Social Marketing for Extension Agents

1. Social Marketing for Extension Agents Paul Monaghan March 3, 2010

2. Agenda • How can social marketing fit in with Extension Programming logic model? • A common social marketing tool: materials pre-testing. • Homework: Using web 2.0 to learn social marketing

3. Problem: The unsustainable use of water resources in the home landscape Program Goal: Assist and support County Extension and other community stakeholders in their efforts to change landscaping behavior (yard design, water use, application of fertilizer and pesticides) through the use of Florida Friendly practices and BMPs, resulting in improved sustainability Clients Specific needs Outputs: Extension programming Outcomes Florida Friendly /BMPs adopted statewide County Faculty 1. Better understanding of client (consumer) needs. Establish pilot programs utilizing community-based social marketing (CBSM) Water managers, environmental protection offices Measurable impact on water resources 2. Improved program design: BMPs, Educational tools, incentives. Test and disseminate programs and materials statewide Citizens, political leaders, program administrators Recommendations for policy improves BMP and water management programs Evaluate landscaping behavior change in multiple counties 3. Improved program delivery and evaluation of behavior change. 4. Need evaluation of programs that are used to encourage BMP adoption CBSM improves partnerships and policy maker’s knowledge of consumer landscaping behavior County Faculty adopt cbsm principles

4. How do you know if you are doing social marketing? You have to incorporate these 7 key items: • Define public (target audience) • Utilize policy • Invite participation (community-based) • Decide on product (behaviors & benefits) • Research the price (what’s the competition?) • Research the placement (convenience) • Decide on the promotion (magnets?)

5. Part 2. A common social marketing tool: materials pretesting

6. Principles of pretesting materials Introduction: Why is it so important? • Ensure that target audience comprehends the message • Learn about unintended interpretations • Catch potentially costly mistakes • Provides a “real world” grounding • Providing test audience with choices lets you pick the most visually appealing and effective materials (from Hands On Social Marketing, by Weinreich, 1999)

7. Be Careful • Pretesting is only as good as the research and interpretation. Can’t always determine what will work, but it tells you the strength and weakness of your materials • Use QUALITATIVE methods: don’t expect to get statistically significant feedback.

8. Be Careful • Do your pretesters really represent your audience or are they biased in some way? • You might not be able to interpret or incorporate all of their suggestions. • Try to get CONSENSUS by repeating the pretest as often as possible. • Try to have an advisory group that helps you interpret results. • Repeat with modified materials

9. What pretest questions will reveal • Comprehension • Relevance • Attract attention • Remember the message? • Credibility • Culturally acceptable • Do they change knowledge or attitudes • What are the strongest and weakest points?

10. What constitutes “materials” that need pretesting? • Brands and logos • Campaign slogans • Educational materials, workshop curricula 4. Media campaigns (radio, tv, posters) 5. Brochures 6. Spokespersons 7. Campaign strategies (commitment contracts, prompts, rewards, recognition, social pressure)

11. Before we go any further… • Have you identified your target audience? • Can you point to some research that characterizes their behavior, beliefs, attitudes? 3. Have you created a “product” that is a specific behavior you want them to adopt? 4. Have you looked at barriers to their adoption of the product and tried to lower them? 5. Have you decided what benefits they will receive from your product and made an effort to promote these?

12. How to conduct the pretest The 2 most common methods are focus groups and intercept surveys.

13. Focus Groups Defined: Planned discussion among small group of participants with the intent of revealing their perceptions about a particular topic Main points: • No more than 10 people at a time. • Try to get similar individuals • Keep it to an hour • Make participants comfortable, encourage their participation. • Use probing questions (not “why” but, “what makes you say that?”)

14. Surveys Defined: one on one conversation using an interview guide where answers are recorded. • Advantage over focus groups is that you can do it out in public, meeting people and asking them to participate on the spot. • Disadvantage is that you don’t get the spontaneous idea generation that comes from a small group. • Can use the same questions and probes

15. Questions to ask in pre-test(remember that language is important and you should record responses on tape or write it on flipcharts and in notes) • What is the item telling you to do? What makes you say that? • What is the main idea it is trying to get across? • What first caught your eye? • What do you like or dislike? • Who do you think this is speaking to? Does it speak to someone like you? • Is there anything about the material you find offensive or annoying? • How likely are you to follow the recommended action? • How does it compare with others?

16. Homework • Join the Extension CBSM wiki page • Email me at: paulf@ufl.edu • Post a question, add your idea, get others involved.