Public Opinion Research
Study:
Emergency Preparedness Public Awareness Campaign – Focus Testing of Creative
Concepts
Final Report
Prepared for Public Safety Canada
Supplier: Ipsos
Contract Number: CW2247851
Contract Value: $77,359.80 (including HST)
Award Date: November 2022
Delivery Date: January 2023
Registration Number: POR 078-22
Client Reference Number: D160-23-3541
Requisition Reference Number: D160-23-3541
Standing Offer Number: CW2230192
For more information on this report, please contact Public Safety Canada at ps.communications-communications.sp@canada.ca.
Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français
Public Opinion Research
Study:
Emergency Preparedness Public Awareness Campaign – Focus Testing of Creative
Concepts
Final Report
Prepared for Public Safety Canada
Supplier: Ipsos
Registration Number: POR 078-22
Client Reference Number: D160-23-3541
Requisition Reference Number: D160-23-3541
Standing Offer Number: CW2230192
Aussi disponible en français sous le titre « Recherche sur l’opinion publique : Campagne de sensibilisation du public à la préparation aux situations d’urgence – Essai des concepts créatifs auprès de groupes cibles ».
The reproduction of this publication is permitted for personal or public non-commercial purposes. For all other uses, prior written permission must be obtained from Public Safety Canada. For more information, please contact Public Safety Canada at ps.communications-communications.sp@canada.ca.
Catalogue Number:
PS9-28/1-2023E-PDF
ISBN:
978-0-660-47653-7
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Public Safety and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, 2023
Political Neutrality Statement
I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Ipsos that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.
Mike Colledge
President
Ipsos - Public Affairs
Table of contents
Political Neutrality Statement
2.2 Research Objectives and Qualitative Methodology
3.4 Common reactions to all three concepts
3.6 Counts on sentiment check questions
Appendix A: Qualitative Research Materials
A.1 Qualitative Recruitment Screener
A.2 Qualitative Discussion Guide
1. Executive Summary
1.1 Research summary
A national emergency preparedness campaign is planned for the first quarter of 2023. The objective of the campaign is to increase awareness levels of potential local risks associated with natural disasters and what Canadians can do to prepare for weather-related emergencies. This report presents findings from qualitative research conducted on three creative concepts developed for the campaign: namely, ‘Extreme Weather Watch’, ‘Canadian Experience’, and ‘Unexpected’. The objective was to qualitatively evaluate each of the three concepts and to identify which creative concept resonates most with the campaign’s target audience.
The concepts were tested in 10 online focus group discussions held between December 1st – 7th, 2022. The research elicited views of Canadians from across the country and in both official languages. The discussions were hosted virtually, and each discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes. An incentive of $125 was offered for participation in the study.
The findings presented in this report are qualitative in nature meaning that their value is in understanding the factors and interplay between factors behind attitudes and reactions to the concepts. The findings should not be extrapolated as representative of the wider population.
The research findings were used by Public Safety Canada to optimize the impact of its marketing initiatives. The contract value was of $77,359.80 (including HST).
1.2 Summary of Key Findings
Participants were generally open to a government TV campaign to remind Canadians to be prepared for extreme weather events. The preference was for a campaign utilising a straightforward approach which can be better achieved with being more explicit about why it is important for an emergency kit to be built, what items need to be included in a kit, how much it costs and how often it needs to be replaced, and to include a QR code with the URL at the end.
Of the three concepts tested, ‘Extreme Weather Watch’ performed the strongest as it achieved the balance of creating a sense of urgency, without causing panic, and more importantly empowering viewers. This concept received the most votes in terms of being most engaging, most likely to encourage them to consider their personal risk and most likely to encourage visits to getprepared.ca. The research found that the concept can be optimized by cutting straight into the scenes of extreme weather reports, more effective use of sound effects to harness attention and depiction of more types of natural disasters.
