FDA Unified Consumer Communications Program

Discussion Guide

Unified Consumer Communications Program

U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Introduction (5 Minutes)

• Greeting – “Thank you for participation” and “Welcome”

• Explain format and purpose – “90 minute conversation”

• Confidentiality – “For market research purposes only”

  • Sensis is an objective 3^rd party hired by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and not direct federal employees.

  • Feel free to express like or dislike.

  • Your identity and anything you say will remain confidential to the extent permitted by law. Your names, addresses, and phone numbers will not be given to anyone, and no one will contact you after this group is over. When I write a summary of these groups, I will not refer to anyone by name.

• Note-taking/Video Recording: At the end of all our focus groups, we want to summarize our findings. I want to give you my full attention and not take a lot of notes, so I will refer to the recordings when writing the summary.

• We are interested in your “opinion” as an “expert” on the issues concerning public health

  • You are the expert. We are not experts.

  • There are no right or wrong answers.

• Be honest.

• Any questions before we start? Review of rules (i.e., silencing phones, talking one at a time, etc.).

Warm-up (5 Minutes)

• Group objective(s):

  • We’re interested in your position as an expert and in particular your understanding of the public health issues.

  • In addition to your views on public health, we will share a series of creative concepts. You do not have to be an expert on creativity, because we are interested in the reactions of people just like you to these creative concepts.

• Respondent instruction(s):

  • Let us go around the room and I would like to hear from each of you individually to get started and to allow the others to get to know each other.

  • One by one, please tell us about yourself: occupation, hobbies, and interests.

Public Health (10 Minutes)

I want to begin by having a brief discussion about public health in general.

• Scientists/Researchers only:

  • What are some of the types of research and studies that you are currently conducting or that interest you? I am not a scientist but please be as specific as possible. I’ll do my best to keep up.

  • When I mention public health, which entities or organizations come to mind? Who are the major players? [Listen for FDA but do not mention.] Moderator probes.

  • In your professional opinion, what are the major public health issues of today? Do you think that these issues will be the same say five years from now? Please tell me more.

  • From a scientist’s perspective, what do I need to understand about public health that I don’t know?

• Health Professionals only:

  • What are some of the most common types of health issues that you discuss with patients? What about with colleagues or professionally? Are these different conversations?

  • When I mention public health, which entities or organizations come to mind? Who are the major players? [Listen for FDA but do not mention.] Moderator probes.

  • In your professional opinion, what are the major public health issues of today? Do you think that these issues will be the same say five years from now? Please tell me more.

  • From a health professional’s perspective, what do I need to understand about public health that I don’t know?

• Industry only:

  • What are some public health issues and concerns that arise in terms of your line of work? Do they arise? How do they arise? Why are they important?

  • When I mention public health, which entities or organizations come to mind? Who are the major players? [Listen for FDA but do not mention.] Moderator probes.

  • In your professional opinion, what are the major public health issues of today? Do you think that these issues will be the same say five years from now? Please tell me more.

  • From a businessperson’s perspective, what do I need to understand about public health that I don’t know?

• Consumers only:

  • Who do you turn to for health related questions? Who else? Who do you trust? Who do you not trust?

  • When I mention public health, which entities or organizations come to mind? Who are the major players? [Listen for FDA but do not mention.] Moderator probes.

  • In your personal opinion, what are the major public health issues of today? Do you think that these issues will be the same say five years from now? Please tell me more.

Mood Board Exercise (20 Minutes)

I mentioned that I wanted to share creative concepts with you, but before I do I wanted to share a series of collages. Each collage has a certain kind of mood. I am hoping you can help me understand the mood for each collage. Let’s give it a try.

• Expose all the mood boards (3) gallery style on easels or against the wall. Ask respondents to get up and familiarize themselves. “I’ll give you a couple minutes.”

• Once they are seated, probe initial reactions. What did you think?

• Which words or associations come to mind for you? Probe and record for each mood board.

• Wonderful. Thank you. Let’s continue.

Creative Test (40 Minutes)

Now, I’d like to share a series of creative concepts with you. Please keep in mind that these concepts are incomplete and require your feedback before we polish them. As such, they may seem somewhat foreign, but keep in mind that these are not the types of finished communication materials to which you might be accustomed.

Secondly, I am going to spend the remainder of the time we have together focusing on the FDA.

• Scientists/Researchers/Health Professionals/Industry:

  • In your professional opinion, what does the FDA do?

  • What is their role?

  • What have your interactions been with them, if any?

  • What are your perceptions of the FDA?

  • Moderator will need to neutralize potentially negative or biased perceptions.

• Consumers:

  • What do you think the FDA does?

  • What does FDA stand for?

  • Do you have perceptions of the FDA?

  • Moderator will need to neutralize potentially negative or biased perceptions.

• Expose each concept gallery style according to creative rotation (see following section). Once again ask respondents to get up and peruse the stimuli. Expose each conceptual direction gallery style. Then discuss. Repeat for each direction.

Diagnostics (per concept):

• Moderator asks respondents to record all reactions on paper for diagnostics per concept.

• Once they are seated, what did you think? [Rationale: Open-ended]

• For this set of materials, which words or associations come to mind? [Rationale: Perception/Tone]

• Does anything stand out about this particular approach? [Rationale: Breakthrough]

• Does this set of materials speak to you personally? [Rationale: Relevance]

• What does this particular set of materials say to you? Does it make sense to you? [Rationale: Comprehension]

• Moderator hides concept: What is the one thing you remember about this concept? [Rationale: Memorability/Recall]

• Which one would you most likely tell a friend about or perhaps post online? [Rationale: Persuasion]

Logo(s), Lock-up and Branding:

• What are your thoughts on the logo? Probe.

• What about the sub-brands or secondary logos? Moderator probes.

• Looking at all of these pieces together, it this an organization that you trust? Why? Why not? Please be specific. Can you give me an example?

• What is this combination of materials trying to say? What’s missing, if anything?

• Does this approach in any way associate with any of the collages we saw earlier? If so, which ones and why? Or, why not?

• Any thoughts about the overall design? Tell me more.

Individual concept elements:

• I’d like to talk about specific pieces within each approach? Is there something that stood out to you? Please explain.

• What does this piece say about the FDA?

• Do you use these forms of communication?

This is helpful feedback. Thank you. Just a couple more questions

• Moderator exposes all concepts all at once around the room. Looking at everything what is your takeaway/impression? Who is this, based on what is displayed around the room?

• Please write down your preferred approach. Discuss.

• Now write down which collage related best with your preferred direction and why? Discuss.

Creative Rotation

To minimize bias, concepts will be exposed according to following creative rotation.

Key:

• Option 1: Untouched Logo – L

• Option 2: Refined Logo – M

• Option 3: Redesigned Logo – N

Go to next page.

	OPTION 1	OPTION 2	OPTION 3
Group 1: Health Professionals	L	M	N
Group 2: Researchers/Scientists	M	N	L
Group 3: Researchers/Scientists	N	M	L
Group 4: Industry	L	N	M
Group 5: Consumers	M	L	N
Group 6: Health Professionals	N	L	M
Group 7: Consumers	L	M	N
Group 8: Industry	M	N	L

Closing (10 Minutes)

• Wrap-up

  • The FDA is considering an update of visual identity and wanted your input before doing so. Any thoughts or reactions to that news?

  • Is there anything that you would like to add before we close?

  • Thank and close

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