"Talk. They Hear You."® Campaign Focus Groups for 2019 Public Service Announcements

Form Approved

OMB No. 0990-0459

Exp. Date 09/30/2020

“Talk. They Hear You.”^® 2019 PSA

FOCUS GROUP

MODERATOR’S DISCUSSION GUIDE

INTRODUCTION [10 minutes]

• Hello. Welcome! Thank you for taking time from your day to come here to talk with us.

• My name is _______________, and I will facilitate our conversation today.

• We value your opinions, your ideas, suggestions, and concerns about parenting with today’s challenges, and we will evaluate some ideas our sponsor has to address one of those challenges. Your participation in this discussion is of great importance to us because your suggestions will help improve on the ideas you will see today.

DISCLOSURES AND GUIDELINES

The session will last approximately two hours.

You have signed a Release and Consent Form telling you that we are digitally recording this session so that the information can be used to accurately reconstruct our conversation and to assure that we capture all of your ideas

Other members of our team will be observing through that one-way mirror.

Your privacy is important to us. Your names will not be used in reports and nothing you say will be attributed to you. A report will be written and only your opinions, suggestions, feelings, or experiences will be included. We are most interested in what was said, not who said it.

We want to hear about your opinions, comments, and experiences. There are no good or bad answers, only comments, so please feel free to add a different opinion to what someone else said. We want to have several points of view.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0990-0459. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, to review and complete the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, OS/OCIO/PRA, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 336-E, Washington D.C. 20201, Attention: PRA Reports Clearance Officer

Please speak one at a time and loud enough to be heard.

I will move quickly, sometimes, from one topic to another to make sure that we touch on the many topics we need to cover.

Please take this time now to shut off or silence your cell phones. We cannot have the distraction of cell phones during the discussion.

Any questions?

RESPONDENT INTRODUCTIONS [15 minutes]

So, I am asking each of you to share:

• First name only

• The members of your household by relationship to you

• One topic related to parenting challenges you hope we will address in the conversation we have today.

BACKGROUND – PARENTING CHALLENGES [20 minutes]

Let’s talk for a moment about the parenting challenges that have been most concerning to you. From those just mentioned, which was the most challenging? What makes you say that?

How did you address that issue? How did you know what to do? What did you do first? How did you know to do that? What other steps are important to take?

You did/did not mention underage drinking as a parenting challenge. Is that a concern? How does that compare to the other challenges you face?

You did/did not mention drug/substance use, such as marijuana, tobacco, and opioids, as a parenting challenge. Is that a concern? How does substance use compare to the other challenges you face?

Of all the drugs/substances (i.e., alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, opioids), which is most concerning to you when it comes to your children?

What has been your most reliable source of information about alcohol and other substances? What is the main reason you rely on that one? Tell me who, if anyone, you talk to about things like underage drinking or substance use?

Describe how you felt as you looked for information or resources? Who/what did you rely on? What types of information did you seek most often initially? How did you use it? Did that change as you became more informed?

What has your search for information been like? Difficult or easy. [Probe for difficulties, roadblocks, open doors, etc.]

Are alcohol and drug use topics that you have discussed with your child under 21? Who initiated? How would you rate the outcome? What did you do really well? What would have made it better?

WRITTEN: Finish this sentence. During my search for help, information or resources, on the topic of underage drinking and other substance use, I wish I had had .

REACTION TO PSAs (80 minutes)

Now we are going to look at some ideas for PSAs that deal with this specific parenting challenge: underage drinking and other substance use. They are not finished.

• I would like to start out by reading you the scripts for two TV PSAs related to underage drinking and other substance use. We will discuss each PSA individually.

• Please keep in mind that these are just scripts of what might be said and shown.

• I would like to know about your thoughts on the PSAs, but not on the little things. For instance, please don’t be distracted if you don’t like a person’s clothes or expression. The final commercial will be shot in color with professional actors and in a location that we design and develop, which is specific for the PSA’s story.

• The final commercial will feature a diverse set of individuals.

• Keep in mind that the final PSAs are very brief and last 60 seconds or less.

READ FIRST SCRIPT IN THE ORDER DESIGNATED FOR EACH CITY. PRESENT TWICE IF NECESSARY.