The ‘Canadian Experience’ concept emerged as a close second to ‘Extreme Weather Watch’. The funnel approach and the pan-Canada picture presented at the outset was well-received, but overall, it was seen as less effective and not as emotionally engaging because it was more landscape and scene setting focused than people centred. The ‘Unexpected’ concept was the least effective. It created a ‘psychological’ suspense which climaxed to what was perceived as weather that is inconvenient at best. Tonally, participants did not appreciate the use of fear and the 3D animation approach was seen as inappropriate given the seriousness of the topic.
The climate change reference was polarizing. Among
climate change skeptics, they were turned off by the very mention of the phrase
and in a handful of cases they missed the core message of emergency
preparedness.
2. Introduction
2.1 Background
In January 2019, Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management approved The Emergency Management Strategy for Canada (EMS). The EMS established five priority areas for action in order to strengthen the resilience of Canadian society by 2030, including two areas to be supported by national advertising campaigns: improving understanding of disaster risks in all sectors of society, and increasing focus on whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities.
The national campaign will feature the continuation of the successful Emergency Preparedness Awareness campaign launched in March 2021 and allow for a refresh of the brand and its existing assets. As in the past, the campaign will educate Canadians that natural disasters are increasing in frequency and severity in Canada. Disaster losses are likely to continue to increase in the foreseeable future in part due to climate change, the impacts of which are already being felt across Canada, increasing the frequency and intensity of hazards such as floods, wildfires, drought, extreme heat, tropical storms, coastal erosion, and, in Northern Canada, damage to seasonal ice roads and melting permafrost. These hazards pose significant risks to communities, individual health and well-being, the economy, and the natural environment. Thus, the campaign will empower citizens to educate themselves on risks associated with their local areas and to take action to mitigate risks to their property and personal safety.
The campaign will target family decision makers who are most concerned with safety matters, and thereby most likely to take action to seek out further information and take tangible action to mitigate risks. It will also target Indigenous communities similar to the PS’s 2020 Public opinion research study: Emergency Preparedness Awareness Campaign Findings Report which demonstrated that they are “more concerned than others (20% vs. 12%), but no more likely to have taken steps to prepare” for weather-related emergencies and natural disasters. The secondary target audience is Canadian home/property owners. Messaging will be geo-targeted and regionally focused whenever possible.
Public Safety’s marketing team commissioned Public Opinion Research (POR) to qualitatively test three creative concepts developed for the campaign and the results are presented in this report. A pre- and post-campaign survey will be conducted to evaluate the impact of the campaign once launched.
2.2 Research Objectives and Qualitative Methodology
The objective of the qualitative research was to test three creative concepts developed for the campaign – namely, ‘Extreme Weather Watch’; ‘Canadian Experience’; and ‘Unexpected’.
The concepts were tested in 10 online focus group discussions held between December 1st – 7th, 2022. As shown in Table 1 below, the concepts were tested among Canadians from across the country and in both official languages. Recruitment was conducted to include a mix of participants: aged 25 to 55 years old; from large, medium, and small urban centres; and property owners or renters. Those from low-income households and newcomers to Canada were also included in the discussions. When participants were screened, the technological requirements to participate in the discussions were explained to them. They were asked whether they require additional accommodations to take part, and Ipsos strived to accommodate those requests. A copy of the recruitment screener has been appended.
