2023-2024 VAC Services for Veterans: Concept Testing and Evaluation - Summary

Prepared for Veterans Affairs Canada

Supplier:
Ekos Research Associates Inc.
Contract Number:
CW2334234
Contract Value:
$129,288.95 (including HST)
Award Date:
October 18, 2023
Delivery Date:
May 24, 2024
POR Registration Number:
POR 070-23

For more information on this report, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at commsresearch-commsrecherche@Veterans.gc.ca

This report summarizes results from two surveys; one of 2008 and one of 2035 Canadians.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Services d'ACC pour les vétérans et vétéranes 2023-2024 : mise à l'essai des concepts et OÉCP

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Veterans Affairs Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at: commsresearch-commsrecherche@Veterans.gc.ca

Cadtalogue Number:
V49-19/2024E-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-69607-2

Related publications (registration number: POR 070-23):

Catalogue Number:
(Final Report, French) V49-19/2024F-PDF
International Standard Book Number (ISBN):
978-0-660-69608-9

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, 2024

Summary

As part of its mandate, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) supports the well-being of Veterans and their families through the delivery of programs such as disability benefits, financial benefits, rehabilitation, pension advocacy, education and training supports. VAC serves 143,835 clients (as of March 2022) out of the 461,240 Veterans in Canada (according to the 2021 Census). Public opinion research conducted in 2021-22 revealed that half of non-clients are not familiar with the programs and services available for Veterans and their families. The transition for life after service can be supported through financial, mental, physical and social factors. Veterans and the general population of Canada can benefit from increased awareness of the services and benefits offered through VAC to benefit the well-being of Veterans. In 2024, an advertising campaign was conducted to raise awareness about VAC services and benefits, including financial, career development, education, mental health and supports for post-traumatic stress disorder.

A. Background

VAC's services for Veterans advertising campaign has been marketed to an extensive demographic with nominal post-campaign recall. The Services for Veterans Advertising Campaign had a comprehensive set of advertising products to raise awareness about VAC services and benefits, including financial, career development, education, mental health, and supports for post-traumatic stress disorder. To raise awareness for this program, digital creatives were used for this campaign. This included 30, 15 and seven second video advertising creatives, as well as a banner advertisement.

As the services for Veterans advertising campaign media buy exceeded $1,000,000, public opinion research is required by Treasury Board using the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET), with additional validating and benchmarking questions following the ACET instrument. Data collection to evaluate the campaign supports the Government of Canada's goal of effectively gauging Canadians' awareness and knowledge of Government of Canada initiatives and determining the effectiveness of the campaign.

Research Purpose

Specifically, the purpose of the quantitative post-testing was to evaluate the services for Veterans advertising campaign and to gauge:

Information obtained from this research will allow VAC to determine the impact of its advertising campaign and provide direction on areas where the campaign can be adjusted to reach a broader Canadian public. The findings will provide useful information to improve future campaigns which are more targeted, informative and geared to the target population.

B. Sample design

Two bilingual, national, online surveys were conducted: one as a baseline, in advance of the campaign, and one following the end of the campaign to measure change in awareness and intent to visit over time, to assess impact of the campaign. The baseline included 2,008 Canadians 18 years of age or older, collected between February 14 and 25, 2024 and the post-campaign sample included 2,035 Canadians, also 18 years of age or older, collected between March 25 and April 10, 2024. The associated margin of error in both surveys is up to plus or minus 2.2%, at a .05 confidence interval (i.e., 19 times out of 20). Each survey instrument was based on the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (ACET) questions used by the Government of Canada in all of its advertising evaluation research, adding a few campaign-specific questions testing the impact on perceptions targeted though the campaign. Each survey instrument included a sample of randomly selected respondents from all provinces and territories.

Each survey sample relied on Ekos' Probit panel, which is assembled using a random digit dial process for sampling from a blended land-line cell-phone frame, and provides full coverage of Canadians with telephone access. The distribution of the recruitment process is meant to mirror the actual population in Canada (as defined by Statistics Canada). As such, the more than 120,000 member panel can be considered representative of the general public in Canada (meaning that the incidence of a given target population within the panel very closely resembles the public at large) and margins of error can be applied.

Appendix A provides the details of the methodology for the baseline and post-campaign surveys. The baseline and post-campaign questionnaires are found in Appendix B and C.

C. Contract Value

The contract value for the POR project is $129,288.95 (including HST).

Sutplier Name:
Ekos Research Associates
PWGSC Contract Number:
CW2334234
Contract Award Date:
October 18, 2023

To obtain more information on this study, please e-mail: commsresearch-commsrecherche@Veterans.gc.ca.