by some to mainly target people who go to the gym.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Among those who did not like the overall idea and execution of this concept, most did not feel that a small change would make it resonate better with them.

Some suggested that this ad should also have the website URL on the screen, with the same call to action to "Assess risk levels" that was seen in concept 1A (Know Where to Go).

As was seen with concept 1A (Know Where to Go), some said that instead of focusing on the protagonist's gym visits, it could name a place or activity that would resonate with more people.

Concept 1A vs 1B

After discussing both concepts in series one, participants were asked which one of the two they would prefer to see the Government of Canada produce. Overall, more participants preferred concept 1A (Know Where to Go) over concept 1B (Young and Restless).

They said that they chose 1A (Know Where to Go) because it:

Those who appreciated 1B more tended to say that the humouristic approach would be memorable and would capture their attention, even if it was in a negative way: "it is probably annoying and over the top, but I may talk about it with friends." However, this concept was said to be difficult to improve for those who generally did not like its creative approach.

Concept 2A - Where We Started

Description:

A young man in his living room is walking toward his front door. He texts "sick of staying in. Coming over." and receives a text back "cool. Invite Bri too".

He zips up his jacket in the entryway and looks in the mirror. He doesn't take the hand sanitizer or mask hanging right there.

The camera follows him as he walks through the doorway.

VO: If we act like things are back to normal…

Instead of ending up outside, he re-enters the living room from another door. He looks around, confused that he's back where he started.

VO: …we could end up right back where we started.

The young man sits down on his couch, taking his jacket off.

VO: As COVID-19 vaccines roll out,

VO: …let's do our part to keep moving forward.

Let's keep moving forward.

Canada

Description:

Un jeune homme est dans son salon et marche vers la porte d'entrée. Il texte : « Tanné d'être confiné. Je m'en viens. » Et il reçoit en réponse : « Cool. Invite Max aussi. ».

Dans le portique, il attache la fermeture à glissière de son blouson et regarde dans le miroir. Il ne prend pas de désinfectant pour les mains ni le masque suspendu devant lui.

La caméra le suit alors qu'il franchit le pas de la porte.

VHC : Si on faisait comme si de rien n'était...

Au lieu de se retrouver dehors, il revient dans son salon par une autre porte. Il regarde autour de lui, ne comprenant pas pourquoi il est revenu à son point de départ.

VHC :...on pourrait revenir là où on en était.

Le jeune homme s'assoit sur le canapé et enlève son blouson.

VHC : Même si le vaccin s'en vient,

ALT : Mais même si on a commencé à vacciner,

VHC :...ne nous arrêtons pas en chemin.

ALT :...on ne doit pas s'arrêter sur notre lancée.

Ne nous arrêtons pas en chemin.

Canada

General reactions

This concept received moderate to very strong reviews in all groups.

It was seen as strong because many participants said that they could personally relate to the sentiment of being "sick of [the pandemic]," and wanting to get out of isolation to see friends. As well, the idea of going in circles was something that many said they were living and did not want to continue to live. It was therefore often seen as a good reminder that they did not want to remain stuck in the same cycle and that individual actions were needed to avoid this.

The concept was also seen as creative, and as relevant and timely because of the current vaccine roll-out.

Many saw the general tone and message in the ad as positive and uplifting, mainly because the tagline "let's keep moving forward," which resonated and stood out in a landscape of mostly negative, cautionary or "finger-wagging" ads. The voiceover was also said to fit well with the story, and in particular in the last frame, emphasizing the positive tagline.

There were some who said that the story was a bit cryptic and not easily understood at first glance, making them have to watch it a few times before understanding what it was trying to say.

Those who did not like it as much often said that they felt it targeted young people too much, and that older people are often the ones not wearing masks or going out to see their friends and should be called out on that as well. A few said it vilified youth in a somewhat passive aggressive way.

Some said that the concept was not realistic because "no one is actually going out to see friends," or because they felt that the issue is not so much that people do not wear masks (they believe they do) but that the issue is really about people not social distancing.

Perceived main messages

While most participants felt the messages in this concept were clear, there were a few who said there was some mixed messages: either to stay home and not see friends, or to go out but follow public health measures. They questioned which one was the "right" thing to do, or whether both would be acceptable.

Another key message mentioned was one related to the vaccine roll-out; the importance of remaining vigilant and follow public health rules while that is ongoing and that not yet everyone is vaccinated.

Other messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

Calls to action in this concept were seen as the same as the key messages - and for some were therefore also a bit contradictory.

Participants said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

Virtually all said that this concept effectively targeted a young audience like themselves, but also that it was likely quite universal, as many people, regardless of their age, could relate to the sentiments of being tired of the pandemic and not wanting to remain in the same cycle in perpetuity. It was also seen as having a broader target audience because older people also don't always follow the health guidelines and should also be reminded of that.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Those who said the messages and calls to action were confusing or contradictory, argued that it should be clearer in saying one or the other - either to stay home or to go out but follow health measures.

Other suggestions included:

Concept 2B - Open House

Description:

We see a close-up of young people lounging on a couch in the basement of a house.

We slowly zoom out to steadily reveal more and more people there: grandparents with walkers, parents,

other family members and even the postman, who are standing off to the side of the teens. They look out-of-place and awkward, like they're not supposed to be there.

VO: You could spread COVID-19 further than you think.

The grandma looks around, lost.

VO: As vaccines roll out, keep following public health measures to help keep others safe.

Let's keep following public health measures.

Canada

Description:

On ouvre sur un gros plan de jeunes gens qui se prélassent sur un canapé dans le sous-sol d'une maison.

