Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Folic Acid Marketing Campaign
Project Goal
To develop culturally competent and effective outreach materials to promote daily folic acid consumption among Spanish-speaking Hispanic women of childbearing age for the prevention of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
Our Services
TMN performed the following tasks:
- Developed a multivariate audience-segmentation scheme using existing data from Spanish-speaking Hispanic women.
- Assessed the effectiveness of existing campaign materials with the identified audience segments.
- Conducted six exploratory focus groups with each of three audience segments (18 focus groups total).
- Developed audience profiles for each audience segment.
- Developed draft communication plans based on audience profiles that outline potential outreach strategies.
- Developed and presented creative concepts to key internal and external stakeholders to solicit input.
- Tested revised creative concepts using three focus groups per each of three audience segments (9 focus groups total).
- Developed draft materials (posters, radio and print ads, and a brochure) and pre-tested them in 72 one-on-one interviews with each audience segment (24 interviews/segment) and with 50 "distributors” or relevant community-based organizations.
Accomplishments
Our innovative public health research on this project led to publication of an article in The Journal of Women's Health. Radio and print advertising materials were developed for two segments of young adults and mothers of childbearing age. In addition, formative research findings indicated the need for a new brochure targeted specifically to mothers to correct their misperception that the birth of a healthy child reduces their risk of having subsequent children with birth defects.
As a result, materials tested positively with all three audience segments using pre-post test design which demonstrated a statistically relevant increase in knowledge and intent to take folic acid. Materials were also well received by distributors, with relatively minimum requests for revisions. Final materials are available on CDC’s folic acid website.
