National Defence 2022-2023 Success Check – Awareness 2023 Recruitment Advertising Campaign

Video Advertisement Evaluation

Participants were shown a sample of an advertising campaign featuring a 30-second video and a 15-second video and asked to provide feedback on the campaign.

Overall reactions to the campaign were quite positive, with most participants having rated the campaign an 8 out of 10 (with a rating of 10 representing the most positive rating). Reactions were consistent across the groups.

The campaign was mainly praised for the following reasons:

• The visual appeal was good, with most participants enjoying the concept and special effects of the CAF uniform “growing” onto the characters. The ad was also seen as professionally done from a visual standpoint.

• Showing characters doing “regular things” such as fixing a car or playing soccer was said to be inclusive. Participants felt that they did not need to be doing extraordinary things to be able to join the CAF.

• Participants liked that the ad focused on helping others, teamwork and camaraderie.

• The voiceover, soundtrack and tagline used were compelling to participants.

• Several participants felt that the second person point of view used in the voiceover made the ad more personal and grabbed their attention.

• A few discussed the diversity shown in the ad and explained that the voiceover implied that anyone could join.

In addition to the positive feedback, some participants offered suggestions on what could be improved:

• A few felt that the campaign was a bit vague. They commented that it does not offer insights into what kinds of jobs are actually available in the CAF and thought it would have been better to show how the everyday tasks translated into working in the CAF.

• Some felt that the 15-second ad was a bit abrupt and fast-paced. It also reminded some of a commercial for jeeps. That said, participants agreed that if they often saw the 30-second version, the shorter 15-second version would make more sense.

Participants felt the main message was that anyone could fit into the CAF, and that skills used in daily life could apply to their role. Some also felt that the main message was that a life in the CAF was more than just combat and war.

Regarding the call to action, participants thought that the campaign was encouraging viewers to think about how they could fit into a career at the CAF.

Participants thought that the campaign was targeting average people, particularly people who were younger and not settled into a career yet. Elements of the videos as well as participants’ impressions of the CAF led them to believe that the ad may be geared mostly towards people who are young, active, patriotic, and have a certain level of discipline.

Across all groups, no participants considered the campaign disturbing or offensive.

Static Advertisement Concept Evaluation

Overall, the static advertisement concepts received mainly positive feedback.

Those who liked the images shared the following reasons:

• The images had very good visual appeal, with participants appreciating the blurred background and high definition of the person in the foreground.

  • Several felt that these ads would be eye-catching if they were to see them, especially in a public space such as a bus station.

• Some also explained that having the people facing away helped them to imagine themselves in their position.

  • Many however did prefer the position of the woman in the first image (representing the Air Force), as there is a bit of eye contact.

• Many appreciated that there was not too much text shown in the ads.

• Although participants were told that these static images were part of the same campaign, some felt that they were also great as stand-alone ads and incorporated the same visual concept in a different way.

Some aspects of the images received mixed feedback:

• The message “we’re hiring” was praised by many although a few were not fond of this approach.

• Similarly, the approach of mentioning specific jobs received mixed feedback, with some explaining that they would not know what these jobs were but would be very interested in looking them up online.

• Others felt that the job titles may be intimidating especially as it is unclear whether the CAF would provide training or if the applicant would be required to have specific education or experience in the field already.

  • These participants felt that “become a” followed by the job titles may be more welcoming and more clearly convey the fact that the CAF would train them.

Other suggestions included the following:

• Several felt that although they enjoyed the ad, if they saw the ad in public (rather than online) they would likely not think of it after the fact and thus would not look for more information. Some suggested including a QR code on physical versions of the ad, so that those who view the ad could scan the code and instantly get more information, or save the webpage for later.

Participants felt that the bolded text in these static ads made the call to action very clear – to encourage individuals to apply for certain positions in the CAF.

In terms of where DND should advertise, most participants agreed that social media was where they would be most likely to see this type of advertising. Additionally, some mentioned that the static images would be effective around public transportation as well as around school campuses.

General reactions

After being shown both videos twice, participants were asked to provide a rating of the overall campaign approach.

Reactions were consistently positive across the groups, with most participants rating the campaign an 8 out of 10 (with a rating of 10 representing the most positive rating).

The campaign was praised for a variety of reasons, particularly when it came to the visuals and creative elements as well as the messaging and themes.

Participants felt that the visual appeal was a key strength, with most enjoying the overall concept and the special effects of the CAF uniform “growing” onto the characters. The ad was also seen as professionally done from a visual standpoint.