Un lent zoom arrière dévoile graduellement de plus en plus de gens présents : des grands-parents avec leur déambulateur, des parents,

d'autres membres de la famille et même le facteur, qui se tiennent à l'écart des jeunes. Ils semblent perdus et mal à l'aise, comme s'ils n'étaient pas censés se trouver là.

VHC : Durant la COVID-19, vos actions peuvent toucher plus de monde que vous pensez.

La grand-mère regarde autour d'elle, l'air perdue.

VHC : Même si on a commencé à vacciner, on doit continuer à tous se protéger.

Continuons à respecter les consignes de santé publique.

Canada

General reactions

This concept was generally well-received with good-to-strong reviews overall in all groups.

One of the strong suits of this concept was that it was quite relatable to many participants, who said they also wanted to see friends and missed socializing a lot. As well, there were those who said that in their province, recent outbreaks had started exactly in the way that was portrayed in this concept - through large parties where rules were not followed - therefore making this concept very realistic and relatable to them. Some said that as younger people, they knew the virus would not impact them or affect them very seriously if they got it. Therefore, this theme of spreading it to others and impacting the larger community was a good way to capture their attention.

Another strong point of this ad was that it evoked emotions and pulled on heartstrings, particularly through helping people realize the impact that their actions may have on others. This was particularly conveyed through the image of the sad grandmother.

The main issue expressed by those who gave this concept lower ratings was that they did not understand the main idea when first seeing the ad. They took it literally and saw a large group of people, some related (friends, family) and others seemingly out of place (the postman) gathering in a room, and they missed the main message that was more subtle - too subtle for some. This resulted for example in participants saying that no one would be bringing their grandmother to a party, making this concept unrealistic.

In some groups, it was questioned whether the youth gathering was in fact breaking the rules, as in their province or area, it was currently allowed to have gatherings with this number of people, or even more.

It was also mentioned that while it was generally a good thing to include a message about the vaccine roll-out, some felt it wasn't as effective as it could be as there was no further information about the roll out and no mention on where to find out more information on it. On the other hand, others argued that the vaccine roll-out was not the main point of the ad, and that it was fine to not provide more information about it.

Perceived main messages

The main messages seen in this concept were:

Perceived call to action

The main call to action seen in this concept was to not gather with friends, even in small groups. More specifically, participants also said that this concept asked them to:

Perceived target audience

Virtually all participants considered themselves to be part of the target audience of this concept. However, it was not necessarily seen as only targeting their age group, as some said that it would likely resonate with anyone who wanted to gather with friends.

Participant suggestions for improvement

Those who did not understand the overall concept said that there could be ways to make it clearer that it was a metaphor and not to be taken literally.

Some specific suggestions for improvement included to:

Concept 2A vs 2B

When asked to choose between the two concepts in this series, it was a toss-up overall. In some groups, concept A (Where We Started) was preferred, while in others, concept B (Open House) was preferred by a margin.

Where concept A (Where We Started) was preferred, it was typically said to be better because it had a clearer message that was not as open to misinterpretation as concept B (Open House) – i.e., taking a metaphor literally. On the other hand, where Concept B (Open House) was preferred, it was mainly because it was seen to show broader consequences of behaviours and more effectively taps into relatable sentiments of wanting to socialize and of being afraid to make loved ones such as grandma sick.

Advertising Comparison (All)

After discussing all the concepts and picking their top ad in each series, participants were asked to discuss which concept among their two top picks they would prefer to see produced by the Government of Canada.

Overall, the top concepts in the second series were much more often chosen as the winner than concepts from the first series. As was seen when comparing within each series, there was a fairly even split between the preference for concepts 2A (Where We Started) and 2B (Open House) from the second series, while among the smaller group of participants who preferred the first series, concept 1A (Know Where to Go) was typically chosen.

The second series was preferred because those concepts were said to:

Ad Placement

As a closing discussion, participants were asked to advise the Government of Canada where to place these ads in order to reach them and their peers. In general, most said that social media (YouTube and TikTok being most often mentioned, followed by Snapchat, Instagram, and to a lesser degree, Facebook) would be the most important, with some mentions of music streaming platforms like Spotify and TV streaming platforms like Netflix, Tou.TV, Noovo or Amazon Prime.

While a few mentioned regular television (particularly news channels), the overall opinion was that their cohort rarely watches that, and that if they would, they would PVR their programs and typically skip the ads. The only exception here were sports channels, with a number of participants mentioning that showing ads during live games or events (such as hockey games, Superbowl, etc.) would be effective. It was also mentioned that Canadian sports podcasts could be a channel to reach them.

Methodology

The research methodology consisted of 26 online focus groups. Quorus was responsible for coordinating all aspects of the research project including designing and translating the recruitment screener and the moderation guide, coordinating all aspects of participant recruitment, coordinating the online focus group platform and related logistics, moderating all sessions, and delivering required reports at the end of data collection.

The target population for each phase of focus groups was different:

Participants invited to participate in the focus groups were recruited by telephone from the general public as well as from an opt-in database.

In the design of the recruitment screener, specific questions were inserted to clearly identify whether participants qualify for the research program and to ensure a good representation within each group across ages, gender, rural/urban locations and cultural backgrounds.

In the context of this research, Indigenous and ethnic communities' participants were defined as a participant who self-identified as such at the following question:

Do you identify as any of the following?

An Indigenous person (First Nations, Inuit or Métis)

A member of an ethnocultural or a visible minority group other than an Indigenous person

The recruitment process for Phase 1 also specifically targeted the following:

The recruitment process for Phase 2 sought a minimum of 6 Indigenous participants across all groups and for Phase 3, a minimum of 4 Indigenous participants across all groups.

