Dementia Public Education Phase 1 - Concepts Testing
Summary

Prepared for Health Canada

Supplier Name: Phoenix SPI
Contract Number: HT372-203812 001 CY
Contract Value: $149,860.72
Award Date: 2020-12-07
Delivery Date: 2021-04-22

Registration Number: 076-20

For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Dementia Public Education Phase 1 - Concepts Testing
Final Report

Prepared for Health Canada
Supplier name: Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.
April 2021

This public opinion research report presents the results of an online survey conducted with 2,012 panellists aged 40 and older and a set of 16 virtual focus groups with four target populations: Canadians aged 25 and older, Canadians at higher risk of dementia, caregivers and people living with early stage dementia, and front-line staff in the service sector. The focus groups were held with participants from St. John’s, Montreal (French), Toronto, and Winnipeg. The research was conducted between January 20 and February 7, 2021.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Health Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at:

HC.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.SC@canada.ca or at:

Communications and Public Affairs Branch
Health Canada
200 Eglantine Driveway, Jeanne Mance Building
AL 1915C, Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9

Catalogue number:
H14-365/1-2021E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
ISBN 978-0-660-38570-9

Related publications (registration number: POR 076-20):
Catalogue number (Final report, French) H14-365/1-2021F-PDF
ISBN 978-0-660-38571-6

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Sensibilisation de la population à la démence – première phase : évaluation des concepts

Executive Summary

Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc. (Phoenix SPI) was commissioned to conduct quantitative and qualitative research to test a set of design concepts being considered for a social marketing advertising campaign on dementia.

1. Research purpose and objectives

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is implementing a social marketing strategy to support dementia prevention and stigma reduction. The strategy will include an advertising campaign to generate awareness and educate Canadians about dementia and to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours. The research objectives were threefold: 1) evaluate the creative concepts to determine if the content is relevant, motivating, creatively appealing, and clear; 2) generate suggestions for potential changes to ensure the messages and ads resonate with each audience; and 3) elicit insights from audience groups relevant to designing future creative concepts and supporting materials. The results of this research will be used to finalize the advertising materials.

2. Methodology

To meet the objectives, a 15-minute online survey was administered to 2,012 Canadians aged 40 and older between January 26 and February 7, 2021. The sample was drawn from Dynata’s panel of online Canadians. The survey data were weighted by region and gender to reflect the demographic composition of the target population. In addition, a set of 16 virtual focus groups was conducted, with four in each of St. John’s, Montreal (French), Toronto and Winnipeg. One group in each location was held with members of each of the four target audiences: adults 25+, Canadians 40+ at higher risk of developing dementia, front-line staff in the service sector, and caregivers and people living with dementia at the early stages of the condition. The fieldwork took place between January 20 and February 4, 2021.

3. Key findings

Each of the stigma ads received generally favourable feedback.

Half or more of those surveyed reported a positive initial reaction to the three ads: Parking, Groceries, and Golfing. While no one element of any of the ads caught the attention of the majority of respondents, the story and the content of each of the ads resonated with the plurality of respondents. For the Parking ad, the story and content (38%) was followed by the overall subject (26%) of the ad, the images and visuals (12%), the people (12%), and the narrator (9%). For the Groceries ad, the story and content (38%) was followed by the people (26%), the overall subject (17%), the images and visuals (9%), and the narrator (7%). Those who viewed the Golfing ad pointed to the story and content (37%), followed by the overall subject (16%), the images or visuals (15%), the people (13%), and the narrator (12%).

Among focus groups participants, impressions of the ads also tended to be positive.

The Parking ad was routinely described as attention-grabbing and easy to relate to because it depicts a common experience, i.e., forgetting where one has parked one’s car. While many reacted positively to the common experience, some participants felt that the experience of forgetting where one has parked makes the ad less forceful and less memorable precisely because it is a common experience.
The Groceries ad resonated with participants in various ways, including: the depiction of a familiar situation, which makes the ad attention-grabbing and easy to relate to; the clear depiction of what the problem is at the start of the ad; the depiction of the person with dementia, including hearing her speak and express her confusion; the inclusion of statistics about dementia, described by some as attention-grabbing; the fact that the ad shows how dementia affects people in their daily lives as well as the prejudices they face; and the way the storyline makes one wonder about what one would do or how one would react in a similar situation. Critical reaction to this ad was based primarily on the depiction of the reaction of the cashier to the person with dementia.
Focus group participants were less positive about the Golf ad than survey respondents. Their reaction to the ad tended to range from neutral/indifferent to mildly positive. Those who were neutral or indifferent towards to the ad explained that the ad did not resonate with them because they could not relate to the sport of golf or to the experience of having a parent living with dementia. As a result, many participants said that this ad elicited little or no emotional reaction in them.

Of the three stigma ads, the Groceries ad ranked first for respondents across several measures.

When asked to rank the stigma ads according to which ad they would be most likely to notice and watch, six in 10 (60%) ranked the Groceries ad first. Following this, exactly half (50%) would be most likely to notice and watch the Parking ad and, for four in 10 (40%), it was the Golfing ad that ranked first. The Groceries ad (63%) also ranked first when respondents were asked to consider which ad was most compelling and powerful to watch. Approximately half (53%) ranked the Parking ad first, while 34% felt the Golfing was the most compelling of the three stigma ads. When it came to which ad would be most likely to make them want to know more or change their attitude or behaviour, once again, the Groceries ad ranked first. The ad was ranked first 65% of the time, the Parking ad 52% of the time, and the Golfing ad 32% of the time.

