Creative Testing Focus Group_Discussion Guide_051122

CPSC: Discussion Guide for 2 Focus Groups
Each Group: 2 Hours in Length (built in 10 minutes of buffer time where needed)
Note for Approval:
- We will be asking respondents to use their own paper/pen or device (whatever they prefer to jot
down notes). We ask them during the recruitment process prior to the groups.
- The purpose of these 2 focus groups is to test different CPSC creative approaches and gauge:
unaided recall, aided recall and creative preference and overall understanding of what makes
people engaged in social media. We want to learn current perception when it comes to social
media and creative engagement. This way, CPSC will understand current appetite for creative
styles and which ones really engage (and are memorable).

I. Introductions (10 minutes)
Hello everyone. My name is xxxxx and welcome to this group. I will be your moderator for today. I do
not work for any company or organization we will talk about today. I am an independent contractor, and
my role is to stimulate the conversation and listen to what you have to say. I’m not an expert, I’m here
to facilitate a conversation from a neutral perspective and am just interested in your open and honest
feedback.
We have 2 hours together and lots of great things to talk about. Before we get started, please note the
following:
● Please do not use any cell phones unless asked to use them. If you do need to pay attention to
your cell phone, please turn off your camera, put yourself on mute to address any important
interruption. Same goes for anything that may be happening within your surroundings. We
know that life can happen on zoom. You may pause to address life briefly and then come back to
the discussion.
● We understand 2 hours is a long time so please feel free to get up and stretch as needed or grab
a glass of water/snack as needed.
● Please no side conversations
● Let’s have one person speak at a time and let’s respect everyone’s thoughts. If we have a
different perspective, let’s discuss one at a time. There is a right or wrong answer.
This session will be recorded to help take notes. Only your first name appears and will NOT appear in
any public reports.
Note for Approval: We use an online platform named Fieldwork which is a secure network that
participants must be invited to in order to be a part of the focus group and we have someone in the
backroom to make sure there are no interruptions so that everything runs smoothly. All participants
access the room via link and there is a live tech in the room allowing people in. Only respondents who
are on the recruiting list are allowed in. All observers should be on a list as well, if someone tries to
access the room who is not on the list we will confirm with the moderator if they are allowed access and
if not, they are declined. Additionally, the nature of hosting online is that there is no way to
100% guarantee someone will not record the session - this is true of any platform out there.

Let’s get started. Let’s go around and say:
● First name
● Where are you from?
● What is your favorite ad/social media of all time that you remember and why?

II. General Advertising Consumption and Preference (20 minutes)
Note for Approval: This section is considered a warm up yet also very functional for this type of study.
We would like to discern (unaided) what is memorable these days. We would like to understand if
there are any themes that make that memorability – tone, message, creative style, etc. CPSC would
like to understand what makes ads in general stand out and have people stop to pay attention.
Let’s talk about general advertising on social media and digital platforms in general
1. Where in the digital universe do you notice ads?
a. Probe: Social media usage and channels
b. Probe: Do they notice anywhere else on digital
2. Exercise: Please write down the latest ad that you remember and tell me all about it. It can be
for anything, and it can be memorable as something you liked and disliked.
a. Probe: What makes you like an ad and what makes you tune out?
3. When you are scrolling through social media, talk through what catches your eye.
a. Probe: Test for tone, style, headlines, copy, etc.
b. Probe: What about still posts vs videos?
4. When you think of the latest “boring” “serious” product or service that is advertised, which one
(or category is it)?
5. What product/brand does a really good creative job getting your attention about something
serious?
a. Probe: How did they catch your attention? Where?

III. Public Service Announcement (20 minutes)
Note for Approval: Then we hone in on public service announcements. This is a best practice for
“unaided recall”. This will help collect any common themes and really understand if any CPSC or
similar ads are top of mind. Then test what about them (if any ads) are memorable – tone, message,
creative style, etc.
Let’s talk about digital advertising in the context around “general public service announcements” - these
are ads that are informing/educating you about something.
1. Exercise: Please jot down any and all the PSA’s you remember, where did you see them on
digital/social and why do you remember them?
a. Probe: What was it about them that you remember?
b. Probe: Is remembering them for that reason a good thing?
2. When you are scrolling through your feed, what is it about PSA announcements that catch your
attention?
a. Probe: Is it visual or message?
b. Probe: Tone, style? Preference?