In addition to the general participant profiling criteria noted above, additional screening was done to ensure quality respondents, such as:

Data collection consisted of online focus groups, each lasting 90 minutes. For each focus group, Quorus attempted to recruit 8 participants to achieve 6 to 8 participants per focus group.

All focus groups were held in the evenings on weekdays or Saturdays during the day using the Zoom web conferencing platform, allowing the client team to observe the sessions in real-time. The research team used the Zoom platform to host and record sessions (through microphones and webcams connected to the moderator and participants electronic devices, i.e. laptops and tablets) enabling client remote viewing. Recruited participants were offered an honorarium of $100 for their participation.

The recruitment of focus group participants followed the screening, recruiting and privacy considerations as set out in the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research–Qualitative Research. Furthermore, recruitment respected the following requirements:

At the recruitment stage and at the beginning of each focus group, participants were informed that the research was for the Government of Canada/Health Canada. Participants were informed of the recording of their session in addition to the presence of Health Canada observers/ listeners. Quorus ensured that prior consent was obtained at the recruitment stage and that they were informed again at the beginning of each session.

A total of 26 online focus groups were conducted across Canada with 176 Canadians, as per the table below:

Summary of focus group schedule and details

Location		 Segment Language Number of participants Date and Time*
PHASE 1
Atlantic Canada Young adults (18-34) English 6 January 18 – 5:00 PM
Atlantic Canada Adults (35+) English 8 January 18 – 7:00 PM
Ontario Young adults (18-34) English 6 January 19 – 5:00 PM
Ontario Adults (35+) English 6 January 19 – 7:00 PM
Prairies/BC Young adults (18-34) English 7 January 20 – 5:00 PM
Prairies/BC Adults (35+) English 6 January 20 – 7:00 PM
Quebec Young adults (18-34) French 8 January 20 – 5:00 PM
Quebec Adults (35+) French 7 January 20 – 7:00 PM
Ontario Ethnic communities English 8 January 21 – 5:00 PM
Prairies/BC Ethnic communities English 6 January 21 – 5:00 PM
Quebec Ethnic communities French 7 January 21 – 5:00 PM
Quebec Ethnic communities French 8 January 21 – 7:00 PM

*all times are local times

Location Segment Language Number of participants Date and Time*
PHASE 2
Atlantic Canada Youth (16-19) English 6 February 10 – 5:00 PM
Atlantic Canada Young adults (20-24) English 5 February 10 – 7:00 PM
Quebec Youth (16-19) French 7 February 11 – 5:00 PM
Quebec Young adults (20-24) French 5 February 11 – 7:00 PM
Ontario Youth (16-19) English 7 February 11 – 5:00 PM
Ontario Young adults (20-24) English 7 February 11 – 7:00 PM
Prairies/BC Youth (16-19) English 6 February 13 – 11:00 AM
Prairies/BC Young adults (20-24) English 7 February 13 – 1:00 PM

*all times are local times

Location Segment Language Number of participants Date and Time*
PHASE 3
Atlantic Canada Young adults (18-24) English 7 March 8 – 5:00 PM
Quebec Young adults (18-24) French 6 March 8 – 6:00 PM
Ontario / Nunavut Young adults (18-24) English 8 March 9 – 5:00 PM
Manitoba / Saskatchewan Young adults (18-24) English 7 March 9 – 6:00 PM
Alberta / NWT Young adults (18-24) English 8 March 10 – 5:00 PM
British Columbia / Yukon Young adults (18-24) English 7 March 10 – 6:00 PM

*all times are local times

All online focus groups conducted in French were moderated by Rick Nadeau, one of Quorus' bilingual senior researchers on the Government of Canada Standing Offer. Groups conducted in English were split between Rick Nadeau and Danielle Armengaud, another of Quorus' senior researchers on the Government of Canada Standing Offer.

Appendices

Recruitment Screener – Wave 1

Specifications

General Population Groups:

Groups with Ethnic Communities:

All times are stated in local area time unless specified otherwise.

*includes participants from Nunavut

**includes participants from NWT and Yukon

Questionnaire

A. Introduction

Hello/Bonjour, my name is [NAME] and I am with Quorus Consulting Group, a Canadian market research company. We're planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. Would you prefer to continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en anglais ou en français?

[INTERVIEWER 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." FOR FRENCH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN ENGLISH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH, "Unfortunately, we are looking for people who speak French to participate in this discussion group. We thank you for your interest."]

[INTERVIEWER NOTE 2: If someone is asking to participate in French/English but no group in this language is available in this area, talk to your supervisor.]

As I was saying – we are planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. The groups will last up to two hours and people who take part will receive a cash gift to thank them for their time.

Participation is completely voluntary. We are interested in your opinions. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view. The format is a group discussion held using an online web conferencing platform similar to Zoom or Skype, led by a research professional with about six to eight other participants invited the same way you are being invited. The use of a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. All opinions will remain anonymous and will be used for research purposes only in accordance with laws designed to protect your privacy.

[INTERVIEWER NOTE: IF ASKED ABOUT PRIVACY LAWS, SAY: "The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation. For more information about our privacy practices, please contact Health Canada's Privacy Coordinator at 613-948-1219 or privacy-vie.privee@hc-sc.gc.ca."]

1. Before we invite anyone to attend, we need to ask you a few questions to ensure that we get a good mix of people in each of the groups. This will take 5 minutes. May I continue?

