DISCUSSION GUIDE
TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Creative Concept Testing Designed to Prevent Youth ENDS Use in General and Hip-Hop Audiences
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
Hi! My name is ________ and I will be your moderator in this session. Thanks for being here with me today.
I want to make you aware of a few things before we get started. Behind me is a two-way mirror, where some of my colleagues are. Wave hi! They are working with me on this project and are just as interested in your opinions as I am.
For the next 95 minutes we will be having a discussion about a couple of topics that I think you’ll find interesting. Since I don’t want to be taking notes the whole time, we will be making an audio recording of the session. Your identity and anything you say here will remain anonymous; your name, address, and phone number will not be given to anyone and no one will contact you regarding this study after this discussion is over. The recording will just help me remember what you say now so I can make sense of it later.
I work independently from the client – that means I have no stake in your opinions. It won’t hurt my feelings and I won’t get fired based on what you say today. I just want to hear what you honestly think. There are no right or wrong answers.
Let’s go over some ground rules. First, please put your phones away, I will need your undivided attention.
Next, please talk one at a time, and use a voice as loud as mine. Please contribute freely and be an active part of this group; we want to hear from everyone. Also, allow for different points of view, there are no wrong answers. Say what you believe, even if you are the only one.
PARTICIPANT INTRODUCTIONS [5 MINUTES]:
Okay, now for a round of introductions. I’d like to have you say your first name, your age, and something that you have done for fun during your free time this summer. Let’s start on my left.
SECTION 2: VAPING EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATIONS
I want to start off today by hearing a little bit about e-cigarette use and vaping.
1. ENDS – VOCABULARY & PRODUCTS
[Moderator will present de-identified, generic images of several types of vapes/e-cigarettes (disposable, branded, cartomizers, atomizers, eGo ecigs (vape pens), mechanical mods (RBA)]
I want to switch gears a little now. I’m going to show you some images of products [HOLD UP BOARD].
Can you tell me what these products are?
What are they called?
What do you and your friends call them?
What have you seen or heard about these products? What kinds of these products do you know about? Are there brands that seem more popular among people your age? [Probe for terminology used, vape pens versus tank systems; probe on customization of tanks – are they aware of such things?]
What kinds of words do you use to talk about using these products? [Probe on “vaping” whether they bring it up or not; gain an understanding of terms used and commonness/pervasiveness of terms.]
When you guys see someone using an e-cigarette or a vape, do you say they are…
PROBE: Smoking? Vaping? JUUL-ing? Something else? What?
Thank you. A lot of our conversation today is going to be about vapes, like JUUL. Sometimes these products are also called vapes, vape pens, hookah pens, personal vaporizers and mods, e-cigars, pipes, or e-hookahs. Just so we’re on the same page, I will be calling the products vapes from now on. I will also use the term “vaping” to describe using these products. Please know that when I use the word “vaping” I am referring to using vapes or vaping only, not smoking traditional cigarettes or any other substance.
What are the new products that you’ve seen? Is there a product or device that’s brand new that’s recently become more popular?
2. ENDS – USERS
Now I want to hear about people you know, your friends, and other people you see at school.
How popular is vaping here?
How popular is vaping with people your age?
PROBE: Has this changed as you’ve gotten older?
What kind of people vape? Describe them. How are vapers different from non-vapers?
PROBE: Now, let’s do a fill-in-the-blank activity. Using the pen and paper in front of you, please write down the first word that comes to mind when I say… “People who vape are BLANK.” What did you write down? Why?
3. ENDS – PRODUCTS
Let’s talk about the kinds of products and brands people use to vape.
What brands of e-cigarettes and vapes do you hear about?
PROBE (when JUUL is mentioned): Do people only use JUUL?
Do you know people who smoke cigarettes AND vape?
PROBE: How many people vape and smoke?
PROBE: Did these people smoke first or vape first? Do they prefer to do one or the other? Probe on the idea of vaping as a “gateway” to smoking.
PROBE: Does smoking say something different about them than vaping does? If so, what?
What flavors are cool with your friends who vape right now? Why do you think these are cool?