3. Exercise: Pretend the government has asked you to draft a social post about pool safety, please
create your ad. (use visual, words, whatever you would like)
a. Probe: What made you create this type of ad?
4. What do you think is the secret weapon to make people pay attention to public safety
messages? (Probe: why)

IV. Safety Creative Testing (40 minutes) –
Note for Approval: We will need 40 minutes because we are testing 11 creative samples –
independently and then side by side. We will be asking each respondent to provide their opinion. So,
this activity takes time.
The first portion of testing several ads is to test unaided memorability. What creative stood out when
given 5 ads together. We will be collecting themes – visual, tone, message recall, etc.
We then test the same message (different creative) side by side. This will give CPSC a clear
understanding of preference for moving forward.
Throughout the entire conversation, the goal is to understand which type of creative strategy
resonates with each audience, WHY it resonates, what type of creative style is expected and preferred
for CPSC campaign efforts.
Now I’m going to show a series of social media posts (note: 5 creatives). Please refer to PowerPoint:
(Group 1 first set of creative batch: Pool Safely (D), Anchor it (C), Baby (D), Carbon Monoxide (C),
and ATV (C)) (Group 2 first set of 5 batch: Pool Safely (C), Anchor it (D), Baby (C), Carbon
Monoxide (D), and Holiday (C)) (Legend: D = direct and C = unconventional)
Pretend you are on your devices, and you see a series of these ads, feel free to quickly jot down 1st
impressions.
1. (10 minutes) Here is the first series of ads … (go around room to ask everyone) What types of
ads did you see? (Probe: for messaging and visual, capture 1st mentions)
a. Which one stood out/remember? (Probe: why)
2. (10 minutes) Now, I am going to share with you a bunch of different ads… (go around room to
ask everyone)
Please note: (group 1 second set of creative batch: Pool Safely (C), Anchor it (D), Baby (C),
Carbon Monoxide (D), and Holiday (C)) (group 2: Pool Safely (D), Anchor it (C), Baby (D), Carbon
Monoxide (C), and ATV (C)) (Legend: D = direct and C = unconventional)
a. What types of ads did you see? (Probe: for messaging and visual, capture 1st mentions)
b. Which one stood out/remember? (Probe: why)
3. (10 minutes) Now, let’s look at these same ads in in a different way (show them side by side,
paired by message, 4 in total and ask the same question 4 times)
Please note, the 4 message are: (group 1: pool safely, anchor it, baby, carbon monoxide) (group
2: carbon monoxide, baby, anchor it, pool safely)
a. What are these ads telling you? (Probe: are they say same thing)
b. Which ad makes you stop scrolling? (Probe: why)

4. (10 minutes) What about these 3 ads? (Please note we will share on 1 slide 3 different CPSC ads:
ATV, Holiday, Wife jokes): Please note, the order for the 3 adds on slide are: (group 1: ATV, holiday,
wife jokes) (group 2: wife jokes, holiday, ATV)
b. What are these 3 ads telling you? (Probe: message)
c. Are these relatable? (Probe: why, why not)

V. Safety New Creative Testing (10 minutes)
Note for approval: This set of creatives is the latest CPSC creative featured on Instagram. CPSC would
like to hear if these ads will make the necessary impact to have people pay attention and remember
the important message.
Now, we are going to share more safety ads, and we’d love to get your impressions on this creative:
Group #1 (Anchor, Holiday, Fuel), Group #2 (Fuel, Anchor, Holiday) - Ask same questions for each of
these:
1. What are these ads telling you? (Probe: style/tone, messaging)
2. Do these ads speak to you? (Probe: why, why not)
3. Would these ads make you stop scrolling and pay attention?

VI. Last Exercise (8 minutes)
Note for Approval: This type of exercise allows us to see indirectly the creative style in which each
person would prefer if it was up to them. The entire time they are reacting to ads. Now it's time to
test their attitude by having them create their own sample ad. Learnings will help validate a common
preferred style yet most importantly, it will inform the mindset/attitude people have when it comes
to consuming safety messages.
Exercise: The next type of ad they will create is safety on using space heaters. You can direct the making
of the ads, what are the top 3 elements that you would want to make sure people stop and pay
attention to this ad.
VII. Departure (2 minutes)
Thank you for your time. We really appreciate it.
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