Focus Group Study of Youth Reactions to Strategic and Creative Advertising Concepts Designed to Prevent Youth Tobacco Use among Multicultural Youth

Focus Group Study of Youth Reactions to Strategic and Creative Advertising Concepts Designed to Prevent Youth Tobacco Use among Multicultural Youth

Creative Development Moderator Guide

Reviewer Note: Moderator instructions are in brackets. Probes are italicized. The Moderator Guide consists of questions that researchers anticipate are relevant to ask. However, this does not mean that every question listed will definitely be asked. As per standard protocol for focus group research, researchers will allow the conversation to unfold naturally. Certain questions listed may no longer be asked because they may not be relevant to a particular discussion.

1. STUDY INTRODUCTION (5 Min)

1. Rules of the Group

[Moderator introduces study to all participants at same time once everyone is checked in and seated.]

Welcome and thank you for coming. My name is [insert moderator name] and I am the moderator of the focus group today. We also have [insert names of 2 research assistants] who will be helping out today. We are going to look some logos and videos, talk about them, eat some snacks, and have fun. At the end, as a token of appreciation you will each receive a $25 gift card. How does that sound?

We also want to remind you that no one outside of the focus group participants and researchers will know what you said during the discussions. It is completely up to you whether or not you take part today and you have the right to withdraw from the group at any time without penalty.

Finally, we are in no way connected to your school. We are from a health communications and research company in California. Your school was just nice enough to let us come here. So whatever you say to us stays with us.

So now that you know what we are doing, we have a few ground rules for the group:

1. TALK! We want you to share what you are thinking. Your main job is to answer our questions and tell us what you think. If you have no opinion on something, that’s ok too. There are no right or wrong answers!

2. Make sure to let everyone get a chance to talk. We want to hear from each person. So if you are talking a lot, let others talk for a little while.

3. Be nice to each other but be honest when you disagree—we need to hear your opinions. Our goal is not to get everyone to agree or disagree. It is about hearing each person’s unique opinion.

4. Feel free to share openly and honestly, but please do not share any personal information, like your name. Please also respect the privacy of everyone here by not sharing what is said in this discussion.

5. Silence your cell phones, turn off your iPod, get headphones off your ears, etc. If your parents call, you can step out and quickly talk to them, but other than your parents, please don’t text or answer calls or texts from other people.

2. Verbal Agreement to Audio Record

Before we begin, I would like to ask your permission to audio record this focus group. As I mentioned, all information from these focus groups will be kept private and protected, including the audio recording or any transcripts made from the audio recordings. So, is it ok with you if we audio record the focus group?

[If not everyone in the room agrees, then do not audio record group activities; research

assistants should take notes.]

Please feel free to grab a snack, and let’s get started!

2. CHECK-IN SURVEY (5 Min)

1. OK, so when you checked-in earlier, you were given a folder. That folder should contain your Check-In Survey [hold up Check-In Survey for participants to see].

2. Please do not write your name anywhere on the survey or on any of the other documents you will be filling out today. Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, just let one of us know when you’re done.

[After each participant completes the Check-In Survey, research assistants should circulate and instruct participants to insert the completed survey on the opposite side of their Participant

Folder.]

3. CAMPAIGN BRAND TESTING (20 Min)

[Up to four campaign brand ideas. For each group, all participants will see survey Version A or Version B and discuss brands and logos in that corresponding order.]

1. Brand Name Testing

Next, we’re going to discuss various brand names and logos and ask you to give your opinions on them. In your folder, you should each have a Brand Test Survey Version [say A/B out loud so that it is recorded] [hold up Brand Test Survey for participants to see]. We’re going to fill this out together, so please don’t move ahead without receiving the OK from us.

Let’s begin. We’re developing a new brand and we want to get your opinions about it. Please be as honest as possible when filling out the survey. You may now turn the cover page and fill out page 2 of the survey. Please read the instructions and only fill out page 2. [Research assistants should circulate and make sure that all youth have completed the question before moving forward.]

Great. So, let’s talk about your thoughts about the brand names you just saw.

1. Which of the brand names do you like the best?

   1. What message(s) does that brand name convey?

   2. What did you think of it?

   3. Who is this brand name speaking to? Why do you think so?

2. Which of the brand names do you like the least?

   1. Why?

3. Do any of the brand names remind you of another brand you have seen or heard of?

If so, what is it about this brand name that reminds you of another brand? Is that good or bad?

2. Brand Logo Testing

1. [Repeat for every set of brand logos]

Ok, you may now turn the cover page and fill out page [X] of the survey. Please read the instructions and only fill out page [X]. [Research assistants should circulate and make sure that all youth have completed the question before moving forward.]

Great. So, let’s talk about your thoughts about the logos you just saw.

1. Which of the logos do you like the best?

   1. What message(s) does the brand logo convey?

   2. What did you think of it?

   3. Who is this logo speaking to? Why?

   4. Does it convey a different message in this format than when you read the brand name in plain text?

   5. Do different logos (with the same name) speak to different people?

2. Could you see yourself wearing a t-shirt with this logo on it?

   1. Do you think your friends would wear clothing with this logo on it?

3. Which of the logos do you like the least?

1. Why?

2. Overall Brand Logo Discussion

Ok, you may now turn the cover page and fill out page [x] of the survey. Please read the instructions and only fill out page [x]. [Research assistants should circulate and make sure that all youth have completed the question before moving forward.]