B. Qualification

2. We are looking to include people of various ages in the group discussion. May I have your age please? RECORD AGE: ______________

AGE GROUP RECRUITMENT SPECIFICATIONS
18-34 YOUNG ADULT GROUPS Under 18 THANK/TERMINATE
Mix of ages 18-24
25-34
35+ ADULT GROUPS 35-44
Mix of ages 45-54
55-64
65-74
75+ THANK/TERMINATE

3. [CONFIRM WITH RESPONDENT] In which province or territory do you live?

RECRUIT A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS LIVING IN THE TERRITORIES

4. Do you, or any member of your immediate family, work for…? [READ LIST]

IF YES TO ANY, THANK & TERMINATE

5. Are you working?

6. [ASK FULL AND PART TIME ONLY] What is your current occupation? RECORD: Type of Job: ______________

7. Which of the following categories best corresponds to the total annual income, before taxes, of all members of your household, for 2020? READ

RECRUIT A MIX

8. Have you contracted the COVID-19 virus in the past year?

9. Has anyone close to you, including friends, family members and co-workers, contracted the COVID-19 virus over the past year?

10. Record gender by observation.

11. Do you currently live in… [READ LIST]

FOR EACH GROUP, RECRUIT A MIX OF INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN A CITY OR TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF AT LEAST 30,000 AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN SMALLER TOWNS/RURAL

12. Do you identify as any of the following?

BASED ON HOW THE RESPONDENT ANSWERS Q12:

13. [ASK ONLY IF Q12=1] Do you speak or read Cree or Inuktitut? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

At least one of the Indigenous participants must speak and/or read Cree or Inuktitut, IDEALLY ONE FOR EACH LANGUAGE ACROSS ALL FOCUS GROUPS

14. [ASK ONLY IF Q12=2] What is your ethnic background? RECORD

RECORD ETHNICITY: ______________

15. [ASK ONLY IF Q12=2] What languages, other than English or French, do you or someone you live with speak or read fluently?

ETHNIC COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SPEAK OR READ ONE OF THESE LANGUAGES HOWEVER AS MANY OF THESE LANGUAGES SHOULD BE REPRESENTED ACROSS the GENERAL POPULATION AND ETHNIC COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUPS.

16. Have you ever attended a discussion group or taken part in an interview on any topic that was arranged in advance and for which you received money for participating?

17. When did you last attend one of these discussion groups or interviews?

18. Thinking about the groups or interviews that you have taken part in, what were the main topics discussed?

RECORD: _______________ THANK/TERMINATE IF RELATED TO COVID-19

19. How many discussion groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years?

20. Participants in group discussions are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts, how comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in an online group discussion with others your age? Are you... READ OPTIONS

21. Do you have access to a stable internet connection, capable of sustaining a 2 hour-long online video conference?

22. Participants will be asked to provide their answers through an online web conferencing platform using a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room. It is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. Is there any reason why you could not participate? (No access to computer or tablet, internet, etc.) If you need glasses to read or a device for hearing, please remember to wear them.

TERMINATE IF RESPONDENT OFFERS ANY REASON SUCH AS DIFFICULTIES PARTICIPATING IN AN ONLINE WEB CONFERENCE, A SIGHT OR HEARING PROBLEM, A WRITTEN OR VERBAL LANGUAGE PROBLEM, A CONCERN WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.

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."

C. INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

23. I would like to invite you to participate in an online focus group session where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other Canadians from your community. The discussion will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting. The session will be recorded but your participation will be confidential. The group will be hosted using an online web conferencing platform, taking place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME]. It will last two hours. People who attend will receive $100 to thank them for their time. Would you be interested in taking part in this study?

24. The discussion group will be video-recorded. These recordings are used to help with analyzing the findings and writing the report. The results from the discussions will be grouped together in the research report, which means that individuals will not be identified in anyway. Neither your name nor your specific comments will appear in the research report. Is this acceptable?

25. There will be some people from Health Canada, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other individuals involved in this project observing the session. They will not take part in the discussion and they will not know your name. Is this acceptable?

Thank you. We would like to invite you to attend one of the online discussion groups, which will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting Group. The group will take place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME] and it will last two hours. Following your participation, you will receive $100 to thank you for your time.

26. Are you interested and available to attend?

To conduct the session, we will be using a screen-sharing application called [PLATFORM]. We will need to send you by email the instructions to connect. The use of a computer or tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary since the moderator will want to show material to participants to get their reactions – that will be an important part of the discussion.

We recommend that you click on the link we will send you a few days prior to your session to make sure you can access the online meeting that has been setup and repeat these steps at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your session.

As we are only inviting a small number of people to attend, your participation is very important to us. If for some reason you are unable to attend, please call us so that we can get someone to replace you. You can reach us at [INSERT NUMBER] at our office. Please ask for [INSERT NAME].

So that we can contact you to remind you about the focus group or in case there are any changes, can you please confirm your name and contact information for me? [READ INFO AND CHANGE AS NECESSARY.]

Thank you!

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.

Recruitment Screener – Wave 2

Specifications

All times are stated in local area time unless specified otherwise.

Questionnaire

A. Introduction

Hello/Bonjour, my name is [NAME] and I am with Quorus Consulting Group, a Canadian market research company. We're planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. Would you prefer to continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en anglais ou en français?

[INTERVIEWER 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." FOR FRENCH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN ENGLISH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH, "Unfortunately, we are looking for people who speak French to participate in this discussion group. We thank you for your interest."]

[INTERVIEWER NOTE 2: If someone is asking to participate in French/English but no group in this language is available in this area, talk to your supervisor.]

As I was saying – we are planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. This is for the purposes of developing information for young Canadians to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. The groups will last up to two hours and people who take part will receive a cash gift to thank them for their time.

