1525-0012-0184 Justification US MINT Qualitative Tagline Research (In Depth Interviews)

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1525-0012-0184

United States Mint

Qualitative Tagline research (In Depth Interviews)

8/1/2013

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of the research is to collect information from United States Mint customers and non-customers to confirm that the Mint’s current tagline “Connecting America through Coins” is relevant and meaningful to both customers and non-customers in a numismatic context. The results from this research will be used to improve future advertising and other types of communication with customers and non-customers. In turn, this will help us increase awareness and eventually generate new participants in the numismatic hobby.

Executive Order No. 12862 (September 1993), titled “Setting Customer Service Standards,” established a mandate for the government to improve and adhere to best practices when providing customer service directly to the American people such as surveys of customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services (Section 1b). The United States Mint continuously strives, as part of its mission, to provide the highest quality service to the American people. To effectively accomplish these goals, it is crucial for the United States Mint to ensure that our communication strategy aligns with consumer preferences and expectations. To that end, these focus groups will enable the United States Mint to reach our mission of effectively serving the numismatic community.

There would be no direct consequences to federal program or policy activities if this collection is not conducted other than the United States Mint’s reduced ability to offer collectible coin products for sale that customers are interested in or service that does not meet customer standards.

Qualitative Research Topic Outline

The topics planned for discussion are:

1. Current collecting behavior – when did they start collecting, why did they start collecting, feelings associated with collecting coins/other items

2. Tagline assessment – Assessment of “Connecting America Through Coins” vs. other possible taglines

Sample Design and Methodology

A total of 32 one-on-one in-depth interviews will be conducted in 4 cities (8 interviews per location) – which will include a combination of customers and non-customers.

This methodology was chosen because one-on-one interviews reduce bias that can be found in focus groups and we want these respondents to give us honest, thought-out opinions.

Customers will be recruited from United States Mint customer records. Non-customers will be recruited from facility databases over the phone using the screening forms that we developed to ensure they meet the qualifications we are seeking.

 

Methods to Maximize Response Rates

Based on previous qualitative research we have completed, we expect one out of every seven customers contacted will agree to participate in the study and that one out of 30 non-customers will agree to participate. Cities will be selected based on concentration of customers. By recruiting in cities with a higher number of United States Mint customers, the likelihood of participation increases. Appropriate screeners will be set up to guarantee selection of the right customers for the study. A monetary incentive will be offered. This is a common industry practice.

Estimate of the Burden Hours

The collection of information will include completion of 32 one-on-one in-depth interviews, each lasting about an hour. Therefore, the total estimated burden hours for this collection are:

	Qualitative Tagline Research
All respondents	32
Average Interview Minutes	60
Total estimated burden	32 hours