Table 1: Breakdown of focus groups
|
Group no. |
Composition |
Language |
No. of participants |
|
1 |
Ontario – All residents of large centres, 4 from GTA, 4 from other cities |
English |
6 |
|
2 |
Ontario – All residents of small/medium centres, 3 from northern ON, 2 from southwestern ON, 3 from central & eastern ON |
English |
8 |
|
3 |
Quebec – All residents of large centres, 4 from GMA, 4 from other cities |
French |
6 |
|
4 |
Quebec – All residents of small/medium centres from a mix of QC regions |
French |
7 |
|
5 |
British Columbia – Mix of residents from urban/medium/small centres, 4 from lower mainland |
English |
7 |
|
6 |
Alberta – Mix residents from urban/medium/small centres, 4 from Calgary / Edmonton |
English |
8 |
|
7 |
Atlantic Canada – All residents of urban centres, mix of cities in NS, NB, NL, and PE. |
English |
8 |
|
8 |
Atlantic Canada – All residents of small/medium centres, mix of towns in NS, NB, NL, and PE. |
English |
7 |
|
9 |
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NW Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon – Mix of residents from urban/medium/small centres with representation from each region |
English |
6 |
|
10 |
National, Indigenous participants only – Mix of residents from urban/medium/small centres, max of 2 per city/town/community |
English |
5 |
The discussions were hosted virtually, and each discussion lasted approximately 90 minutes. During the discussions, participants were shown the concepts in video animatic format and asked to provide their reactions by typing in their answers, taking part in a verbal discussion and ‘voting’ in closed-ended questions. To mitigate order effects, the order that the creative concepts were shown in each group was randomized. A copy of the discussion guide has been appended.
The findings presented in this report are qualitative in nature meaning that their value is in understanding the factors and interplay between factors behind attitudes and reactions to the concepts. Counts have been appended from the closed-ended questions used in the discussions to gauge participants’ reactions to the concepts. These counts should be interpreted as a summary of the weight of opinion in the discussions only and should not be extrapolated as representative of the wider population.
3. Detailed Findings
Participants were generally open to a government campaign that reminds Canadians to be prepared for extreme weather events with some calling it important. Extreme weather events were relatable to all either due to Fiona occurring in September of 2022 or a general perception that these occurring in higher frequency than before. This sentiment was shared even by those who later in the discussions appeared skeptical on the link of extreme weather events to climate change. Still, several also admitted to procrastinating in taking necessary action and called for a “straightforward” campaign that explicitly outlines what action they can take.
3.1 ‘Extreme Weather Watch’
Of the three concepts tested, ‘Extreme Weather Watch’ performed the strongest as it achieved the balance of creating a sense of urgency, without causing panic, and more importantly empowering viewers. This concept received the most votes in terms of being most engaging, most likely to encourage them to consider their personal risk and most likely to encourage visits to getprepared.ca.
This ad had a bit of everything, from mentioning… what we are facing in Canada which is irregular weather… and mentioning that it's happening more. And also, about what we can do, so preparing a list with everything, that was a good concept. I mean, what should we have, what should we do, what do we need? That concept got my attention. And the TV showing everything because that is what we do, we are watching news, so that got my attention... I liked it. – Participant in ON
The opening scene of a family in a living room where each member is using their own device was realistic and familiar to many, therefore relatable. However, it was acknowledged that a family watching the weather report was not captivating enough which led to uncertainty about whether some would pay attention to the concept. The portrayal of a “traditional” nuclear family made those whose current living situation is different less engaged, leading to suggestions or showcasing other family types or a least showing a mixed-race family.
This was my favourite of the three… right away it showed a family, and it kind of makes you feel like you’re right there watching TV with them. Also, with them being on the phone, it just made me think like often we’ll get like an emergency warning on our phones, so I don’t know, maybe it could show that happening as well. Because I don’t usually watch The Weather Network. – Indigenous Participant
I guess the family piece wasn’t relevant to me in a way. I think of other families, but for me personally, it didn’t really fit with my situation, so I couldn't see myself in that situation and disengaged – Participant in Atlantic CA
Engagement with the concept improved when the TV cut to breaking news of extreme weather events. Such footage was seen as effective in triggering memories of recent extreme weather events they had experienced in their areas or had seen in the news affecting other areas. Indeed, there were calls to use actual footage from past TV reports to increase the likelihood of the concept “hitting home”. These scenes accompanied with sound effects were believed to be more effective in capturing participants’ attention and eliciting an emotional response than the current opening scene of the weather report. The scene of the truck in a ditch, though familiar and relatable, seemed like a lost opportunity to showcase the broader impact of extreme weather events on communities as a whole. Further, showing footage of other types of events (i.e., not just floods and snow) was suggested to increase the concept’s relevancy to all corners of the country.