Participation is completely voluntary. We are interested in your opinions. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view. The format is a group discussion held using an online web conferencing platform similar to Zoom or Skype, led by a research professional with about six to eight other participants invited the same way you are being invited. The use of a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. All opinions will remain anonymous and will be used for research purposes only in accordance with laws designed to protect your privacy.

[INTERVIEWER NOTE: IF ASKED ABOUT PRIVACY LAWS, SAY: "The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation. For more information about our privacy practices, please contact Health Canada's Privacy Coordinator at 613-948-1219 or privacy-vie.privee@hc-sc.gc.ca."]

1. Before we invite anyone to attend, we need to ask you a few questions to ensure that we get a good mix of people in each of the groups. This will take 5 minutes. May I continue?

B. Qualification

2. We are looking to include people of various ages in the group discussion. May I have your age please? RECORD AGE: ______________

AGE GROUP RECRUITMENT SPECIFICATIONS
16-19 YOUTH GROUPS RECRUIT A MIX OF AGES
20-24 YOUNG ADULT GROUPS RECRUIT A MIX OF AGES
25 +   THANK AND TERMINATE

3. [CONFIRM WITH RESPONDENT] In which province or territory do you live?

4. Do you, or any member of your immediate family, work for…? [READ LIST]

IF YES TO ANY, THANK & TERMINATE

5. Have you contracted the COVID-19 virus in the past year?

6. Has anyone close to you, including friends, family members and co-workers, contracted the COVID-19 virus over the past year?

7. Record gender by observation.

8. Do you currently live in… [READ LIST]

FOR EACH GROUP, RECRUIT A MIX OF INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN A CITY OR TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF AT LEAST 30,000 AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN SMALLER TOWNS/RURAL

9. Do you identify as any of the following?

INDIGENOUS PERSON: Aim for an average of approximately one Indigenous person per group (e.g., it is possible to have two participants in one group and none in another, etc. since incidence will be higher in some regions compared to others).

MEMBER OF AN ETHNOCULTURAL OR VISIBLE MINORITY GROUP: Recruit a mix across all groups.

10. [ASK ONLY IF Q9=2] What is your ethnic background? RECORD

RECORD ETHNICITY: ______________

11. [ASK ONLY IF Q9=2] What languages, other than English or French, do you speak or read fluently?

12. Have you ever attended a discussion group or taken part in an interview on any topic that was arranged in advance and for which you received money for participating?

13. When did you last attend one of these discussion groups or interviews?

14. Thinking about the groups or interviews that you have taken part in, what were the main topics discussed?

RECORD: _______________ THANK/TERMINATE IF RELATED TO COVID-19

15. How many discussion groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years?

16. Participants in group discussions are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts, how comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in an online group discussion with others your age? Are you... READ OPTIONS

17. Do you have access to a stable internet connection, capable of sustaining a 2 hour-long online video conference?

18. Participants will be asked to provide their answers through an online web conferencing platform using a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room. It is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. Is there any reason why you could not participate? (No access to computer or tablet, internet, etc.) If you need glasses to read or a device for hearing, please remember to wear them.

TERMINATE IF RESPONDENT OFFERS ANY REASON SUCH AS DIFFICULTIES PARTICIPATING IN AN ONLINE WEB CONFERENCE, A SIGHT OR HEARING PROBLEM, A WRITTEN OR VERBAL LANGUAGE PROBLEM, A CONCERN WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.

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."

C. INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

19. I would like to invite you to participate in an online focus group session where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other Canadians from your community. The discussion will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting. The session will be recorded but your participation will be confidential. The group will be hosted using an online web conferencing platform, taking place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME]. It will last two hours. People who attend will receive $100 to thank them for their time. Would you be interested in taking part in this study?

20. The discussion group will be video-recorded. These recordings are used to help with analyzing the findings and writing the report. The results from the discussions will be grouped together in the research report, which means that individuals will not be identified in anyway. Neither your name nor your specific comments will appear in the research report. Is this acceptable?

21. There will be some people from Health Canada, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other individuals involved in this project observing the session. They will not take part in the discussion and they will not know your name. Is this acceptable?

Thank you. We would like to invite you to attend one of the online discussion groups, which will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting Group. The group will take place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME] and it will last two hours. Following your participation, you will receive $100 to thank you for your time.

22. Are you interested and available to attend?

To conduct the session, we will be using a screen-sharing application called [PLATFORM]. We will need to send you by email the instructions to connect. The use of a computer or tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary since the moderator will want to show material to participants to get their reactions – that will be an important part of the discussion.

We recommend that you click on the link we will send you a few days prior to your session to make sure you can access the online meeting that has been setup and repeat these steps at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your session.

As we are only inviting a small number of people to attend, your participation is very important to us. If for some reason you are unable to attend, please call us so that we can get someone to replace you. You can reach us at [INSERT NUMBER] at our office. Please ask for [INSERT NAME].

So that we can contact you to remind you about the focus group or in case there are any changes, can you please confirm your name and contact information for me? [READ INFO AND CHANGE AS NECESSARY.]

Thank you!

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.

Recruitment Screener – Wave 3

Specifications

All times are stated in local area time unless specified otherwise.

Questionnaire

A. Introduction

Hello/Bonjour, my name is [NAME] and I am with Quorus Consulting Group, a Canadian market research company. We're planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. Would you prefer to continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en anglais ou en français?

[INTERVIEWER 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." FOR FRENCH GROUPS, IF PARTICIPANT WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE IN ENGLISH, PLEASE RESPOND WITH, "Unfortunately, we are looking for people who speak French to participate in this discussion group. We thank you for your interest."]