How do people you know get their vapes? Do they buy it themselves? How do they get new cartridges or other supplies?
4. ENDS – OCCASIONS
Now I’d like to talk to you about when people you know vape.
Is there a time that’s most common for people you know to vape? Help me understand how often people vape…
PROBE: At school? During after-school activities? When they are home alone after school? At parties on the weekend?
5. ENDS – DRIVERS & RISKS
Why do you think people you know vape?
PROBE: What do they think are the benefits of vaping?
What keeps the people you know who don’t vape from vaping?
What do you think are the risks or downsides of vaping?
PROBE: Is it possible to be addicted to vaping? What makes you say this?
PROBE: What do you think about the vapor itself? What’s it made of? Is it safe? Probe on chemicals vs. water vapor.
PROBE: On a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the most dangerous, how dangerous do you think vaping is? What about cigarette smoking?
For the whole group to answer…
What would help you not to vape?
What would help your friends not vape? What would have to change?
SECTION 3: ADVERTISING
Now we’re going to switch gears and spend a few minutes talking about advertising you might have seen.
What type of advertising have you seen that involves smoking, vaping, etc.?
PROBE: What types of ads were they?
PROBE: Can you describe them?
PROBE: What did you think about them?
Have you seen advertising that discourages smoking, vaping, etc.?
PROBE: What types of ads were they? Where did you see them?
PROBE: Can you describe them?
PROBE: What did you think of them?
SECTION 4: CREATIVE CONCEPT TESTING
[Moderator will obtain participants’ reactions to up to six campaign concepts per 95-minute group. Concepts and order shown will be randomized from group to group.]
Now, I’ve got a few ideas for new commercials that I’d like to show you. These are not fully finished – with illustrations to show key images of the ad with the audio voiceover for each scene they are meant to represent what would eventually be filmed with real people. These videos are simply to communicate the idea behind each ad and they are still in development; try not to get too caught up in the small details.
What we’re looking for here is how you feel about the idea within these ads. We can change the way it looks or the people who are in it, so let’s not worry about that – we want to know if this idea and message is interesting to you and why or why not.
Once we’ve seen it, I want you to write down what you think the main idea is, and what are the words that come to mind when you see this ad. [Remind participants not to write names on worksheet].
It is important again to remember that these ads are not fully finished right now, so I’m really looking for your thoughts on the idea.
For #1, jot down what you think the main message is – that is, what is the most important thing they are trying to tell you?
For #2, grade the ad. Just like in school, “A” means great job, you really like the ad and “F” means it failed, you didn’t like the ad at all.
For #3, answer a few questions to tell us about your reactions to the ad. Just check the box that answers how much you agree or disagree with each statement.
For #4 tell us what did you like about this ad.
And, for #5, tell us what you would change about the ad to make it better.
Key questions for all concepts
Main Message:
What do you think is the main idea of this ad? Why do you say that?
PROBE: What maybe use information instead is this ad trying to communicate? What do you think about them?
What, if anything, was unclear or confusing?
What did you like about this ad?
What did you dislike about this ad?
What, if anything, was unclear or confusing?
Back-up probes if time/conversation stalls:
Do you find this ad interesting? Why?
How does this ad make you feel?
Did you learn anything from this ad? If yes, what did you learn?
Believability/Compelling:
Do you believe what this ad is trying to say? Why/why not?
What, if anything would you change or add to make it more believable?
Do you feel this ad is directed to you? To people your age? Why or why not?
Would you talk about this ad with friends?
Would you share this ad with friends? How would you share it? (e.g., DM on Instagram)
Would it make you think twice about vaping?
Would you share this ad with your friends if it was available online?
Concept-specific probes (examples)
GRADUATION
The ad said, “Teens who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.” Is this something you’ve heard before?
What do you think of the main line of this ad “teens who vape are mote likely to start smoking cigarettes”
[if not mentioned] Do you think this is believable
[if not mentioned earlier] How would you describe the tone of this ad? How did it make you feel?
PROBE: [serious, sad, scary, exaggerated, etc.]
How would you describe the girl in the ad?