[Canadians need] the knowledge that you need to be more aware, and they need to know it’s not just for a couple [of days], it could be weeks on end, like Fiona, in PEI it was two and three weeks before people got power. People need to be advised that that could happen anywhere. – Participant in Atlantic CA
Recall of steps that viewers can take to get prepared was strongest in this concept and this appeared to be a function of the build up achieved through the order of the scenes – i.e., showing the scene with the checklist first then the family gathering a variety of items. Showcasing a variety of people getting prepared and displaying the full kit was appreciated. The concept thus ended on a positive note leaving participants feeling empowered.
Then we're in a kitchen looking at the table with a bunch of stuff on the table, it's like, makes you think, oh, maybe I should go buy a kit to have that stuff... you're going to compare – Participant in ON
So, this talks about extreme weather outside and what we should do in the house. And you can see the family actually laying out their food on the counter, so yeah, even though I’m not hearing what they are saying because maybe I muted the TV, I know what actually this is about. – Participant in BC
Including those that preferred this concept over the others thought that the tone and wording of the script could be improved. The tone came across as safe yet somewhat bland which was seen as typical of “government ads”. This was partly a function of the perceived monotonous narration and lack of sound effects which can be addressed during the production stages. A few felt that the script could be punchier and more to the point in order to underscore the call to action. Suggestions included outlining reasons why this is important or pointed questions on whether they are ready.
It's also the voice over, like, she doesn’t sound like she's worried about anything – Participant in ON
I lived in California once and the big thing down there was around earthquakes. The messaging was… “If there’s an earthquake, these are the three things you need to have because emergency crews may not reach you for 72 hours.” It’s very direct. “You need to have food, water, all these things.” I liked that. – Participant in MB
That’s what you’d feel during a disaster [unnerving]. You feel as though you have no control, so to watch this one, you feel as though you do have some sort of control, so why would you go and get yourself prepared? – Indigenous Participant
3.2 ‘Canadian Experience’
The ‘Canadian Experience’ concept emerged as a close second to ‘Weather Watch’. The funnel approach and the pan-Canada picture presented at the outset was well-received. Participants appreciated the variety of possible disasters that could impact Canada, rather than limiting the concept to snow and flood as per the other two concepts. These scenes made some participants of friends and family that live in other parts of Canada and that have experienced an extreme weather event or that may be at risk. This concept reminded newcomers that Canada is shaped by its seasons and weather. Despite the positive feedback, the concept was more disengaging and had less potential of eliciting an emotional response or a sense of urgency because it was more landscape and scene setting focused than people centred.
A natural disaster looks different like throughout Canada, it could be a variety of different things. So, I think making it kind of open, I think is better. But I mean it would be more dramatic, yeah, if it gave maybe more examples… then it would definitely heighten the emotion behind the message. – Indigenous Participant
I like the way they showed all parts of Canada. You saw the fire…you saw different types of environmental disasters Canada has faced. It relates to everyone in some way. It might not be all of them but could be one of them – Participant in ON
Most could not imagine a TV ad about such an important message getting across to Canadians through 3D animations, even if they were very polished, sophisticated, and not cartoonish. Among parents, such approach was deemed more relevant for their children, and they personally would therefore not pay attention to it. Furthermore, participants felt that a 3D animation would not show the effects of extreme weather events as effectively as actual footage would.
If I seen pictures and stuff of things that did happen, then it would hit more to home. But I probably wouldn’t pay attention to a cartoon, to be honest. I would need photos... even if this was a polished 3D animation it’s less effective than real scenes. – Participant in Atlantic CA
Though this concept also had a shot of someone making a list and people gathering items, these were less memorable and effective than in ‘Weather Watch’. There was less of a build up and it did not show how the list catalysed action on building a kit. Like the other two concepts, the tone was described as too plain and saw opportunities for better use of sound to grab their attention. They envisioned sound effects of lightening, strong winds and other sounds related to extreme weather.