[INTERVIEWER NOTE 2: If someone is asking to participate in French/English but no group in this language is available in this area, talk to your supervisor.]

As I was saying – we are planning a series of online discussion groups on behalf of the Government of Canada with people in your area. This is for the purposes of developing information for young Canadians to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. The groups will last up to one and a half hours (90 minutes) and people who take part will receive a cash gift to thank them for their time.

Participation is completely voluntary. We are interested in your opinions. No attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view. The format is a group discussion held using an online web conferencing platform similar to Zoom or Skype, led by a research professional with about six to eight other participants invited the same way you are being invited. The use of a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. All opinions will remain anonymous and will be used for research purposes only in accordance with laws designed to protect your privacy.

[INTERVIEWER NOTE: IF ASKED ABOUT PRIVACY LAWS, SAY: "The information collected through the research is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, legislation of the Government of Canada, and to the provisions of relevant provincial privacy legislation. For more information about our privacy practices, please contact Health Canada's Privacy Coordinator at 613-948-1219 or privacy-vie.privee@hc-sc.gc.ca."]

1. Before we invite anyone to attend, we need to ask you a few questions to ensure that we get a good mix of people in each of the groups. This will take 5 minutes. May I continue?

B. Qualification

2. We are looking to include people of various ages in the group discussion. May I have your age please? RECORD AGE: ______________

AGE RECRUITMENT SPECIFICATIONS
18-24 RECRUIT A MIX OF AGES
25 + THANK AND TERMINATE

3. [CONFIRM WITH RESPONDENT] In which province or territory do you live?

4. Do you, or any member of your immediate family, work for…? [READ LIST]

IF YES TO ANY, THANK & TERMINATE

5. Have you contracted the COVID-19 virus in the past year?

6. Has anyone close to you, including friends, family members and co-workers, contracted the COVID-19 virus over the past year?

7. Record gender by observation.

8. Do you currently live in… [READ LIST]

FOR EACH GROUP, RECRUIT A MIX OF INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN A CITY OR TOWN WITH A POPULATION OF AT LEAST 30,000 AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN SMALLER TOWNS/RURAL

9. Do you identify as any of the following?

INDIGENOUS PERSON: Aim for approximately 4 across all focus groups.

MEMBER OF AN ETHNOCULTURAL OR VISIBLE MINORITY GROUP: Recruit a mix across all groups.

10. [ASK ONLY IF Q9=2] What is your ethnic background? RECORD

RECORD ETHNICITY: ______________

11. Have you ever attended a discussion group or taken part in an interview on any topic that was arranged in advance and for which you received money for participating?

Yes 1
No 2 GO TO Q15

12. When did you last attend one of these discussion groups or interviews?

13. Thinking about the groups or interviews that you have taken part in, what were the main topics discussed?

RECORD: _______________ THANK/TERMINATE IF RELATED TO COVID-19

14. How many discussion groups or interviews have you attended in the past 5 years?

15. Participants in group discussions are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts, how comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in an online group discussion with others your age? Are you... READ OPTIONS

16. Do you have access to a stable internet connection, capable of sustaining a 90-minute long online video conference?

17. Participants will be asked to provide their answers through an online web conferencing platform using a computer or a tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room. It is necessary for participation, as the moderator will be gauging reactions to concepts and materials. Is there any reason why you could not participate? (No access to computer or tablet, internet, etc.) If you need glasses to read or a device for hearing, please remember to wear them.

TERMINATE IF RESPONDENT OFFERS ANY REASON SUCH AS DIFFICULTIES PARTICIPATING IN AN ONLINE WEB CONFERENCE, A SIGHT OR HEARING PROBLEM, A WRITTEN OR VERBAL LANGUAGE PROBLEM, A CONCERN WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.

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."

C. INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

18. I would like to invite you to participate in an online focus group session where you will exchange your opinions in a moderated discussion with other Canadians from your community. The discussion will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting. The session will be recorded but your participation will be confidential. The group will be hosted using an online web conferencing platform, taking place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME]. It will last one and a half hours (90 minutes). People who attend will receive $100 to thank them for their time.

Would you be interested in taking part in this study?

19. The discussion group will be video-recorded. These recordings are used to help with analyzing the findings and writing the report. The results from the discussions will be grouped together in the research report, which means that individuals will not be identified in anyway. Neither your name nor your specific comments will appear in the research report. Is this acceptable?

20. There will be some people from Health Canada, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other individuals involved in this project observing the session. They will not take part in the discussion and they will not know your full name. Is this acceptable?

Thank you. We would like to invite you to attend one of the online discussion groups, which will be led by a researcher from the national public opinion research firm, Quorus Consulting Group. The group will take place on [DAY OF WEEK], [DATE], at [TIME] and it will last one and a half hours (90 minutes). Following your participation, you will receive $100 to thank you for your time.

21. Are you interested and available to attend?

To conduct the session, we will be using a screen-sharing application called [PLATFORM]. We will need to send you by email the instructions to connect. The use of a computer or tablet (not a smartphone) in a quiet room is necessary since the moderator will want to show material to participants to get their reactions – that will be an important part of the discussion.

We recommend that you click on the link we will send you a few days prior to your session to make sure you can access the online meeting that has been setup and repeat these steps at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to your session.

As we are only inviting a small number of people to attend, your participation is very important to us. If for some reason you are unable to attend, please call us so that we can get someone to replace you. You can reach us at [INSERT NUMBER] at our office. Please ask for [INSERT NAME].