“The cinematography of it and the CGI of [the uniform] weaving in was really cool. It was really well shot.” – Male, 25-34, Western Canada

Several participants noted that the advertisements showcased the characters in a heroic way and a few felt that it had a superhero element to it, particularly with the creative elements of their clothing transforming into a CAF uniform.

The boating scene in which a woman helps a child who is stranded in the water as well as the soccer scenario in which a woman is shown helping out a player on the opposing team were said to be very powerful by some participants. These individuals felt that the vehicle scenario had less of an emotional appeal but could see how this could appeal to someone who has interest in this field or has a similar skill set.

“I got goosebumps… especially the little boating scene where she was pulling the kid out of water... that was pretty heavy to me.” – Male, 25-34, Western Canada

Showing characters doing “regular things” such as fixing a car or playing soccer was said to give the sense of inclusivity. Participants felt that the campaign was telling them that they did not need to be doing extraordinary things to be able to join the CAF.

Many participants discussed some of the themes in the advertisement, and particularly liked that the ad focused on helping others, teamwork, and camaraderie. Some felt that this reminded them of the values that Canadians share.

Creative elements of the advertisements, including the voiceover, soundtrack and tagline used were also compelling to many participants.

Several participants felt that the second person point of view used in the voiceover (by referring to “you”) made the ad more personal and grabbed their attention.

Additionally, a few noticed and appreciated the cultural diversity shown in the ad and explained that the voiceover implied that anyone could join.

“There was a good sense of ethnicity and diversity in the three examples that were shown… they’re trying to say that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from.” – Male, 18 to 24, Ontario

In addition to the positive feedback, some participants offered suggestions on what could be improved.

Firstly, a few felt that the campaign was a bit vague. They commented that it does not offer insights into what kinds of jobs are actually available in the CAF and thought it would have been better to show how the everyday tasks translated into working in the CAF.

Some participants felt that the 15-second ad was a bit abrupt and fast-paced, making it less clear than the 30-second version. It also reminded some of a commercial for jeeps. That said, participants agreed that if they often saw the 30-second version, the shorter 15-second version would make more sense.

Some participants also felt that the ad did not give a realistic depiction of life in the CAF and that the campaign could in some ways be misleading. That said, some also appreciated that the campaign did not just focus on conflict and reminded us that there is much more to being a part of the CAF beyond engaging in war. This point was also raised by participants when discussing the main message (as reported below).

Across all groups, no participants considered the campaign disturbing or offensive.

Perceived main message

Participants felt the main message was that anyone could fit into the CAF, and that skills used in daily life could apply to their role in the CAF.

“No matter what your skills are, there’s something for you to do there.”- Female, 18 to 24, Ontario

“A lot of the skills that we use in daily life and real life can apply to the military in some way, whether you know it or not.” – Male, 18 to 24, Ontario

Some also felt that the main message was that a life in the CAF was more than just combat and war.

“It seems like they’re trying to say ‘we’re not just about combat’… That person that is fixing the truck, [someone viewing the ad] might see that and say ‘I’ve never thought about that, they have mechanics in the armed forces.” – Male, 25-34, Western Canada

Perceived call to action

Regarding the call to action, participants thought that the campaign was encouraging viewers to think about how they could fit into a career at the CAF.

Participants felt that the ad campaign was designed to get the viewer thinking about their own career options and whether they may be suitable for a role in the CAF, rather than the objective being to get immediate recruits as a result of viewing the ad. Some participants discussed that they liked how the ad took a subtle approach rather than ordering the audience to join the CAF.

Additionally, some felt that this ad informed viewers that there are various roles available for a variety of people.

“You can be anyone and join the army. You don’t have to be a certain type of person.” – Male, 18 to 24, Atlantic Canada

A few felt that this call to action came as more of an “afterthought” rather than being directly told to participants, which was liked by some. However, a few also felt that the call to action was a bit “vague” as it did not clearly mention how to join the CAF or provide anymore information.

A few also felt that the call to action was to have the audience think about the CAF differently. More specifically, the ad was trying to showcase the values espoused by CAF members and that each member has inspiring skills and abilities beyond their training as soldiers.

Perceived actions taken as a result of seeing this ad campaign

Participants were asked whether the campaign would encourage them to take any actions, such as look for more information.

Responses were mixed with some saying they would seek more information, and others saying they would not do anything as a result of seeing the ad campaign.