DISTRIBUTE WORKSHEET 1

EXPLAIN: After hearing the first script, please write down what message you get from what you just saw and heard. WAIT A MINUTE TO COMPLETE EXERCISE

READ SECOND SCRIPT IN THE ORDER DESIGNATED FOR EACH CITY. PRESENT TWICE IF NECESSARY

EXPLAIN: After hearing the second concept, please write down what message you get from what you just saw and heard. WAIT A MINUTE TO COMPLETE EXERCISE

ASK QUESTIONS IN SECTIONS A – D FOR BOTH CONCEPTS

1. UNDERSTANDING, RECALL, AND APPEAL

• Please, describe the _______(name PSA) in your own words.

• What do you think is the main idea or message of ____________(name PSA)?

• What were you saying to yourself as you heard the conversation in the script?

• What attracted your attention in a positive way? What attracted your attention in a negative way?

• Were there any memorable moments that stood out from the story?

  • PROBE: Is there something that catches your attention? What is it?

• Was there anything in the script that was confusing or unclear? That just didn’t make sense to you? Is there anything that would make the PSAs more interesting?

• Is this topic important for you/your community/anyone you know? Tell me some reasons you say that.

  • PROBE: What topics do you believe will be more appealing for your peers?

• What new insights did you gain from viewing/hearing this conversation/topic?

2. IDENTIFICATION AND RELEVANCE

• Who do you think this PSA is for? How close is this scenario to what you have experienced with your own children? Or, to what you have seen other parents do?

  • PROBE: PROBE FOR DESCRIPTIONS OF THE AUDIENCE: DEMOGRAPHICS, LIFESTYLES, WHERE THEY LIVE, ETC. Is it talking to people like you? Different than you? Anybody who has children? The general public?

• What makes you think that? Explain?

• How do you think [the main audience] would react?

• (For the second PSA): Is the audience different from the audience for the previous PSA?

• How do you think the underage drinking and other substance use issues shown affect you and your parental peers? Tell me some reasons you think the underage drinking and other substance use issues are important or not important issues in your community?

• What else would you have liked it to discuss? Is there anything you want more information on?

3. CALL TO ACTION

• What are some reasons why you think the sponsor made this PSA? PROBE: What action is this script asking to you to take? What are they trying to achieve with it? What would happen if you accomplished the task?

• Would you do what it was asking you to?

(Refer to the call to action as respondents stated it, not the true call to action.)

• What did you see or hear that makes you say that?

• What would it have to say for you to take an action?

4. ACCURACY

• Was there anything in ________(name of PSA) that is especially realistic?

• PROBE: Did the script remind you of any person or situation you’ve known or heard about?

• Was there anything in ________(name PSA) that isn’t realistic?

• Was there anything in ________(name PSA) that troubled you in any way? What? Why?

PROBE: Any particular words or phrases?

• Did it feel authentic?

PROBE SPECIFIC CREATIVE ELEMENTS OF EACH PSA.

COLLECT WORKSHEET 1.

COMPARING/EVALUATING THE PSAs (15 minutes)

DISTRIBUTE THE RANKING FORM (WORKSHEET 2).

• Now, let’s dig a little deeper and compare the two PSAs. (REVIEW EACH PSA BY NAME SO PARTICIPANTS CAN CORRECTLY IDENTIFY EACH PSA BY NAME.)

• Imagine there is only enough funding to produce one of the PSAs. Select the one you would produce.

• Let’s take a few minutes to complete the form. Then we will discuss everyone’s choices. Please be prepared to share the reasons for your choice.

• If you were the one making the final decision, which one of these PSAs would you fund?

• Gather the ranking forms. Take a quick look at the first and second places. (Keep the forms for the report.)

• Ask who voted for ____________ in first place? Why? Repeat if not obvious.

• What, if anything, would you add/change to make the one you did not prefer better?

CLOSING AND ADJOURNMENT (5 minutes)

• Thanks for coming tonight and providing your opinions.

• Your comments have been very helpful and insightful.

• Goodnight and have a great day tomorrow.

WORKSHEET 1

What is the main theme/point of the PSA?

(Name of the PSA)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

(Name of the PSA)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEET 2

EVALUATING THE CONCEPTS

Please rank each PSA

PSA	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very Good
NAME A
NAME B

My vote for finding is:

	PSA NAME (Write the name of your choice.)	REASON (Explain why in a few words.)
FIRST PLACE:		Why?
SECOND PLACE		Why?

Please, suggest additional underage drinking/substance use topics for ‘parental conversations’ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0990-0459. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 120 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, to review and complete the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, OS/OCIO/PRA, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 336-E, Washington D.C. 20201, Attention: PRA Reports Clearance Officer