So that we can contact you to remind you about the focus group or in case there are any changes, can you please confirm your name and contact information for me? [READ INFO AND CHANGE AS NECESSARY.]

Thank you!

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.

Moderation Guide – Wave 1

Introduction to Procedures (10 minutes)

Thank you all for joining this online focus group!

Any questions?

INTRODUCTIONS: Let's go around – please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself, such as where you live, who lives with you, what you do for a living, etc.

Concept Setup (10 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to be sharing with you some advertisement concepts that are related to COVID-19. Before we start, has anyone seen a Government of Canada COVID-19 ad to date?

Let's now turn our attention to the new concepts being considered. I want to emphasize that these concepts are drafts at this stage and have not been finalized.

I'm going to show you four (4) ad concepts that are currently being considered by the Government of Canada that could eventually appear on digital media or traditional media, such as social media or TV.

When we look at these, I would like to focus on the message and content of the ad and not so much on the presentation format since what you will see is not what the final product will look like. Here is what we will be looking at:

If the Government of Canada decides to move forward with any of these ad concepts, they would be professionally produced with actors, etc. So, when you look at them you will have to use your imagination.

We will be looking at four (4) different concepts being considered, and I will ask you the same questions for each of the four concepts.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY:

Randomize concepts for each group as follows:

Concept Evaluation (13 minutes per concept = 52 minutes)

This is the first advertising campaign concept – it is called Concept A/B/C/D.

MODERATOR SHOWS THE CONCEPT

In the chat box, I'd like you to rate this concept on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 10 is the best score possible). So how would you rate this concept overall in terms of the message and general approach taken.

1. Overall, what are your initial thoughts and feelings about this concept?

2. In a few words, what do you think is the main message of this ad? …what are they trying to tell us? [OPTIONAL – Write it in the chat…]

3. Who do you feel this advertising campaign is targeting?

4. What, if anything, are these ads trying to get you to do? What is the "call to action?"

5. What do you think about the "tagline"?

6. Do you have any suggestions on what could be added or removed to make the ad more appealing?

MODERATOR TO REPEAT THE SAME SEQUENCE OF QUESTIONS FOR EACH OF THE FOUR CONCEPTS

Ad Comparison (8 minutes)

We have seen and discussed four concepts for the advertising campaign. I would like to show you the four concepts again for a final exercise. MODERATOR SHARES ALL FOUR CONCEPTS AGAIN REPEATING THE LETTERS FOR EACH CONCEPT.

Which concept do you want the Government of Canada to produce? …type your selection in the chat and then we'll discuss.

Let's do a quick count, raise your hand if you chose A…and how many chose B…and how many chose C… and how many chose D? MODERATOR DOES A TALLY

Do you see any opportunity to improve the one you think they should go with?

Third Language Questions (5 minutes)

As you all know, Canada is made up of a wide variety of Indigenous and ethnic communities – by show of hands, do some of you see yourselves as a member of an Indigenous or an ethnic community?

As well, while most Canadians speak one of two official languages, English and French, there are many in Canada who speak other languages - these are referred to as "third languages".

Do you think that the ads that the Government of Canada will eventually produce should be translated into a third language?

IF YES:

IF NO:

Wrap-up (5 minutes)

Does anyone have any additional thoughts on what you have seen tonight?

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

Moderation Guide – Wave 2

Introduction to Procedures (10 minutes)

Thank you all for joining this online focus group!

Any questions?

INTRODUCTIONS: Let's go around – please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself, such as where you live, who lives with you, what you do for a living, etc.

Concept Setup (10 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to be sharing with you some advertisement concepts that are related to COVID-19. Before we start, what impact has COVID-19 had on you personally?

Now thinking about COVID-19 advertising, has anyone seen a Government of Canada COVID-19 ad to date?

Let's now turn our attention to the new concepts being considered. I want to emphasize that these concepts are drafts at this stage and have not been finalized.

I'm going to show you four (4) ad concepts that are currently being considered by the Government of Canada that could eventually appear on digital media or traditional media, such as social media or TV.

When we look at these, I would like to focus on the message and content of the ad and not so much on the presentation format since what you will see is not what the final product will look like. Here is what we will be looking at:

If the Government of Canada decides to move forward with any of these ad concepts, they would be professionally produced with actors, etc. So, when you look at them you will have to use your imagination.

We will be looking at four (4) different concepts being considered, and I will ask you the same questions for each of the three concepts.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY:

Randomize concepts for each group as follows:

Concept Evaluation (13 minutes per concept = 52 minutes)

This is the first advertising campaign concept – it is called Concept A/B/C/D. MODERATOR SHOWS THE CONCEPT In the chat box, I'd like you to rate this concept on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 10 is the best score possible), how would you rate the advertising campaign overall in terms of the message and general approach taken.

1. Overall, what are your initial thoughts and feelings about this concept?

2. What do you think is the main message of this ad? …what are they trying to tell us?

3. What do you think this ad is trying to tell us about the consequences or the impact of COVID-19?

4. Who do you feel this advertising campaign is targeting?

5. What, if anything, are these ads trying to get you or Canadians like you to do? What is the "call to action?"

6. Do you have any suggestions on what could be added or removed to make the ad more appealing?

MODERATOR TO REPEAT THE SAME SEQUENCE OF QUESTIONS FOR EACH OF THE FOUR CONCEPTS

Ad Comparison (10 minutes)

We have seen and discussed four concepts for the advertising campaign. I would like to show you the four concepts again for a final exercise. MODERATOR SHARES ALL FOUR CONCEPTS AGAIN REPEATING THE LETTERS FOR EACH CONCEPT.