When this girl gets a pack of cigarettes instead of a diploma, how would you describe her in that moment?
PROBE: [depressed, scared, lost potential, lonely, nervous, ashamed, regret, etc.]
Do you think this ad would convince teens your age not to use vapes?
VAPING 2.0
The ad said, “If you vape, you’re more likely to start smoking cigarettes.” Is this something you’ve heard before?
[if not mentioned] Do you believe it could happen to you? To anyone?
[if not mentioned] Do you think there is a connection between vapes and cigarettes?
The ad used the phrase, “the next generation of vapes.” What does that mean to you?
[if not mentioned] Does the phrase make it sound like cigarettes are somehow better than vapes?
Have you ever heard people compare vapes to “technology” in this way? What do you think about that?
What do you think about this statement “If you vape, you’re more likely to start smoking cigarettes”?
Do you think that statement is true? Why or why not?
MODERN
METAL WEAPON
What do you think about the setting or situation in this ad?
What do you think of the term “toxic metals”?
Was there a particular metal that stood out to you?
PROBE: Like nickel, chromium, or lead?
Before you saw this ad, did you know that vapes contain toxic or harmful metals? Did you know that vaping can put those metals into your lungs?
PROBE: Does this scare/alarm you? How do you feel about that fact?
Does this ad make you believe that vaping is harmful?
PROBE: That they’re harmful because of the metals in vapes?
How would you describe the tone of this ad?
PROBE: Scary, funny, silly, alarming, dramatic, etc.
What do you think of the character in this ad (the knight)?
Would you replace this character with someone else?
Do you think this ad is directed to you and your friends? Why or why not?
Would you share this ad with your friends if it was available online?
Let’s discuss other ways to make this fact about inhaling toxic metals into your lungs more compelling. What if I said that vaping could impact your performance (athletics, dance, etc.)? (Probe around the importance of healthy lungs/why it’s important to have healthy lungs)
SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ON YOURSELF
[If not mentioned in relatability] Is this setting of a science lab relatable to you?
When the students realized they were actually being experimented on, how did that make you feel?
[PROBE] Was this surprising, unsettling, scary, weird, interesting, etc.?
The ad said, “If you vape, you’re experimenting on yourself.” What does that mean to you?
Does this make you think vaping is harmful or dangerous?
What did you think about the chemicals they mentioned (cancer-causing chemicals, formaldehyde, and toxic metals)?
Was there one in particular that stood out to you? Why?
[PROBE] Dangerous/scary, memorable-sounding, never heard it before, etc.
ADDICTION ISN’T PRETTY
How would you describe the girl in this ad? What do you think is going through her mind?
How would you describe the boy in the ad? What kind of person is he?
The ad said, “Whether you’re addicted to vapes or anything else, addiction isn’t pretty.”
In that sentence, what does “anything else” mean to you? [PROBE: harder drugs, alcohol, technology, food, etc.]
When it says “addiction isn’t pretty,” what does that mean?
PROBE: [not acting like yourself, won’t like who you are, bad behavior, you will do gross things, etc.]
Do you know anyone who could relate to these two scenes/stories? Anyone who’s been in a similar situation?
Are there other situations you would replace these with?
The line at the end of the ad said, “Are you a Juunkie?” What did that mean to you?
CRAP PLAN
This ad said the nicotine in vapes has been proven to reduce attention span and memory. Have you heard something like this before?
[PROBE on believability if not mentioned earlier]
Is the situation of an SAT tutor/plan relatable to you? Why or why not?
The ad says, “Most vapes contain nicotine, which can reduce your prospects.” What does that idea of “reduce your prospects” mean to you?
PROBE: [make you less popular, make you less smart, fewer opportunities for your career, etc.]
Are there any other effects or consequences of vaping that you think might reduce your prospects?
BLACK BAR
The ad says, “Vaping can get between you and your education.” What does that mean to you?
PROBE: [not able to focus, won’t learn as much, won’t get into a good college, won’t be successful]
Do you know anyone who could relate to these scenes/stories? Anyone who’s been in a similar situation?
Are there other school situations where vapes have gotten in the way, ones that you would replace these with?