I thought the music was better in this one or had more potential in this one. It was or could be more menacing, if you will. That it gave that feeling of something a little darker. Because that's what these are, right? They're darker thoughts, they're darker things that could happen to us – Participant in ON
3.3 ‘Unexpected’
The ‘Unexpected’ concept created a ‘psychological’ suspense described as ‘fear based’ but it did not lead to result in interest in preparedness for a natural disaster. It was described as ‘slow’ and ‘boring’ by many. The suspense that was created with close-up shots, shots of people from behind, and suspenseful scenes (e.g., an opened door), let to open and diverse interpretations of what viewers should be scared off. This concept was the weakest in empowering viewers to take action. Participants did not appreciate that the use of “fear tactics” alone and a small number negatively associated the campaign with other perceived fear-based COVID-19 campaigns.
At first the wording sounded hokey and fake, too dramatic at the start. But it calmed itself down and became more about the message of “information is available to you.” But at first the wording sounded gloomy and doom-y. – Participant in SK
Ultimately, the scenes of extreme weather events did not come through strongly in the concept and many, especially those living in harsher climates, interpreted those scenes as typical of Canadian winter weather. When participants were asked to imagine this animatics concept as a TV ad with real actors, participants imagined people portraying behaviours that are no different from how they interact with weather on a day-to-day basis. They were not sure that in an extreme weather event they would step outside the door to check the weather conditions as they do everyday. Some explained that before extreme weather-related events people usually receive warnings and know beforehand of the likelihood of the event occurring; a situation they did not see represented. They could not picture a real actor being believable when acting surprised at weather conditions that seemed more inconveniencing than extreme.
Being born and raised in Calgary, when I see the person opening their door looking scared and there’s a snowstorm, it makes me laugh because that’s part of our life. 75% of our life is that. We’re obviously not here for the good weather. – Participant in AB
In terms of positives, the notion of “on your doorstep” heightened the personal relevancy of the concept. The inclusion of a child resonated for a few; it stoked their natural desire to protect children. These participants went on to suggest children-friendly ads within this campaign to encourage children to ask questions about extreme weather events and preparedness to their parents.
Some kids are very specific about what they eat. I have been in that situation. If they could emphasize on baby food, or kids that have specific food requirements in those ads, like a kid stuck in a truck in the middle of a snowstorm, those are very impactful statements… they are very vulnerable to these situations. – Participant in Atlantic CA
3.4 Common reactions to all three concepts
The climate change reference was polarizing. Among climate change skeptics, they were turned off by the very mention of the phrase and in a handful of cases they missed the core message of emergency preparedness. Those that considered climate change a fact appreciated the reference and helped them internalise the message to a certain extent. More broadly, participants recognised the polarising quality of the phrase and generally recommended avoiding it and focusing on emergency preparedness instead.
When I first saw it, it seemed like it was going to be a video about climate change, but it was actually about being prepared. And, to me, those are very different concepts – Participant in ON
The “1 in 3” statistic did not have a polarizing effect and was generally perceived as good information by those that noticed it, though some rationalized it and concluded it is not very high and suggest perhaps another fact could be more alarming. It was evident that there was a lack of awareness of the types of natural disasters that can occur in their local areas.
Lastly, for the campaign to have the more desired straight forward approach, participants suggested being more explicit about why it is important for a kit to be build, what needs to be in a kit, how much does it cost and how often it needs to be replaced, and to include a QR code with the webpage at the end. People appreciated seeing a webpage they can refer to after watching the TV ad, but it was suggested offering offline options for those that are not as active on the internet, like older generations.
