Testing Recall of Recruitment Advertising:

2022-2023 Campaigns

 

Executive Summary

 

Submitted to:

Department of National Defence

 

For more information on this report, please email:

POR-ROP@forces.gc.ca

 

Submitted by:

 

Supplier Name: Narrative Research Inc.

Supplier Address: 5001-7071 Bayers Road, Halifax, NS B3L 2C2

Contact Phone: 902.493.3820

Contact Fax: 902.493.3879

POR Number: POR 009-22

Contract Number: CW2230133

Contract Value: $35,679.75 (including HST)

Contract Award Date: June 8, 2022

Delivery Date: March 1, 2023

 

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français

 

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Testing Recall of Recruitment Advertising: 2022-23 Campaigns

 

Executive Summary

 

Prepared for Department of National Defence

Supplier Name: Narrative Research Inc.

March 1, 2023

 

This report presents the methodological details for the August 2022 Campaign Assessment and the February 2023 Campaign Assessment for the Testing Recall of Recruitment Advertising: 2022-2023 Campaigns study conducted by Narrative Research Inc. on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND). For each research wave, all respondents were from the Canadian general public aged 18-34.  A total of 1,000 respondents were included in the August 2022 post-campaign survey conducted between August 8 to 17, 2022, and total of 1,008 respondents were included in the February 2023 pre-campaign survey conducted between February 6 and February 16, 2023.

 

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français sous le titre: Évaluation du rappel de la publicité de recrutement : campagnes 2022-23 Rapport de méthodologie

 

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from the Department of National Defence. For more information on this report, please contact the Department of National Defence at:  POR-ROP@forces.gc.ca or at:

 

60 Moodie Drive

Nepean, Ontario K2H 8G1

Canada

 

Catalogue Number: D2-411/2023E-PDF

 

International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-47877-7

 

Related publications registration number: POR 009-22

 

Catalogue Number (Final Methodological Report, French): D2-411/2023F-PDF

 

ISBN (French): 978-0-660-47878-4

 

© His Majesty the King in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of the Department of National Defence, 2023

 

Executive Summary

 

Background

 

A robust recruitment marketing strategy is an integral component of fulfilling the priority of maintaining the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and National Defence readiness. The Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) (ADM [PA]) supports the recruitment strategy of the CAF. Recruitment marketing and advertising initiatives are developed to inform Canadians, with a particular focus on women and visible minorities, about career opportunities available in the CAF, and to support the Strategic Intake Plan.

 

Each year the Canadian Armed Forces must enroll Regular Force (full-time) and Reserve Force (part-time) members to fulfill the Strategic Intake Plan.  Specifically, the CAF’s 2022-2023 Awareness Campaigns continue to target Canadians aged 18-34, with a goal of increasing interest and consideration for CAF jobs by focussing attention on the relevancy of its training, education and career development programs. To help meet stated recruiting objectives, DND has a multi-pronged CAF recruitment campaign consisting of an overarching awareness campaign, a priority occupations campaign, a women-focus campaign, an Indigenous campaign, a paid education campaign and a Reserve campaign. In 2023, new campaign material was developed for use for CAF recruitment in 2023. Thus, the most recent February 2023 survey serves as a pre-campaign survey for the new 2023 campaign materials. Thus, the results presented in this report are referred to as the August 2022 post-campaign survey (for the 2022 campaign) and the February 2023 pre-campaign survey (for the 2023 campaign).

 

This research is mandatory, given that the Treasury Board requires all Government of Canada advertising campaigns that cost more than one million dollars to be evaluated.

 

Research Objectives

 

The purpose of the quantitative research was to assess recall of and reactions to the advertising campaign. At the highest level, the purpose of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. More specifically, the research objectives included:

 

a       Measuring unaided recall of CAF advertising;

b       Measuring aided recall of CAF advertising;

c        Assessing the level of understanding of the key messages of the advertising campaign; and

d       Gauging the awareness level of who was responsible for commissioning the advertising.

 

Target Population

 

As specified in the project’s Statement of Work (SOW), the target audience of the 2022-2023 Canadian Armed Forces Recruitment Campaigns was Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34. Data was gathered from a general public panel modelling key demographics of Canadians within the aforementioned age group. The August 2022 survey required an average of five minutes to administer, while the February 2023 survey required an average of approximately four minutes to administer.

 

The participation rates in each wave were 86.1 percent, and 90.3 percent, respectively. The contact records for each wave were drawn from a national panel administered by The Logit Group of Toronto, Ontario. There was a total of 1,000 surveys completed for the August 2022 post-advertising campaign wave, while 1,008 surveys were completed for the February 2023 pre-wave iteration. The August 2022 post-campaign survey was administered August 8 to 17, 2022, while the February 2023 pre-campaign survey was administered February 6 to 16, 2023.

 

Methodology and Research Usage

 

The survey data was collected to measure the recall and reaction to the 2022-2023 Recruitment Advertising Campaigns.  As per the standard methodology utilizing the Government of Canada’s Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET), the data collected in the pre-campaign survey conducted in February 2023, prior to campaign ads being run in the media, will serve as a baseline for the upcoming 2023 post-campaign survey.

 

Again, as per the standard ACET methodology, both the surveys collected information related to recall of the advertisement and its key messages, ad sponsorship, and what, if any, action has been taken as a result of the ad. Post-campaign data metrics in 2023 will subsequently be compared by Government of Canada representatives against the February 2023 baseline findings.

 

The findings from this study are to be used by the Department of National Defence to monitor the recall of the media campaign, the efficiency of the media placement, and provide information to enhance the effectiveness of the recruitment campaign. Given that this online survey methodology used a non-probability sample, the data collected cannot be extrapolated to the Canadian general public adult population 18-34 years of age.

 

Expenditure

 

The survey entailed the expenditure of $35,679.75, including HST.

 

Consent

 

Narrative Research offers this written consent allowing the Library and Archives Canada to post, in both official languages, this Executive Summary.

 

Political Neutrality Statement and Contact Information

 

I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of Narrative Research that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications. Specifically, the deliverables do not contain any reference to or information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

 

Peter MacIntosh signature

 

Peter MacIntosh

Chief Research Officer & Partner

Narrative Research

pmacintosh@narrativeresearch.ca

902-493-3832