[if not mentioned in earlier “confusion” questions] In this ad, who is being affected by the vapes? Is it students only, or the teacher too?
VAPE BRAIN
What did you think of the term “Vape Brain” – how else would you define it?
[PROBE for unintentional consequences – i.e., would any of them think of “vape brain” as the headrush you can get from a nicotine hit? Or is “vape brain” just the idea that they’re thinking about vaping instead of what they’re actually doing?]
How would you describe the characters in these scenes of the ad?
PROBE: [at the moment they go the wrong way / mess up a test / forget a line] [embarrassed, sad, confused, distracted, awkward, etc.]
Do you know anyone who could relate to these scenes/stories? Anyone who’s been in a similar situation?
Are there other situations you would replace these with?
WAKE UP
What did you think about the people in this ad?
Would you look up to someone like the main character? Why or why not?
What do you think about this statement: “staying wise to the facts”?
What does this mean to you?
What do you think about the message of addiction?
What does addiction mean to you?
Is this message about vaping realistic or believable? Why or why not?
What did you think about the setting(s) in this ad?
I would like to get your thoughts on facts related to nicotine and addiction.
What if I told you that One JUUL pod [or, some vapes can] contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes [or 20 regular cigarettes]?
What if I told you that Nicotine from e-cigarettes reaches the brain within 10 seconds?
What if I told you that teens who vape may end up addicted to nicotine faster than teens who smoke?
Creative Concept Comparison
Now think about all the ads I shared with you. I’d like to get your thoughts about all the ads shown today [Moderator holds up ranking worksheet and walks through the different sections. Reminds participants not to write names on worksheet. Allows time for participants to fill out. If possible, probe on participants’ responses.].
Thinking about everything you’ve seen today and the discussions we’ve had…
Which ad is going to stick with you tomorrow?
Do you feel any differently about vaping?
SECTION 5: MESSAGE PROBES
Messaging Probes
Now that we’ve seen all the ads, I have a few questions to get your impressions on ideas we could use in future ads. I can tell you that all of these statements are “true” – scientists wrote the statements I’m going to read using the latest research. What I want to know is what you think of the statement – is it interesting to you?
For each group, the moderator will have a randomized list of eight or fewer of these statements to review with the participants.
1 |
Vapes can contain diacetyl; when inhaled this can lead to irreversible obstructive lung disease, which would make it permanently hard to breathe. |
2 |
Vapes can contain formaldehyde and acrolein – some of the same toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke. |
3 |
Vapes can contain microscopic metal particles like nickel, tin, and lead that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. |
4 |
We don’t yet know what the long-term impacts of vaping are because vapes haven’t been around long enough to study the effects over time. But what we know so far is concerning. |
5 |
Teens who vape may end up addicted to nicotine faster than teens who smoke cigarettes. |
6 |
Teens who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes. |
7 |
Teens who vape may experience coughing and wheezing. |
8 |
E-cigarettes have exploded, causing fires and burn injuries. |
10 |
Pieces of bacteria and fungi have been found in some vapes. |
11 |
E-cigarette use may be associated with nausea, vomiting, headache, and dizziness. |
12 |
What if I told you that vaping can contain chemicals that can/could lead to nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, drowsiness, delirium, and hallucinations? |
13 |
What if I told you that vapes with buttery flavors like caramel, toffee, or chocolate can contain diacetyl, a chemical that’s been linked to a harmful lung disease known as “popcorn lung”? |
14 |
What if I told you that fruity vape flavors can contain high levels of acrylonitrile, a known respiratory irritant and cancer-causing chemical? |
SECTION 6: CONCLUSION
I am going to go and check with my colleagues in the back to see if they have any other questions after listening to our discussion today.
Thank you guys so much for taking the time to talk! Your feedback and opinions have been really helpful. Before I let you go, I have one final question. Which of the ads that you saw today would be the most likely to get your friends to stop vaping? Why?
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | DV8 Discussion Guide |
| Author | ian pierpoint |
| Last Modified By | SYSTEM |
| File Modified | 2019-06-10 |
| File Created | 2019-06-10 |