For those who would look for more information, most would simply click on the advertisement (if they saw the ad online) to go directly to the website to learn more.

• Those interested in looking for more information about careers in the CAF said that once on the website, they would look for more information about the careers, including how to join and what the requirements are.

• Several also suggested they would be looking for this information mainly out of curiosity, rather than due to their own interest in joining the CAF.

One mentioned that if they saw the ad on social media, they would look at the comments to see if others were discussing the ad.

A few felt that although they would not consider joining the CAF or search for more information after viewing the ad, they may reflect on how they can better serve their community in other ways, or through other jobs such as healthcare.

Others found that although they considered the advertising campaign appealing and the message meaningful, they would not do anything as a result of seeing the ad.

Perceived target audience

Participants thought that the campaign was targeting average people, particularly people who were younger and not settled into a career yet. Many seemed to feel the ad was targeting 18 to 25 year olds. Many participants in the “job changers” segment did not feel the ad was targeting their age group.

Elements of the videos as well as participants’ impressions of the CAF led them to believe that the ad may be geared mostly towards people who are young, active, patriotic, and have a certain level of discipline.

Participants’ theories of who the ad campaign was targeting was partly driven by the characters shown, as well as the voiceover which used second person point of view, addressing the viewer as “you”. Additionally, participants knowledge of the CAF led some to believe that the ad is targeting younger and more “fit” individuals due to the physical requirements of many jobs in the Forces.

General reactions

Overall, the static advertisement concepts received mainly positive feedback for a variety of reasons. First, participants agreed that the images had very good visual appeal, with participants appreciating the blurred background and high definition of the person in the foreground. Several felt that these ads would be eye-catching if they were to see them, especially in a public space such as a bus stop or as a billboard.

Some participants also explained that having the people facing away helped them to imagine themselves in their position or “in the shoes” of a CAF member. One also mentioned that having them look away made it seem like they were looking at a “possible opportunity”. Many however did prefer the position of the woman in the first image (representing the Air Force), as there is a bit of eye contact.

A few participants felt that the images made the job look exciting and reminded them of a superhero theme.

In terms of the text included in the images, many participants appreciated that there was not too much text shown in the ads which, at a glance, made the ads easy to understand.

Although participants were told that these static images were part of the same campaign, some felt that they were also great as stand-alone ads and incorporated the same visual concept in a different way.

On the other hand, some aspects of the images received mixed feedback from participants, mainly when it came to the text in the images. Notably, the simplicity of the message “we’re hiring” was praised by many while some were less fond of this approach, deeming it a bit “desperate”.

“I like that they’re straightforward about what they want and it’s front and center so there’s no confusion. The font is also very clean. It’s aesthetically pleasing.” – Female, 25-34 Western Canada

Similarly, the approach of mentioning specific jobs received mixed feedback. Some explained that they were too specific and, thinking these were the only positions available in the CAF, would be instantly discouraged from taking any further steps. Most did not know what these jobs were, which turned some off of the ad while some would be curious to look them up online to learn more, even if they were not particularly interested in a job in the CAF.

Others felt that the job titles may be intimidating or off-putting to potential applicants, especially as it was unclear to them whether the CAF would provide training or if the applicant would be required to have specific education or experience to qualify for the position. These participants felt that “become a” followed by the job titles would be more welcoming and would more clearly convey the fact that the CAF would train them. Another suggested “we have opportunities” or “join us as”.

“The language could be changed although I do like that it is very clear. The implication of “hiring” sounds like you should already be qualified.” – Male, 25-34, Western Canada

When participants were informed that specific occupations were listed because these are priority occupations for the CAF, there was general agreement that the approach made sense.

Several participants across the groups agreed that including a QR code on out-of-home versions of the ads (such as in bus shelters or inside public transportation, etc.) would be helpful for those looking to learn more about the jobs offered by the CAF. Several participants explained that although they enjoyed the ad, if they saw it in public (rather than online) they would likely not think of it after the fact and thus would not look for more information unless there was an instant way to access information. By including a QR code on physical versions of the ad, those who came across the ad could scan the code and instantly get more information or save the webpage for later.

“Out of sight out of mind. If I don’t do something right now, I would forget about it. So it might actually be kind of cool if there was a little QR code.” – Female, 18 to 24, Ontario

Even a few participants who stated they would not be interested in a career in the CAF felt that they may scan a QR code just to learn more out of curiosity, or if they knew someone else who may be interested.