Which is the one (1) concept you want the Government of Canada to produce… your first choice? …type your selection in the chat and then we'll discuss.

Why does this ad speak to you the most? PROBE: Is it the creative idea, the tone, or something else?

Do you see an opportunity for the Government of Canada to improve the one you picked?

What would be your second choice?

What if one of the objectives of these ads is to really get you thinking about what might happen to you or others around you if you don't follow the public health measures. Is one of these ads, or any of these ads, doing a good job? Which one(s) really sink in for you? Help me understand which one(s)…

Some of you may know people your age who are less concerned about COVID-19 and may not be taking all the public health measures as seriously as we would like – what warning would you give them to help them understand that their actions have repercussions?

IF NEEDED: …what would really get them thinking twice about not following public health measures?

Wrap-up (5 minutes)

With the time we have left, I was wondering if you remember an ad, any ad, that really got you thinking about an issue, or perhaps it got you thinking about an issue a bit differently? …does anything come to mind? Please describe that ad to me and why you think it worked.

Before I let you go, please go into the chat and list how you generally get your news about COVID-19. If it is a website, a newsfeed, etc. please try to be specific.

Thanks again! The team that invited you to participate in this session will contact you regarding the manner in which you can receive the incentive we promised you.

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

Moderation Guide – Wave 3

Introduction to Procedures (10 minutes)

Thank you all for joining this online focus group!

Any questions?

INTRODUCTIONS: Let's go around – please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself, such as where you live, who lives with you, what you do for a living, etc.

Concept Setup (10 minutes)

Tonight, we are going to be sharing with you some advertisement concepts that are related to COVID-19.

1. Before we start, can you tell us about the impact that COVID-19 has had on you personally?

2. Now thinking about COVID-19 advertising, has anyone seen a Government of Canada COVID-19 ad to date?

3. Where do you get answers to questions you may have about COVID-19?

Let's now turn our attention to the ad concepts being considered. I want to emphasize that these concepts are drafts at this stage and have not been finalized.

I'm going to show you four (4) ad concepts that are currently being considered by the Government of Canada to produce fifteen (15) second video ads that could eventually appear on digital media or traditional media, such as social media or TV.

When we look at these, I would like to focus on the message and content of the ad and not so much on the presentation format since what you will see is not what the final product will look like. Here is what we will be looking at:

If the Government of Canada decides to move forward with any of these ad concepts, they would be professionally produced with actors, etc. So, when you look at them you will have to use your imagination.

We will be looking at four (4) different concepts being considered in groups of two (2), and I will ask you the same questions for each of the four concepts.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY:

Randomize concepts for each group as follows:

Concept Evaluation (10 minutes per concept = 40 minutes)

This is the first advertising campaign concept – it is called Concept 1A/1B/2A/2B.

MODERATOR SHOWS THE CONCEPT

In the chat box, I'd like you to rate this concept on a scale from 1 to 10 (where 10 is the best score possible), how would you rate the advertising concept overall in terms of the message and general approach taken.

4. Overall, what are your initial thoughts and feelings about this concept? PROBE: Why did you give it this rating?

5. Do you find this ad easy to understand? Does the idea and message make sense to you?

6. What do you think it's trying to tell us? …trying to get us to do?

7. Do you think this ad is relevant to young Canadians like you? Does it motivate you to think more about the consequences of your actions during the pandemic or of the ones of people you know?

8. After seeing this ad, would you consider visiting Canada.ca/coronavirus and/or use the COVID Alert app? Do you feel you need additional information to help you properly practise public health measures? Or is the ad motivation enough/a good reminder?

9. What could be added or removed to make this ad better for young Canadians?

MODERATOR TO REPEAT THE SAME SEQUENCE OF QUESTIONS FOR SECOND CONCEPT IN THEME 1/2

Theme 1/2, Ad Comparison (10 minutes)

Now that you have seen two (2) concepts for theme 1/2, I would like to show you the two concepts again. MODERATOR TO SHOW TWO CONCEPTS

10. If you had to pick just one of these two ad concepts, which one do you want the Government of Canada to produce?

11. Why does this ad speak to you the most? PROBE: Is it the creative idea, the tone, or something else?

Before we move on, please take note of the concept you picked. You'll be asked to recall it a little bit later.

MODERATOR TO REPEAT THE SAME SEQUENCE OF QUESTIONS FOR SECOND THEME

Top Two Ads Comparison (10 minutes)

I'd like you to now think about the two (2) concepts you picked for each of the themes. We're now going to pick your one favourite concept by eliminating one of the concepts.

MODERATOR TO SHOW ALL FOUR CONCEPTS ON THE SCREEN (THEME A CONCEPTS ON THE LEFTHAND SIDE AND THEME B CONCEPTS ON THE RIGHTHAND SIDE)

12. Between your top picks for the two themes, which is the ONE (1) concept you want the Government of Canada to produce… type your selection in the chat and then we'll discuss.

13. Why does this one (1) ad speak to you the most? PROBE: Is it the creative idea, the tone, or something else?

14. Do you see an opportunity for the Government of Canada to improve the one you picked?

15. And as a last question, where would you expect to see this ad if it is produced? On a specific social media platform? …any where else?

Wrap-up (5 minutes)

Thanks again! The team that invited you to participate in this session will contact you regarding the manner in which you can receive the incentive we promised you.

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

ihttps://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=30682

1https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=30682

2Health Canada (2021). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Outbreak update.

3CTV News (November 2020). PM says Canada is preparing for an effective vaccine in 2021.

4CTV News (December 7, 2020). Canada to get first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses before end of December.

5PHAC (2020). Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on November 23, 2020.