Newcomer Services Advertising Creative Testing Final Report

Prepared for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Supplier name: Earnscliffe Strategy Group
Contract number: B8815-220080/001/CY
Contract value: $55,297.40 (including HST)
Award date: July 26, 2021
Delivery date: September 23, 2021

Registration number: POR 027-21

For more information on this report, please contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at: IRCC.COMMPOR-ROPCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Copyright

This public opinion research report presents the results of an online survey conducted by Earnscliffe Strategy Group on behalf of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The quantitative research was conducted in August of 2021.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre: Évaluation de concepts publicitaires sur les services aux nouveaux arrivants rapport final

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at IRCC.COMMPOR-ROPCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. or at:

Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower South
365 Laurier Ave W
Ottawa ON K1A 1L1

Catalogue Number: Ci4-232/2022E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-41978-7

Related publications (registration number: POR 027-01):

Catalogue Number: Ci4-232/2022F-PDF (Final Report, French)
ISBN: 978-0-660-41979-4

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, 2021

Table of contents

• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Detailed findings
• Section A: Messaging and Ad Components
• Section B: Advertising Creatives Testing
• Conclusions
• Appendix A: Quantitative methodology report
• Appendix B: Quantitative instrument

Executive summary

Earnscliffe Strategy Group (Earnscliffe) is pleased to present this report to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) summarizing the results of the quantitative research conducted to test newcomer services advertising concepts.

Despite the Newcomers Services advertising campaign being utilized since 2009, many newcomers to Canada are unaware of the services that all permanent residents can access, free of charge, to help them settle in Canada. The newcomer services advertising campaign’s purpose is to increase awareness of and participation in these services, which include employment-related services, information and orientation services, community connections services, language assessment and training, mentorship, and more.

The overarching objective of this research is to determine which creatives (and elements of those creatives) most positively resonate with newcomers to Canada aged 25-60, so that IRCC can effectively construct communications and marketing material resulting in an increase in awareness and utilization of available newcomer services.

IRCC would like to understand which creatives overall, and what sub-components of those creatives most positively resonate with newcomers. The research findings will also provide guidance to IRCC on how best to construct effective communications and marketing material which will increase awareness and utilization of newcomer services. The contract value for this project was $55,297.40 including HST.

To meet these objectives, Earnscliffe was commissioned to conduct a quantitative exercise involving an online survey of 741 newcomers to Canada (in the past five years), 25 to 60 years of age. The online survey was conducted using our data collection partner, Leger’s, proprietary online panel. To reach the desired number of newcomers, online panelists from Asking Canadians, Decision Point, and Dynata were also invited to complete the survey. The survey was conducted from August 6^th-15^th, 2021 in English and in French, and was an average of 10 minutes long. The data was not weighted as no fulsome and recent profile of this population is available, and the demographic breakdown of respondents was in line with what is generally known about this group. Because the online sample is comprised of those who initially self-select for participation in Leger’s panel, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated, and the results cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population. The treatment here of the non-probability sample is aligned with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research for Online Surveys.

Key findings

• The same messages rank highest on ease of understanding and strength of call-to-action. “Get help settling and working in Canada” and “Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada” are selected as the easiest to understand (by 40% and 42%, respectively) and have the strongest call-to-action (29% and 18%, respectively).
• “Newcomer services” is the easiest name to understand. Over three-quarters (78%) of respondents favour “Newcomer services” over “Settlement services” (18%).
• Ad tone preferences are varied. While the majority of respondents prefer an ad that is original/catchy (61%), uses images of real people (55%) and is bright/colourful (50%), preferences are more divided over whether an ad should use a testimonial (48%) versus a professional voice (35%), or if an ad should contain little (46%) or detailed (43%) information.
• Newcomers prefer the Phosphate font. Forty-four percent of respondents like Phosphate the most, over Britannic Bold (31%) and Barricada (25%).
• The Photo concepts are the most favourable among the concepts tested. The majority of newcomers say that the concepts Photo v2 (54%) and Photo (51%) are their 1^st or 2^nd choices.
• Respondents most often select their favourite due to their opinion that it is visually appealing. However, those who prefer the Photo concepts are more likely to say they like it as it is family related, whereas being informative and easy to understand are top reasons for those who prefer the Phone or Updated 2021 concepts.
• Approximately half or more like all the attributes tested for each of the four pairs of concepts. Indeed, all the concepts perform well on being easy to read/understand, being trustworthy, having the right tone, targeting the right people, and being memorable/attractive. Consistent with the overall favourability rankings, the Photo concepts perform better on all measures and the Updated 2021 concepts perform more poorly.

Research Firm: Earnscliffe Strategy Group Inc. (Earnscliffe)
Contract Number: B8815-220080/001/CY
Contract award date: July 26, 2021

I hereby certify as a Representative of Earnscliffe Strategy Group that the final 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 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: Doug Anderson, Principal, Earnscliffe

Introduction

Earnscliffe Strategy Group (Earnscliffe) is pleased to present this report to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) summarizing the results of the quantitative research conducted to test newcomer services advertising concepts.