When asked whether they felt these static images fit in well with the video advertisements, most participants agreed, particularly due to the images using the same creative concept of the uniform weaving onto the characters’ regular clothing. Some felt that the campaign could be further strengthened if the characters/actors shown in the videos were the same ones used for the static images, which would enhance the idea of a “before and after” of their journey joining the CAF.

On the other hand, a few felt that the static images did not fit well with the video advertisements as they are specific to recruitment and are focused on a specific career while the videos focused on skills and the characters which portrayed general positions within the CAF or qualities of CAF members.

Perceived call to action

When it came to the call to action, participants felt that the bolded text in these static ads made the call to action very clear – they inform individuals that the CAF is hiring for particular positions and want them to apply.

Qualitative research disclaimer

Specifications

• Recruit 8 participants per group, for 6 to 8 to show

• Participants to be paid $125

• Efforts will be made to recruit members of visible minorities in all groups.

• 8 online focus groups with men and women, at least 18 years of age, from four regions across Canada:

  • Atlantic Canada (English)

  • Quebec (French)

  • Western Canada (SK/AB/MB) (English)

  • Ontario (English)

• 2 online groups will be held with participants in each region, split into the two following segments:

  • Job seekers: 18 to 24 years old with a high school and/or college degree

  • Job Changers: 25 to 34 years old enrolled in post-secondary institutions, college and university graduates, and career changers (defined as those having started a career in their field of study/training after completing their post-secondary education and are considering changing careers).

All times are stated in local area time unless specified otherwise.

Questionnaire

Introduction to Procedures (10 minutes)

Thank you all for joining this online focus group!

• Introduce moderator/firm and welcome participants to the focus group.

  • Thanks for attending.

  • My name is [INSERT MODERATOR NAME] and I work with Quorus Consulting, and we are conducting research on behalf of the Government of Canada.

  • Today we will be talking about video ads that the Department of National Defence has developed for an upcoming Canadian Armed Forces ad campaign.

  • The discussion will last approximately 90 minutes.

  • If you have a cell phone or other electronic device, please turn it off.

• Describe focus group.

  • A discussion group is a “round table” discussion. We will also be asking you to answer survey questions from time to time to help guide the discussion.

  • My job is to facilitate the discussion, keeping us on topic and on time.

  • Your job is to offer your opinions on the ads I’ll be showing you tonight/today. Your honest opinion is valued – I am not the one who developed the ads I’ll be showing you tonight so please feel free to share what you like and what you think might need improving.

    As well, your feedback on these ads remains anonymous – I don’t want you to think that if you like what we show you that DND will try to recruit you to join the forces.

  • There are no right or wrong answers. This is not a knowledge test.

  • Everyone’s opinion is important and should be respected.

  • We want you to speak up even if you feel your opinion might be different from others. Your opinion may reflect that of other Canadians.

  • To participate in this session, please make sure your webcam and your microphone are on and that you can hear me clearly. If you are not speaking, I would encourage you to mute your line to keep background noise to a minimum. And, please remember to remove yourself from mute when you want to speak!

  • I will be sharing my screen to show you some things.

  • We will be making regular use of the chat function. [MODERATOR EXPLAINS HOW TO ACCESS THE ZOOM CHAT FEATURE DEPENDING ON THE DEVICE THE PARTICIPANT IS USING]. Let’s do a quick test right now - please open the chat window and send the group a short message (e.g., Hello everyone). If you have an answer to a question and I don’t get to ask you specifically, please type your response in there. We will be reviewing all chat comments at the completion of this project.

• Explanations.

  • Please note that anything you say during these groups will be held in the strictest confidence. We do not attribute comments to specific people. Our report summarizes the findings from the groups but does not mention anyone by name. Please do not provide any identifiable information about yourself.

  • The final report for this session, and others, can be accessed through the Library of Parliament or Library and Archives Canada once it’s posted.

  • Your responses will in no way affect your dealings with the Government of Canada.

  • The session is being audio-video recorded for report writing purposes / verify feedback.

  • Some of my colleagues from DND involved in this project are watching this session and this is only so they can hear the comments first-hand.

• Please note that I am not an employee of the Government of Canada and may not be able to answer questions about what we will be discussing. If questions do come up over the course of the group, we will try to get answers for you before we wrap up the session.

  Any questions?