Focus group participants noted that all three stigma ads were more effective than not in terms of grabbing attention, providing a clear message, and eliciting an emotional reaction. That said, the Parking and Groceries ads were much more effective in these three areas than the Golfing ad. More specifically, the Groceries ad emerged as the most effective overall. While the Parking and Groceries ads were similarly likely to grab participants’ attention, provide a clear message, and elicit an emotion, the Groceries ad was viewed as more effective at doing all three of these things ‘to a great extent’.

Half or more reacted moderately positively to all the prevention ads.

Respondents were most likely to react positively to the Remember (73%) and Don’t Forget (69%) ads, although impressions were more likely to be moderately than strongly positive. Smaller and similar proportions reported having a positive initial reaction to Coach (63%), Great Looking Brain (2) (63%), and Great Looking Brain (1) (62%). Roughly half (52%) said their initial reaction to Yes Brainer was positive. As was the case with the stigma ads, no one element of the prevention ads stood out for a majority of respondents: 42% pointed to the headline in large font in the two Great Looking Brain ads, 37% to the image or visual featured in the Remember ad, and 24% to the story or content of the Coach ad.

Among focus group participants, overall impressions tended to be more mixed than those reported in the survey. The most frequent reaction to the ads was to note their generic character—the impression that the main message is about a healthy lifestyle, with an incidental or secondary connection to dementia. This impression was consistent across groups and audiences, and often the first top-of-mind reaction to the ads, with participants observing that the reference to dementia could be replaced with other health conditions and the message would be the same. With respect to each of the ads:

Impressions of the Coach ad ranged from indifferent to negative. While participants described the ad as attention-grabbing, they also regularly described it as unclear or confusing because it is clear only at the end of the 30-second video that the ad is about dementia. In addition, the connection to dementia was often described as tenuous or incidental, with many characterizing the approach as generic and noting that this ad could just as well have been about family time or a healthy lifestyle.
Overall impressions of both versions of the Great Looking Brain ad tended to range from mildly positive to neutral. Positive reactions were elicited primarily by what were characterized as their appealing and attention-grabbing visuals, and their positive and upbeat character. Neutral reactions to the ads were most often elicited by what was described as their generic character in terms of substance and style. Similar to the survey findings, one feature of the ads routinely described as attention-grabbing was the tagline“Here’s A Great Looking Brain”. Initial reactions to the tagline, however, were often a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and uncertainty about its meaning. Participants often observed that its meaning is unclear until linked to the subtext.
Overall impressions of the ad, Yes Brainer, ranged from positive to neutral. Participants who enjoyed the ad noted the following contributed to their positive reaction: the English version of the tagline, which was described as attention-grabbing and clever; the use of statistics; the focus on an activity for the mind; the recommendation of a concrete activity that is easy to do; and the focus on meditation, because this is an activity they personally practice. Participants who reacted indifferently to the ad tended to focus on two of its features to explain why: the reference to meditation and the tagline, particularly the English version of the tagline “Yes Brainer”.
Don’t Forget and Remember elicited responses that ranged from positive to neutral. Reasons to explain positive impressions included that the approach is eye-catching, attention-grabbing, and visually appealing; that the messaging is clear, direct, and simple; and that the messaging is universal in the sense that everyone is targeted. Those for whom the ad did not resonate explained that the approach struck them as too generic. This was especially the case for ‘Don’t Forget’ which many said could just as well have been an ad for a brand of running shoe.

Of the six prevention ads, there was no clear winner.

When comparing the prevention ads, roughly four in 10 said they would be most likely to notice the Remember (40%) and Don’t Forget (38%) ads. About three in 10 would notice Coach (35%), the Great Looking Brain (1) ad (33%), or the Great Looking Brain (2) ad (31%). One in five (21%) ranked Yes Brainer first.

A similar pattern emerged when respondents were asked to rank the ads by which feels most compelling and powerful. Four in 10 (41%) ranked the Coach ad as the most compelling, while approximately one in three felt this way about Don’t Forget (33%), Great Looking Brain ad (1) (32%), Remember (31%), and Great Looking Brain (2) (31%). Once again, at 22%, Yes Brainer was the ad least likely to be considered compelling and powerful.

There was also no consensus among survey respondents in terms of which ad is most likely to lead to behavioural change. While 36% said the Coach ad is most likely to lead them to want to know more or change their behaviour, 35% said it is the Great Looking Brain (1) ad, 34% Don’t Forget, and 33% each Remember and Great Looking Brain (2). One-quarter (26%) ranked Yes Brainer first as the ad most likely to make them want to know more and change their behaviours and attitudes in relation to dementia.

For focus group participants, the prevention ads were relatively limited in their power to motivate participants to learn more about how to prevent dementia. While participants were likely to say of each prevention ad that it grabbed their attention and provided a clear message at least to a moderate extent, in only in the case of Yes Brainer were they likely to say that the ad made them want to learn more at least to a moderate extent. Participants routinely observed that the ads were essentially telling them something they know already, do already, or should be doing anyway. To the extent that the ads are relevant, it is primarily as a reminder to pursue a healthy lifestyle. In short, the reference to dementia provides no new meaningful information and does not motivate most to look for more information.

4. Limitations of the research

Surveys, like this one, that use samples drawn from online panels cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population and no estimates of sampling error can be calculated because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel. The results from the virtual focus groups are not statistically projectable, but they offer detailed opinions about the issues explored through this research that complement the broader survey findings.

5. Use of the results

The results of this research will be used by the Government of Canada to guide the messaging and creative development of the dementia social marketing campaign.

6. Political Neutrality Certification

I hereby certify, as a Senior Officer of Phoenix Strategic Perspectives, that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not contain any reference to electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leader.

Signed:
Alethea Woods, President
Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.

7. Contract value

The contract value was $149,860.72 (including HST).

Dementia Public Education Phase 1 - Concepts Testing Summary