Having somewhere to go afterwards, because, you know, if it's a quick video you're not going to keep watching the commercial and the video over and over again and start jotting down points. But if you have, like, a point of access where you can go and actually see what you need, that would best. – Participant in ON
They're assuming that we all have internet, which I would say most of us do I'm sure, but what if they're older or they don’t know how to use technology?... My in-laws, they're in their 70s, you know, she can barely use her phone. Like, her iPhone. I mean, she has an iPhone, but she can barely use it. I can't imagine her sitting in front of the computer and trying to do it... so that's what I was thinking… my in-laws are in their 70s, they wouldn’t get the message unless I shared it with them. So maybe that could be something... like, maybe the ad should say, make sure you share with your family… you know, to make it more known out there. – Participant in ON
I don’t know if others noticed this or not, but in the previous ads they were saying "Get prepared dot CA" and right away they will just say the message, "This message is from Government of Canada". But this one there was a pause after "Get prepared dot CA", like, a pause of roughly about two seconds. And then they said, "This message is from the Government of Canada". So that, I mean, this particular ad I felt is, like, giving a little bit of time to at least note down the website – Participant in ON
3.5 Other information needs
When asked what information should be provided on getprepared.ca, participants’ suggestions, once again, covered the full spectrum of:
WHY and WHERE – frequency of natural disasters with ability to filter to their own geographical areas on the type of disasters and emergencies they should be preparing for; the financial implications of not preparing.
I think for me, it would be to have the information maybe divided by region and based on what natural disasters would be more likely within those regions and break it down by maybe disaster… that’s kind of how I would envision it. – Participant in AB
Other resources, who to reach out to, to help get prepared. Maybe some helpful hints for children, what does a natural disaster look like? A bit of information like that. - Participant in AB
WHAT – checklist of the recommended items for “clarity’s sake” that could be tailored by household type; template print outs that could be used to check off items and compile emergency contacts; tips for how making a kit could be affordable.
I would like to know about the list. What they are going to write on there. Of course, about the kit, what's in the kit. – Participant in ON
People could print it out and have a physical copy. When your internet goes out, when your power goes out, you're not going to look at your computer no more, right? – Participant in Atlantic CA
HOW LONG and WHAT NEXT – to prepare for and how frequently they should be updating their kits, and what to do after a natural disaster impacts them and how much supplies should their kits contain.
On the website or information wise… the thing people need is not the preparedness but the “What do I do now? Where do I go? My house is floating away, where do I go? Is it Red Cross?” So, after a disaster happens… you have a lot of people stressed, trauma, and don’t have a clue what to do. And now they’re worried about bank accounts and families and there isn’t information for afterwards. That might be something that’s useful. – Participant in Northern CA Territories
But when mobile connections are down, how do we deal with it? That kind of information is required. And then, information about community centres, what the government has planned, if they have plans to open a community centre at a particular time. Things like that. And radios, what kind of stations do broadcasts about these things? What are the local stations? That kind of information could be there. – Participant in SK
3.6 Counts on sentiment check questions
Counts from the closed-ended questions used in the discussions to gauge participants’ reactions to the concepts are provided below. These counts should be interpreted as a summary of the weight of opinion in the discussions only and should not be extrapolated as representative of the wider population.
Table 2: Ratings on overall reaction to each concept
|
Concept |
Liked (Love it + Like it) |
Neutral |
Disliked (Don’t like it + Hate it) |
|
Extreme Weather Watch |
46 |
14 |
5 |
|
Canadian Experience |
40 |
16 |
8 |
|
Unexpected |
37 |
19 |
10 |
*Figures do not always add up to the same base size due to missing data.
Table 3: Final ballot questions
|
Concept |
Most engaging |
Most likely to make you consider you could be at risk |
Most effective in encouraging you to visit getprepared.ca |
|
Extreme Weather Watch |
32 |
26 |
31 |
|
Canadian Experience |
23 |
20 |
23 |
|
Unexpected |
10 |
18 |
9 |
*Figures do not always add up to the same base size due to missing data.