Despite the Newcomers Services advertising campaign being utilized since 2009, many newcomers to Canada are unaware of the services that all permanent residents can access, free of charge, to help them settle in Canada. The newcomer services advertising campaign’s purpose is to increase awareness of and participation in these services, which include employment-related services, information and orientation services, community connections services, language assessment and training, mentorship, and more.

The overarching objective of this research is to determine which creatives (and elements of those creatives) most positively resonate with newcomers to Canada aged 25-60, so that IRCC can effectively construct communications and marketing material resulting in an increase in awareness and utilization of available newcomer services.

IRCC would like to understand which creatives overall, and what sub-components of those creatives most positively resonate with newcomers. The research findings will also provide guidance to IRCC on how best to construct effective communications and marketing material which will increase awareness and utilization of newcomer services. The contract value for this project was $55,297.40 including HST.

The specific objectives of the research included:

• Determining which creatives newcomers prefer and what gets their attention;
• Identifying which calls to action and vocabulary are the most effective;
• Testing specific aspects and variations of creative concepts (colours, fonts, patterns, pictures, etc.); and,
• Providing feedback which will guide the development and implementation of communications with newcomers to Canada.

To meet these objectives, Earnscliffe was commissioned to conduct a quantitative exercise involving an online survey of 741 newcomers to Canada (in the past five year), 25 to 60 years of age. The online survey was conducted using our data collection partner, Leger’s, proprietary online panel. To reach the desired number of newcomers, online panelists from Asking Canadians, Decision Point, and Dynata were also invited to complete the survey. The survey was conducted from August 6^th-15^th, 2021 in English and in French, and was an average of 10 minutes long. The data was not weighted as no fulsome and recent profile of this population is available, and the demographic breakdown of respondents was in line with what is generally known about this group. Because the online sample is comprised of those who initially self-select for participation in Leger’s panel, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated, and the results cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population. The treatment here of the non-probability sample is aligned with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research for Online Surveys.

Appended to this report is the methodology report and questionnaire.

Detailed findings

This quantitative report is divided into two sections: Messaging and Ad Components and Advertising Creatives Testing.

Except where specifically identified, the findings represent the combined results regardless of audience, location, or language (English and French). Results are shared as percentages of respondents/responses or average ratings, as applicable and as identified. ‘Average’ or ‘mean’ refers to the ranking score received when taking into consideration all responses. Most of the ranking results reported herein exclude respondents who did not offer a response (i.e., selected “I don’t know” in the survey). Those results have been identified with the question base of “those who provided a response” preceding the table (as applicable). In the text of the report, unless otherwise noted, differences highlighted are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The statistical test used to determine the significance of the results was the Z-test when comparing percentages and the T-test when comparing averages/means. Due to rounding, results may not always add to 100%.

Section A: Messaging and Ad Components

Message Testing

To begin the survey, respondents were shown six variations of messages (shown in randomized order) that could be used to encourage newcomers to learn more about Newcomer Services and were asked to rank them from easiest to understand to hardest to understand. Those messages were:

• Get help settling and working in Canada
• Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada
• Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home
• Settling in Canada is easier together
• Help is available at every step of your journey
• Feeling at home in Canada is easier together

While there is no consensus in the responses, among the six messages tested, the messages that are easiest for newcomers to understand are “Get help settling and working in Canada” and “Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada” (ranked as easiest or second easiest by 40% and 42%, respectively). Rounding out the top three is “Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home”, with 36% of respondents indicating it is the easiest or second easiest message to understand.

On the other hand, “Settling in Canada is easier together”, “Help is available at every step of your journey”, and “Feeling at home in Canada is easier together” are ranked as the hardest to understand among the same proportion of respondents (18%, 20% and 24%, respectively). However, the average rankings are between 3.2-3.9, so the variance is not large.

Exhibit A1: Q6-11: We will show you all six versions at once and ask you to rank sort them in terms of how easy they are to understand. Sorted by percent of “Easiest to understand”.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=720; missing=21).

	Get help settling and working in Canada	Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada	Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home	Settling in Canada is easier together	Help is available at every step of your journey	Feeling at home in Canada is easier together
Easiest to understand	23%	19%	18%	15%	14%	11%
2nd easiest	17%	23%	18%	14%	14%	15%
3rd easiest	18%	18%	19%	16%	16%	13%
4th easiest	16%	14%	20%	17%	18%	15%
5th easiest	12%	14%	14%	21%	17%	22%
Hardest to understand	14%	12%	12%	18%	20%	24%
Average	3.2	3.2	3.3	3.7	3.7	3.9

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers with household incomes of $100K or more are more likely to respond favourably to the message of “Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home”, with 25% saying it is the easiest message to understand, compared to 14% of those whose household incomes is under $40K.
• Middle income newcomers ($60-$80K) are more likely to say “Settling in Canada is easier together” is easiest to understand (22%), especially as compared to those with slightly lower incomes ($40-$60K) at 11%.

Respondents were then asked which of the texts (the same messages tested above with additional “click here…” call-to-action phrasing) would be most likely to encourage them to learn more about the services available to them. This further testing reveals the same top two messages as in the previous question. Specifically, the following messages are the most likely to encourage newcomers to learn more:

• A plurality (29%) say that “Get help settling and working in Canada. Click here to find an organization near you” is the most likely to encourage them to learn more
• “Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada. Click here to find services” (18%)
• “Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home. Click here to find services” (18%)

The bottom three messages are also the same as in the previous question.

• Fewer than one in five respondents say that “Help is available at every step of your journey…” (15%), “Feeling at home in Canada is easier together…” (10%) and “Settling in Canada is easier together…” (10%) are the least likely to encourage them to learn more.

Base: Total sample (n=741).

Exhibit A2: Q12: If these texts were used as ads, which is most likely to encourage you to learn more?

	% would encourage to learn more
Get help settling and working in Canada. Click here to find an organization near you.	29%
Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada. Click here to find services.	18%
Newcomer services can help you make Canada your home. Click here to find services.	18%
Help is available at every step of your journey. Click here to find newcomer services.	15%
Feeling at home in Canada is easier together. Click here to find settlement services.	10%
Settling in Canada is easier together. Click here to find newcomer services.	10%

Important demographic differences include:

• For those who speak English most often at home, “Get help settling in Canada…” is more likely to encourage them to learn more than those who speak neither English nor French most often at home (32% and 25%, respectively).
• Younger newcomers (25-34 years of age) feel a stronger call-to-action from “Feeling at home in Canada is easier together…” (with 13%) than older newcomers (35-60 years of age, at 6%).

Name of Services

When asked which is easier to understand, nearly eight in ten (78%) say that “Newcomer services” is easier to understand when compared to “Settlement services” (19%). One percent of respondents preferred neither and were asked to suggest their own. Qualitatively speaking, of those nine respondents, five suggested, on an unaided basis, “Immigrant services” as their alternative to the options given. Further research could be undertaken to validate what verbiage newcomers relate to; however, these research findings confirm that “Newcomer services” is the preferred name over “Settlement services” and only a handful of newcomers liked neither.

Exhibit A3: Name of service Q13: Which is easier to understand?

Base: Total sample (n=741).

	% preferred
Newcomer services	78 %
Settlement services	19 %
Neither	1 %
Don’t know	1 %
Prefer not to say	0 %

Important demographic differences include:

• Those who speak neither English nor French most often at home are more likely to think “Newcomer services” is easiest to understand (82%) than those who speak English most often at home (75%).
• Newcomers in British Columbia are more likely (at 29%) to say that “Settlement services” is easiest to understand than newcomers in Ontario (15%) and the Prairies (18%), however, over two-thirds (70%) still prefer “Newcomer services”.

Ad Tone Preferences

To understand newcomers’ advertisement preferences, in general, five pairs of ad tone components were tested among respondents. This testing reveals that the majority of newcomers prefer an ad that is:

• Original/catchy (61%, compared 23% who prefer an ad that is serious/formal);
• Visual ads using real people (55%, compared to 31% who prefer a visual using illustrations); and,
• Visuals that are bright/colourful (50%, compared 38% who prefer a visual that is calm/conventional).

Nearly half of Newcomers prefer a message coming from a testimonial (48%, compared to 35% who prefer a message coming from a professional voice). Respondents are squarely divided on preference for an ad with a little information with a link to learn more (46%) in contrast to an ad with detailed information (43%).

Exhibit A4: Q55: Thinking about how IRCC intends to communicate about services to newcomers to Canada, for each of the following please indicate which you would prefer to see: An ad that is original (catchy) OR an ad that is serious (formal).

Base: Those who provided a response (n=721; missing=20).

	%
NET: Prefer an ad that is original (catchy)	61%
Strongly prefer original (catchy)	33%
Somewhat prefer original (catchy)	27%
NET: Prefer an ad that is serious (formal)	23%
Strongly prefer serious (formal)	11%
Somewhat prefer serious (formal)	12%
No preference	16%

There are no important demographic differences among the results.

Exhibit A5: Q58: Thinking about how IRCC intends to communicate about services to newcomers to Canada, for each of the following please indicate which you would prefer to see: A visual using real people OR A visual using illustrations.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=721; missing=20).

	%
NET: Prefer a visual using real people	55%
Strongly prefer real people	42%
Somewhat prefer real people	13%
NET: Prefer a visual using illustrations	31%
Strongly prefer illustrations	17%
Somewhat prefer illustrations	15%
No preference	13%

There are no important demographic differences among the results.

Exhibit A6: Q56: Thinking about how IRCC intends to communicate about services to newcomers to Canada, for each of the following please indicate which you would prefer to see: A visual that is bright/colourful OR A visual that is calm/conventional.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=723; missing=18).

	%
NET: Prefer a visual that is bright/colourful	50%
Strongly prefer bright/colourful	29%
Somewhat prefer bright/colourful	22%
NET: Prefer a visual that is calm/conventional	38%
Strongly prefer calm/conventional	20%
Somewhat prefer calm/conventional	18%
No preference	12%

Important demographic differences include:

• Females are more likely to prefer a visual that is bright/colourful (56%) compared to males (44%).
• Newcomers in Atlantic Canada have a stronger preference for a visual that is bright/colourful (at 76%) than newcomers in the rest of Canada.

Exhibit A7: Q57: Thinking about how IRCC intends to communicate about services to newcomers to Canada, for each of the following please indicate which you would prefer to see: A message coming from a testimonial OR A message coming from a professional voice.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=714; missing=27).

	%
NET: Prefer a message coming from a testimonial	48%
Strongly prefer a testimonial	27%
Somewhat prefer a testimonial	22%
NET: Prefer a message coming from a professional voice	35%
Strongly prefer a professional voice	18%
Somewhat prefer a professional voice	16%
No preference	17%

Important demographic differences include:

• Females are more likely to prefer a message coming from a testimonial (54%) than males (42%).

Exhibit A8: Q59: Thinking about how IRCC intends to communicate about services to newcomers to Canada, for each of the following please indicate which you would prefer to see: An ad with a little information with a link to learn more OR an ad with detailed information.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=725; missing=16).

	%
NET: Prefer an ad with a little information with a link to learn more	46%
Strongly prefer a little information with a link to learn more	24%
Somewhat prefer a little information with a link to learn more	22%
NET: Prefer an ad with detailed information	43%
Strongly prefer detailed information	22%
Somewhat prefer detailed information	21%
No preference	11%

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers in British Columbia are more likely to prefer an ad with a little information with a link to learn more (at 52%) than newcomers in Atlantic Canada or the Prairies.

Font Preferences

Three different fonts were tested:

Phosphate font example:

Britannic Bold font example:

Barricada font example:

In terms of the font styles tested, Phosphate is selected as the top choice by 44% of respondents, while fewer say they like Britannic Bold (31%) or Barricada (25%) the most.

Exhibit A9: Q60-62: Below are three different fonts that may be used for this marketing campaign. Please rank sort them in terms of your most favourite to least favourite. Sorted by percent of “Like the most”.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=709; missing=32).

	Phosphate	Britannic Bold	Barricada
Like the most	44%	32%	25%
2nd	26%	41%	33%
Like the least	30%	28%	42%
Average	1.9	2.0	2.2

Across all demographics analyzed, Phosphate ranks in the top spot among the three fonts tested.

Section B: Advertising Creatives Testing

Respondents were shown four pairs of concepts for the Newcomer Services advertisement campaign. For each concept, respondents were shown randomized version of each concept and asked to answer a series of questions to measure their reaction to the concept. Respondents were then shown both versions of the concept and were asked to select which they preferred. This process was continued until the respondent reviewed all four pairs of concepts. In addition to the randomization of the versions reviewed, the order of each concept was also randomized. Finally, after reviewing all the concepts, respondents were asked to rank sort them from their most to least favourite.

The following are the four pairs of concepts tested and the concept names used for each throughout this report:

Photo

Photo v2

Abstract

Abstract v2

Phone

Phone v2

Updated 2021

Updated 2021 v2

Text version of concept images:

Photo: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. At the left is a headline on a white background which reads, "Newcomer services”. Below this is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. On the right, there is the image of a family (a woman, a man and two young boys) hugging and looking toward the camera. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Photo v2: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. At the left is a headline on a dark blue background which reads, "Newcomer services”. Below this is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. On the right, there is an image of a family (a woman, a man and two young boys) hugging and looking toward the camera in front. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Abstract: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a beige background, there are 4 drawing figures of different characters. Each of them are on their own square background. Their skin and square background are of different colours (purple, dark blue, green, black, yellow and orange). Under the 4 characters, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below this is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Abstract v2: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a light grey background, there are 4 drawing figures of different characters. Each of them are on their own square background. Their skin and square background are of different colours (green, orange, yellow, black and brown). Under the 4 characters, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below this is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Phone: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a light green background, there is a drawing of a hand holding a phone with an envelope image in it. This phone is linked to a figure of a woman with an orange shirt in front of her laptop. On the right, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below that is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Ccitizenship Canada logo.

Phone v2: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a light yellow background, there is a drawing of a hand holding a phone with an envelope image in it. This phone is linked to a figure of a woman with a green shirt in front of her laptop. On the right, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below that is more text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Updated 2021: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a light blue background, there are 4 circles. The first and third circles are faces of different colours (blue, purple and pink). The second circle has an icon of chat conversation in it with a pink background. The last circle has an icon of a suitcase with a purple background.

Below the faces, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below the title, there is a text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Updated 2021 v2: A rectangular internet banner advertisement image is presented. On a light pink background, there are 4 circles. The first and third circles are faces of different colours (purple, green, yellow and pink). The second circle has an icon of chat conversation in it with a pink background. The last circle has an icon of a suitcase with a green background.

Below the faces, we can read, "Newcomer services”. Below the title, there is a text in a smaller font which serves to demonstrate where the secondary text appears in the ad and its font, but is not meaningful text in English or French. In the bottom right is the Government of Canada logo. At the bottom left is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada logo.

Ranking of Concepts

When looking at first and second choices, the top three concepts are:

• Photo v2 (55%)
• Photo (50%)
• Abstract v2 (25%)

The remaining concepts rank as follows:

• Phone v2 (21%)
• Phone (17%)
• Abstract (14%)
• Updated 2021 (13%)
• Updated 2021 v2 (12%)

Two in ten respondents rank the concepts Abstract and Updated 2021 as their least favourite (19% and 18%, respectively). Average rankings reveal that the favourability between the “top” concepts and the others is not dramatic, despite these findings (average ranking ranging from 3.3 to 5.4). To summarize, the Photo concepts are the most favourable concepts, and the Updated 2021 concepts are the least favourable, whereas there are more mixed reviews of the Abstract and Phone concepts.

Exhibit B1: Q46-53: Please rank sort them in terms of your most favourite to least favourite. Sorted by percent of “Like the most”.

Base: Those who provided a response (n=697-716; missing=25-44)

	Photo v2	Photo	Abstract v2	Abstract	Phone	Phone v2	Updated 2021	Updated 2021 v2
Like the most	32%	28%	11%	7%	7%	7%	6%	4%
2nd	22%	23%	14%	6%	11%	14%	6%	7%
3rd	8%	10%	13%	13%	17%	21%	8%	13%
4th	8%	11%	12%	12%	18%	15%	11%	14%
5th	7%	9%	16%	12%	14%	15%	13%	15%
6th	7%	7%	11%	16%	15%	11%	17%	15%
7th	7%	7%	14%	15%	10%	8%	19%	17%
Like the least	9%	7%	9%	19%	9%	9%	18%	14%
Average	3.3	3.3	4.4	5.2	4.5	4.3	5.4	5.1

Across all demographics analyzed, the Photo v2 and Photo concepts rank in the top two spots among the concepts tested.

Respondents were asked to qualify the selection of their top choice and all reasons with greater than 5% of all responses are shown below. Respondents most often select their favourite because they find it visually appealing. Respondents who prefer the Photo concepts are more likely to say their choice was based on the concept being family related, while respondents who prefer the Phone or Updated 2021 concepts say that they easy to understand and are informative.

Exhibit B2: What participants like about the ad Q54: Below is the ad you ranked as your favourite. Why do you like this ad the most?

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	Photo v2	Photo	Abstract v2	Abstract	Phone	Phone v2	Updated 2021	Updated 2021 v2
Visually appealing/looks good/is colourful	26%	13%	38%	40%	27%	29%	24%	27%
Family related	33%	38%	0%	2%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Realistic/shows real people	23%	26%	6%	2%	4%	0%	0%	3%
Easy to understand	11%	14%	6%	4%	29%	23%	22%	10%
Conveys the message well/is effective	13%	9%	5%	0%	4%	13%	0%	0%
Warm/touching/welcoming	10%	9%	6%	2%	8%	10%	4%	0%
Relatable	12%	13%	4%	2%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Informative	6%	6%	4%	0%	18%	8%	11%	7%

Important demographic differences include:

• Females are more likely to say they can relate to the Photo concept (18%). Whereas males are more likely to say the concept is informative (11%).
• Those who speak English most often at home are more likely to say the Photo concept is family related (46%) compared to 31% of those who speak neither English nor French most often at home.

Reactions to Each Concepts

Each individual concept will be explored separately in the order of preference outlined above.

Photo/Photo v2

As the top-ranking concepts, it might be no surprise that the vast majority of respondents agree (giving a level of agreement of four or five on a five-point scale) with each of the attributes tested for the Photo concepts. Indeed, approximately three quarters or more agree that the text is easy to read (78%), they can quickly understand what the ad is about (76%), the ad has the right tone (75%), and they trust the ad (73%). Only slightly fewer agree that the ad is attractive (69%), they feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (66%) and they would remember the ad (64%).

Exhibit B3: Q30-36 (Photo): On a scale of 1 to 5 where “1” means “do not agree” and “5” means “fully agree”, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Sorted by percent of “5 — Fully agree”.

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	Top 2 Box %	5 - Fully agree	4	3	2	1 - Do not agree	I don't know
The text is easy to read	78%	47%	31%	13%	4%	3%	2%
I can understand quickly what the ad is about	76%	40%	36%	13%	5%	4%	2%
I can trust the ad	73%	40%	33%	18%	4%	2%	4%
The ad has the right tone	75%	38%	37%	19%	4%	1%	2%
The ad is attractive	69%	36%	33%	21%	6%	2%	2%
I would easily remember this ad	64%	35%	29%	23%	8%	4%	2%
I feel like I’m in the audience targeted by this ad	66%	35%	31%	16%	8%	8%	2%

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers who speak neither English nor French most often at home are more likely to agree with each of the attributes than those who speak mostly English at home.

Respondents were asked which version of the concept they prefer, and preference is divided between version 1 (48%) and version 2 (49%).

Exhibit B4: Q37 (Photo): Below are two versions of this concept. Which of the two versions of this ad do you prefer?

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	% preferred
Photo v2	49%
Photo	48%
I don't know	3%

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers who are working are more likely to prefer version 1 (50%) compared to those who are not employed (41%).

Abstract/Abstract v2

As the second ranking concepts when looking at first choice, the individual attributes for the concept also ring true for most respondents. The majority of respondents agree (giving a level of agreement of four or five on the five-point scale) with each of the attributes tested for the Abstract concepts. Nearly three quarters of respondents say the text is easy to read (72%). At approximately six in ten, a similar proportion of respondents agree that the ad has the right tone (60%), they trust the ad (60%), they feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (59%), they can understand quickly what the ad is about (59%), the ad is attractive (57%), and they would remember the ad (57%).

Exhibit B5: Q14-20 (Abstract): On a scale of 1 to 5 where “1” means “do not agree” and “5” means “fully agree”, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Sorted by percent of “5 — Fully agree”.

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	Top 2 Box %	5 - Fully agree	4	3	2	1 - Do not agree	I don't know
The text is easy to read	72%	38%	34%	15%	6%	4%	3%
I can trust the ad	60%	29%	30%	23%	8%	5%	4%
I can understand quickly what the ad is about	59%	28%	30%	22%	9%	9%	2%
The ad has the right tone	60%	27%	34%	22%	9%	5%	3%
I feel like I’m in the audience targeted by this ad	59%	27%	32%	20%	10%	8%	2%
I would easily remember this ad	57%	25%	32%	22%	11%	8%	2%
The ad is attractive	57%	25%	32%	21%	11%	9%	2%

Important demographic differences include:

• Younger newcomers (25-34 years of age) are more likely to agree with each of the attributes than those who are older.
• Newcomers who speak neither English nor French most often at home are more likely to agree that they can trust the ad (65%), feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (65%), and can understand quickly what the ad is about (64%).

When comparing the two versions of the concept, there is a clear preference overall and among all demographics analyzed for version 2 (66%).

Exhibit B6: Q21 (Abstract): Below are two versions of this concept. Which of the two versions of this ad do you prefer?

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	% preferred
Abstract v2	66%
Abstract	27%
I don't know	7%

Phone/Phone v2

While ranked as the third most favourable concept when looking at first choice, the level of agreement with each of the individual attributes is slightly higher than for the Abstract concepts but still below the Photo concepts. Over three-quarters of respondents say the text is easy to read (77%). The majority of respondents agree that they can understand quickly what the ad is about (68%), the ad has the right tone (67%), they trust the ad (64%), the ad is attractive (62%), they feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (62%), and they would easily remember the ad (60%).

Exhibit B7: Q22-28 (Phone): On a scale of 1 to 5 where “1” means “do not agree” and “5” means “fully agree”, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Sorted by percent of “5 — Fully agree”.

Base: Total sample (n=741).

	Top 2 Box %	5 - Fully agree	4	3	2	1 - Do not agree	I don't know
The text is easy to read	77%	45%	32%	14%	5%	3%	2%
I can understand quickly what the ad is about	68%	36%	32%	16%	8%	6%	2%
I can trust the ad	64%	33%	31%	21%	8%	3%	4%
The ad has the right tone	67%	32%	35%	22%	5%	4%	3%
I feel like I’m in the audience targeted by this ad	62%	31%	31%	20%	9%	6%	2%
The ad is attractive	62%	28%	34%	22%	9%	5%	2%
I would easily remember this ad	60%	27%	33%	23%	9%	6%	2%

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers who speak neither English nor French most often at home and younger newcomers aged 25-34 are more likely to agree that they can trust the ad (68% and 67%, respectively) and feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (66% and 67%, respectively).
• Newcomers in Atlantic Canada are more likely to agree that the text is easy to read (94%) than newcomers in other parts of Canada.
• Those with household incomes of $100K or more are less likely to agree with each of the attributes than those with lower household incomes.

Respondents were asked which version of the concept they prefer, and slightly over half (52%) prefer version 2, while 44% prefer version 1.

Exhibit B8: Q29 (Phone): Below are two versions of this concept. Which of the two versions of this ad do you prefer?

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	% preferred
Phone v2	52%
Phone	44%
I don't know	3%

Important demographic differences include:

• Females have a clear preference for version 2 (57%), whereas males lean slightly toward favouring version 1 (51%).

Updated 2021/Updated 2021 v2

The results for each of the attributes tested for the Updated 2021 concepts are consistent with them being ranked as the least favourable of the concepts, however, approximately half or more still agree with each of the statements. Most respondents agree that the text is easy to read (69%), they can trust the ad (57%), the ad has the right tone (56%), they can understand quickly what the ad is about (54%), they feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (51%), and the ad is attractive (51%). Slightly fewer than half of respondents (47%) say they would easily remember the ad.

Exhibit B9: Q38-44 (Updated 2021): On a scale of 1 to 5 where “1” means “do not agree” and “5” means “fully agree”, please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. Sorted by percent of “5 — Fully agree”.

Base: Total sample (n=741).

	Top 2 Box %	5 - Fully agree	4	3	2	1 - Do not agree	I don't know
The text is easy to read	69%	36%	33%	18%	7%	5%	1%
I can trust the ad	57%	28%	30%	25%	10%	5%	3%
The ad has the right tone	56%	26%	30%	24%	9%	7%	3%
I feel like I’m in the audience targeted by this ad	51%	26%	26%	23%	14%	10%	2%
I can understand quickly what the ad is about	54%	25%	29%	21%	13%	11%	2%
The ad is attractive	51%	22%	29%	25%	14%	8%	1%
I would easily remember this ad	47%	21%	27%	25%	16%	10%	2%

Important demographic differences include:

• Newcomers who speak neither English nor French most often at home are more likely to agree that they can trust the ad (62%).
• Males are more likely to agree that the ad is attractive (55%).
• Younger newcomers (25-34 years of age) are more likely to agree that the ad has the right tone (60%) and that they feel like they are the audience targeted by the ad (56%).
• Those with household incomes of $40K or less are more likely to agree with all the attributes.
• Newcomers in Atlantic Canada are less likely to agree they can trust the ad (37%).

When comparing the two versions of the concept, slightly over half (53%) prefer version 2, while 42% prefer version 1.

Exhibit B10: Q45 (Updated 2021): Below are two versions of this concept. Which of the two versions of this ad do you prefer?

Base: Total sample (n=741)

	% preferred
Updated 2021 v2	53%
Updated 2021	42%
I don't know	5%

Important demographic differences include:

• Females have a clear preference for version 2 (57%), whereas males are divided (with 48% selecting version 2 and 46% selected version 1).
• Newcomers in British Columbia are more likely to prefer version 1 (at 51%).

Conclusions

The intent of this research was, in part, to understand which advertising concept is most preferred for newcomers to Canada, and what gets their attention. The four pairs of concepts tested, Photo, Abstract, Phone and Updated 2021, tested well on being easy to read/understand, being trustworthy, having the right tone, targeting the right people, and being memorable/attractive, though to varying degrees. However, the Photo concepts were ranked as most favourable among newcomers and scored highest on every measure tested.

In terms of messaging, “Newcomer services” is a favourable and appropriate naming of the offerings, and two of the more prescriptive messages tested prevail in terms of ease of understanding and the strength of their call-to-action. They are: “Get help settling and working in Canada” and “Newcomer services can help you build a life in Canada.”

Ad tone and font preferences are varied; however, most newcomers lean toward ads that are original/catchy, use images of real people and are bright/colourful. They also prefer the Phosphate font, which is the same font that was used in the Photo concepts.

It is worth noting that among all the demographics analyzed, including age, gender, region of origin, language spoken most often at home, employment status and household income, no consistent themes emerged. Certainly, the same overall concepts and messaging are ranked most favourably across these demographics.

It is important to note that this quantitative exercise confirmed two additional points: advertisements are not always one size fits all — there is no consensus; and, that no single messaging or concept was rated so poorly that it would pose a risk to IRCC or the Government of Canada.

While these research findings can undoubtedly guide the current and future advertisement campaigns, it would be worth exploring newcomers’ preferences in a qualitative setting. Understanding with more context why newcomers prefer certain messages and how they relate to different concepts (or why they do not) will provide IRCC with a wealth of additional information that can further guide the development of future concepts/campaigns.

Appendix A: Quantitative methodology report

Survey Methodology

Earnscliffe Strategy Group’s overall approach for this study was to conduct an online survey newcomers to Canada (outside of Quebec, in the past five years), 25 to 60 years of age using an online panel sample. A detailed discussion of the approach used to complete this research is presented below.

Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire for this study was designed by Earnscliffe, in collaboration with IRCC, and provided to Leger for fielding. The survey was offered to respondents in both English and French and completed based on their language preference. Respondents could not skip any of the questions as all questions required a response before continuing to the next question.

Sample Design, Selection and Weighting

The sampling plan for the study was designed by Earnscliffe in collaboration with IRCC. The quantitative exercise involved an online survey of 741 newcomers to Canada (outside of Quebec, in the past five years), 25 to 60 years of age. Newcomers included those who have arrived in Canada within the past five years. The online survey was conducted using our data collection partner, Leger’s, proprietary online panel. Quotas were set for gender, age, and region. The data was not weighted.

Data Collection

The online survey was conducted from August 6^th-15^th in English and in French. The survey was undertaken by Leger using their proprietary online panel. In addition to the 206 completed interviews from invited members of Leger’s panel, online panelists from Asking Canadians (n=131), Decision Point (n=296), and Dynata (n=108) were invited and completed the survey. Panelists of Leger, Asking Canadians and Decision Point were all invited to complete the survey via a push invitation. Dynata does not push invitation to their panelists and instead matches their panelists to eligible surveys when the panelist visits their account.

Reporting

In the text of the report, unless otherwise noted, differences highlighted are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The statistical test used to find the significance of the results for percentages was the Z-test and for means was the T-test.

Due to rounding, results may not always add to 100%.

Quality Controls

Leger’s panel is actively monitored for quality through a number of approaches (digital fingerprinting, in-survey quality measures, incentive redemption requirements, etc.) to ensure that responses are only collected from legitimate Canadian panel members. The survey link is reviewed multiple times before a comprehensive soft launch is conducted in both languages. The soft launch data is thoroughly reviewed, and any changes are made before another test of the links and full-launch of the survey.

Final dispositions

Three of the four panel providers (Leger, Asking Canadians and Decision Point) used traditional email invitations to stimulate response to the survey. The participation rate calculation below is based on results from those providers, where 206 completed interviews were done by panelists from Leger, 131 from Asking Canadians and 296 from Decision Point. Dynata, however, employs a survey router and consequently participation rate for this portion of the sample cannot be calculated. In total, 5,656 Dynata panellists were ‘matched’ to this survey (meaning they had the opportunity to complete it) and 108 surveys were completed.

The participation rate for the Leger, Asking Canadians and Decision Point sample was 12.6% (calculated as the number of responding units, divided by the sum of unresolved units, in-scope non-responding units, and responding units).

The completion results for the Leger, Asking Canadians and Decision Point sample are as follows:

• Total email addresses used: 11,157
• Invalid cases: 5,748
• Invitations sent to people who did not qualify for the study: 5,748
• Unresolved (U): 4,220
• Email invitation bounce-backs: 1
• Email invitations unanswered: 4,219
• In-scope — Non-responding (IS): 507
• Non-response from eligible respondents: N/A
• Respondent refusals: N/A
• Language problem: N/A
• Selected respondent not available: N/A
• Qualified respondent break-off: 507
• In-scope — Responding units (R): 682
• Completed surveys disqualified — quota filled: 49
• Valid completed surveys: 633

Nonresponse

Respondents for the online survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys by joining an online opt-in panel. The notion of nonresponse is more complex than for random probability studies that begin with a sample universe that can, at least theoretically, include the entire population being studied. In panel studies, nonresponse can occur at a number of points before being invited to participate in this particular survey, let alone in deciding to answer any particular question within the survey.

The data was not weighted as no fulsome and recent profile of this population is available, and the demographic breakdown of respondents was in line with what is generally known about this group.

Total sample profile: region

	Sample (n)
Atlantic	35
Ontario	397
Manitoba/Saskatchewan	55
Alberta	97
British Columbia/Territories	157
Total	741

Total sample profile: age

	Sample (n)
25-34	430
35-49	283
50-60	28
Total	741

Total sample profile: gender

	Sample (n)
Male	328
Female	410
Other	3
Total	741

Total sample profile: household income (18 and older)

	Sample (n)
Under $40,000	186
$40,000 to just under $80,000	295
$80,000 and above	203
Prefer not to answer/No response	57
Total	741

Total sample profile: employment

	Sample (n)
Working full-time	464
Working part-time	87
Self-employed	27
Retired	1
Unemployed	81
Student	43
Other	27
Prefer not to answer/No response	11
Total	741

Margin of error

Respondents for the online survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate/registered to participate in online surveys. Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated. The results of such surveys cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population. The treatment here of the non-probability sample is aligned with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research for online surveys.

Survey duration

The online survey took an average of 10 minutes to complete.

Appendix B: Quantitative instrument

The quantitative instrument is provided in English and French under a separate cover.