Great. So, let’s talk about your thoughts about all of the logos you just saw.

1. Out of the logos you just saw, which of the logos do you like the best?

1. Why?

2. Which of the logos do you like the least?

1. Why?

3. If you could change any of the logos in anyway, what would you change about it?

1. Why?

4. If you could combine one of the names with a different design to make it better, which would you combine?

1. Why?

5. Is there anything else that you think would make it better?

4. CREATIVE CONCEPT TESTING (45 Min)

[Up to six campaign video storyboards will be shown to each group. Ad concepts will be revealed one at a time in Version A or B. As ad concepts are exposed, respondents will be asked to rate their initial reaction to each item on the survey before the discussion for that ad concept starts.]

1. Great. Thanks for your feedback. Next, we’re going to watch some videos and ask you to give your opinions. In your folder, you should each have a Creative Concept Survey [hold up Creative Concept Survey for participants to see]. We’re going to fill this out together, so please don’t move ahead without receiving the OK.

2. Now, one at a time, I’m going to show you the six concepts for new TV ads to convince young people to not smoke. These are not actual commercials, though, they are just ideas of what future commercials could look like. After our research, we plan to create the commercials that you tell us are the best. So try not to get too caught up in the small details and focus on the overall idea. We are going to look at six different concepts and we want to know what you think about each of them. After I show you each concept, I will instruct you to fill out that section of the survey and once everyone is finished, we will discuss as a group. We will talk about each of them individually and then compare them to each other at the end. Please pay close attention because I can only play these concepts once. For reference during analysis, we are viewing Version [A/B].

1. Repeat for every ad concept

We’re going to watch the first ad concept. [Research assistant should play video.]

Ok, you may now fill out the questions for Ad #[X]. Please read the instructions and only fill out Ad #[X]. [Research assistants should circulate and make sure that all youth have completed the items before moving forward.]

Great. So, let’s talk about your thoughts about the ad concept you just saw. As a reminder, ad concepts are just ideas of what future commercials could look like.

1. What is the message this ad concept is trying to convey?

1. Is this message interesting? Why/why not?

2. Is this message realistic or believable? Why/why not?

2. How did this ad concept make you feel?

3. What do you like about this concept?

4. What don’t you like about this concept?

1. What would make it better?

5. Did you learn anything from this concept?

1. If yes, what did you learn?

6. Is this concept relevant to you?

7. What do you think about the setting or situation in this concept?

8. Did this concept catch your attention?

1. If yes, what about it?

2. If not, why not?

9. What did you think about the tone or feeling of the ad concept?

1. Why/why not?

10. Was there anything that was confusing or didn’t make sense?

11. How does this ad make you feel about smoking cigarettes?

1. Is that different than how you felt before viewing the ad?

12. Do you think this ad would convince people your age to live tobacco free?

13. Do you think you would talk about this ad with friends?

1. Would you share this ad with your friends if it was available online?

1. Do you think this ad is directed to you and your friends?

1. Why/why not?

2. All Videos

   1. Great, now that we have seen all of the videos, which did you like the most? Why?

   2. Which videos did you like the least? Why?

3. Creative Concept/Logo Pairing:

Briefly recall a creative concept. Ask participants to comment on how the concept relates to each logo.

1. Does this logo fit with this concept? Why or why not?

2. Would you view this logo differently if it was paired with this concept? How does this concept change how you look at this logo?

Repeat for each concept.

5. FACT DISCUSSION (10 Min)

1. After seeing some of our concepts for commercials that highlight facts about tobacco, we want to ask you about some other tobacco facts to see what you think about them. The facts that you like the best could be included in more commercials or ads. So, we are going to show you a fact, read it out loud together and I would like for you to tell me if it is important and believable to you, personally. [Show first fact, read out loud; repeat questions for up to 10 facts]

   1. What do you think about this fact?

   2. Does it mention something that you care about?

      1. Why or why not?

         1. If yes, what part specifically?

         2. Why do you or don’t you care about this?

   3. Is it important to you?

   4. Have you heard this fact before? If so, where?

   5. Is this fact believable?

      1. Why/why not?

   6. If you saw this fact in a commercial like the ones you saw, would you like it?

   7. If you saw this posted on Facebook or Twitter, would you like it? Would you share or retweet it?

6. CHECK OUT (5 Min)

1. Thank you for your time today. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us.

2. Make sure that you collect all of your belongings and turn in your folder containing all of your completed worksheets from today. You can walk back to where you signed in to check out and collect your gift card. Thanks again!

[Have each participant check out by turning in their folder; make sure that all necessary documents are in the folder. Participant will initial the Check Out Form indicating that they have received their $25 gift card incentive. For each focus group, there should only be one Check Out Form for administrative purposes. Upon completion of focus group, organize all completed documents. The team should have a complete folder for each participant.]

Creative Development Moderator Guide Page 9 of 9