Census Copy Testing -- Plan

Census Copy Testing Research

OMB Control Number: 0607-0950

ICR Reference Number: 200809-0607-005

Background

The Census Bureau has asked DraftFCB to oversee copy testing research utilizing generic clearance. We, DraftFCB, plan to conduct primary research to pre-test campaign communications materials to ensure that the most effective and relevant communications are developed as part of the Integrated Communications Campaign (ICC). Communications materials such as TV and print creative executions, partnership toolkits, and public relations concepts will be pre-tested during the early stages of development. The copy testing results will be used to refine and make adjustments to materials prior to being produced in final form.

The specific marketing campaign goals are:

• Increase mail response

• Improve overall accuracy and reduce the differential undercount

• Improve cooperation with enumerators

The specific research objectives are:

• Evaluate most campaign elements to ensure that programs and communications objectives are being met

• Learn which messages resonate with each target audience and specifically what promotes or detracts from participation

• Provide insights into improving/revising programs and messages

• Assess participants’ understanding of the communications and evaluate on dimensions including persuasiveness, believability, likeability, etc.

Methods

Copy testing will employ both quantitative and qualitative approaches (quail-quant) for data collection per session. Quantitative survey data will be collected via in-person EDC (electronic data collection system) group interviews, using individual handheld wireless electronic data devices.

We plan to conduct 58 Electronic Data Collection sessions with approximately 20-21 participants in each group: n=1160-1218. We plan to conduct 21 Qualitative-only groups with approximately 8-10 participants in each group: n=168-210.  Total sample for entire study approximately 1328-1428 people. Each session should last about 2 hours.

• The qualitative/quantitative (quail-quant) methodology will be used to pre-test the materials prototypical of following types of programs:

• Print

• TV (story boards, video story boards)

• Public Relation ideas

• Digital/online content

• Event ideas

• Radio

• The pre-testing approach will allow for:

  • Collection of opinions about the messages individually and anonymously

  • Collection of respondents’ understanding communications, persuasiveness, believability, likeability, diagnostics, engagement, anticipated action, and attitudes towards the Census as well as how communications contribute to ‘igniting conversation’

  • Quick turn around of results; instantaneous feedback

  • In-depth qualitative discussion to allow for further probing on feedback

• Research design will ensure:

  • Communication with hard to count audiences in many geographies and non-traditional venues

    • Portability to bring the research to the respondents in hard to reach areas (e.g., Indian reservations, rural American, etc.)

    • Appropriate methodology to engage “technically unsophisticated”, rural poor, non-English speaking, and disadvantaged groups

  • Comparable and consistent evaluation across various audiences without cultural bias

Target Audience

Mass Communications Base Plan (English Speaking America)

• Twelve (12) EDC groups as follows:

Ethnically diverse mix in the following markets (# of EDC’s per market TBD):

• Cincinnati

• Boston

• Austin, TX

• Charlotte

• St. Louis or Kansas City

• Omaha

Black:

• Eight (8) EDC groups as follows:

  • African American: 2 in Birmingham; 2 in Chicago

  • Black African Immigrants: 1 in Atlanta; 1 in Wash. D.C.

[Note: Black African will include East African (Ethiopian/Somalia)

West African (Nigerian/Ghanaian)]

• Black Caribbean Immigrants:

  • English-speaking: 1 in NYC; 1 in Miami

• Additional Qualitative:

  • Black-biracial: 4 Qual group in Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Atlanta

  • Haitian Creole: 2 Qual groups; 1 in NYC & 1 in Miami

Hispanic:

• Twelve (14) EDC groups as follows:

  • Cuban Immigrants: 2 in Miami

  • Puerto Rican: 1 in Boston; 1 in NYC

(NYC = Mixed with Dominicans)

• Mexican American Immigrants: 2 in Los Angeles 2 in Charlotte; 2 in Chicago

• Central/South Amer. Immigrants: 2 in Miami; 2 in Wash. D.C.

[Miami for Columbians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Mexicans;

Wash DC for Guatemalans, Salvadorians & Peruvians]

Puerto Rico:

• 2 EDC groups: 1 San Juan residents; 1 with rural residents (transported to San Juan)

American Indian/Alaska Native:

• American Indian: 4 EDC groups as follows:

  • Phoenix, AZ

  • Hogansburg, NY

  • Pierre, SD

  • Hollywood, FL

• Alaska Native:

  • 2 EDC groups: Fairbanks

  • 2 Qual groups: Nome (remote natives)

NHOPI:

• 5 Qual groups as follows:

  • 2 in Honolulu

  • 3 in Los Angeles (includes redo)

Asian:

• Sixteen (16) EDC groups as follows:

  • Mandarin: 1 in NYC; 1 in San Francisco

  • Cantonese: 1 in NYC; 1 in San Francisco

  • Korean: 1 in NYC; 1 in Los Angeles

  • Filipino: 1 in NYC; 1 in San Diego

  • Vietnamese: 1 in San Jose; 1 in Houston

• Japanese: 1 in Los Angeles; 1 Honolulu

• Asian Indian: 1 in NYC; 1 in San Jose

• English speaking Asian/non-first Generation (include Mandarin, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Asian Indian, Vietnamese): 1 in NYC; 1 in Los Angeles

• Two (2) Qual Groups as follows:

  • Cambodian: 2 in Long Beach

Other/Emerging Markets:

• Six (6) Qual groups as follows:

  • Polish: 2 in Chicago

  • Russian: 1 in Los Angeles; 1 in New York

  • Arabic: 1 in NYC; 1 in Los Angeles

Period of Performance:

• Fieldwork is scheduled for January – March 2009. Reporting of results will be issued in April 2009.

Recruitment Techniques (including incentives and length)

The vendor will work with local and national recruiters to locate and qualify the appropriate participants. These professional recruiters work from public lists (organization memberships, mailing lists, subscription lists, etc.). Many maintain their own databases from which they also draw. Much of the recruitment is done by telephone but also by posting notices, referral and advertising.

Certain audiences present recruiting challenges. Hard-to-reach, hard-to-find participants require more than a phone call or e-mail invitation. In order to find and win cooperation of some audiences, some possibilities include:

• Left flyers on the windshields of hard-to-find automobile makes and models in church parking lots

• Positioned invitations in the web communities of very specific audiences

• Used Craig’s List and other online forums

• Offered raffle prizes and lotteries to respondents for their participation

• Visited community centers

Screening Burden

We expect to screen approximately 49,000 potential participants in order to get 1,428 qualified participants.

For the participants who qualify (1,428 people), their estimated burden hours would be 190 based on 8 minutes of screening time.

The total amount of screening burden hours, based upon all contacts made whether qualified and unqualified, is estimated at 6,533 based on 8 minutes of screening time.

Survey Burden

For the main survey portion of this research, the estimated burden hours for participants who qualify (1,428 people) would be 2,856 based on 2 hours of research time.

Recruitment costs for qualified respondents be approximately $107,100, based upon payment of approximately $75 per participant, though some variation depending on region and difficulty to recruit is taken into account.

Total Burden

The total burden hours for all participants regardless of qualification: 9,389

The total burden cost: $107,100

Contact

The contact person for questions regarding the design of this research as follows:

Tasha Boone

4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 8H479

Suitland, MD 20746

301-763-3977

tasha.r.boone@census.gov