Ad Setup (5 minutes)

Let’s now turn our attention to the video ads produced. I want to emphasize that work is still required to fine tune the special effects, colour enhancing, voice over and soundtrack but these will give you a good idea of what the final product will be.

I’m going to show you two videos that have been produced by DND that will eventually appear on television and online. They use the same creative approach - the difference is that one video is 30 seconds long and features three scenarios and the other video is 15 seconds long and features one scenario. The complete ad campaign will be comprised of seven scenarios in total – what we are showing you today are a few scenarios to give you a sense of what the campaign will look like.

When we look at these, I would like to focus on the message and content of the ad and not so much on the final presentation format since what you will see is not 100% how the final product will look. Here is what we will be looking at:

• These ads are not 100% finalized. You will see a few images throughout the videos with some narration. Some aspects of the videos still need to be fine-tuned.

• The ads might not feature the final narrator that will be used and some of the visuals might be refined a bit but you’ll have a very good idea of what the final product could look like.

• I’ll show each video twice.

We are looking for your feedback on the overall approach used across these videos. We are interested in getting your feedback on an ad campaign that uses a mix of 15 and 30 second videos spanning a range of scenarios.

Ad Evaluation (55 minutes)

I’ll first show you the 30 second video – I’ll show it twice. Then I’ll do the same for the 15-second video. MODERATOR SHOWS EACH VIDEO ADVERTISEMENT TWICE

Now let’s discuss the overall ad in greater detail.

1. In the chat box, how would you rate this ad campaign on a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 is the best score possible?

2. What are your first impressions of the approach taken?

   EXPLORE AS NEEDED:

   • Tell me what, if anything, did you like?

   • Now tell me what, if anything, you did not like?

   • EXPLORE RATINGS AS NEEDED TO STIMULATE CONVERSATION – Let’s go around and talk a little about the rating you gave this ad on the 10-point scale.

   • Were there any (other) words, scenes or images that provoked a strong reaction in you? …which ones?

3. In a few words, what do you think DND is trying to tell us? …what, in your own words, is the main message?

   • Is the message clear or obvious…or do you feel you needed to work hard to figure out what DND was trying to tell us?

   • Is this a relevant message for you personally? Why / why not?

   • Do you feel this message is credible or realistic? Why / why not?

4. In a few words, what is the ad trying to get us to do? …what do you see as the call to action?

   • Does this campaign encourage you to go looking for more information about the CAF?

   • If not, what would you want to see or hear to encourage you to go look for more information?

   • Where would you see yourself looking for more information about the CAF?

5. Who do you feel this advertising campaign is targeting?

   • SHOW OF HANDS – how many feel the ads are targeting you? …and if not you, then who are the ads targeting? Why do you say that?

6. Do you have any (additional) feedback on the creative approach used in these videos?

   • Would you consider the approach visually appealing?

   • How effective would this approach be at getting your attention online or while watching television?

7. Is this the sort of ad you would expect from DND? …help me understand your answer.

8. Finally, did you see or hear anything that you personally consider disturbing or offensive? If so, help me understand this.

Static Ad Concept Evaluation (10 minutes)

I’d now like to show you some static ad concepts that aim to support and tie into the overall campaign. These are images that would appear online and perhaps as posters and billboards (e.g., at bus stops, etc.) MODERATOR CYCLES THROUGH EACH IMAGE FULL-SCREEN, THEN STOPS ON A SCREEN FEATURING ALL THREE IMAGES ON ONE PAGE

Now let’s discuss these concepts.

9. What are your first impressions of the approach taken?

   • Tell me what, if anything, did you like?

   • Now tell me what, if anything, you did not like?

   • Is there anything here that provokes a strong reaction in you? …what exactly?

10. Would you consider the approach visually appealing?

    • How effective would this approach be at getting your attention online or if you saw this as a poster or a billboard?

11. How well do these ads fit with the video ads we discussed earlier?

12. In a few words, what is the ad trying to get us to do? …what do you see as the call to action?

    • Does this campaign encourage you to go looking for more information about the CAF?

    • Considering these would be an image ad on a website or a poster/billboard, what would you want to see to encourage you to go look for more information?

Wrap-up (10 minutes)

Finally, you see ads almost everywhere you go – thinking specifically of your own situation, where should the Government of Canada show this ad so that it gets through to you and others in your age group?

[MODERATOR CHECKS WITH CLIENT TEAM REGARDING ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS]

Does anyone have any additional thoughts on what you have seen tonight?

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION