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Using Research to Strengthen Advocacy

By on November 9, 2022 in

The Situation

Take a Stand to Protect Our Land is the mantra of an organization of outdoor enthusiasts focused on protecting the places where they pursue their outdoor passions from climate change. This powerful message is based on work Artemis Strategy Group conducted with our partners at Neimand Collaborative and Protect Our Winters (POW). POW is a nonprofit that focuses on influencing legislation, policy, and individual action to fight climate change.

Above all, POW wanted to channel the energy and untapped potential of outdoor enthusiasts as a means to strengthen advocacy. Their goal was to engage their audience as advocates for policy changes to alleviate the worst effects of climate change. The team at POW had done prior research showing that their demographic is young, relatively affluent, informed and empathetic. However, these same people were somewhat disconnected from passionate political activism. POW recognized the potential to engage them into a political and policy force.

Strengthening advocacy: riding on a ski lift

Our Recommendation

Identifying How to Move From Awareness to Strengthen Advocacy

First, POW embarked on a robust consumer research project to strengthen advocacy via the number and intensity of climate advocates. They wanted to thoroughly understand the motivations of outdoor enthusiasts. As a result, POW could engage their audience more fully as advocates for climate-change-reduction policies.

POW commissioned Neimand Collaborative and Artemis Strategy Group to help move past an assessment of where outdoor enthusiasts are on climate change. Generally, they hoped to understand how to speed the individual journey from awareness to effective advocacy.

Artemis’ combined qualitative and quantitative research modes included:

  • Online bulletin boards: We keyed into the important role of social media influencers using in-depth qualitative discussions. These online conversations took place among POW athlete/influencer followers and non-POW outdoor enthusiasts. Overall, our work revealed insights into how climate change impacts their lifestyle, their desire to act and their desired interaction with POW Alliance members.
  • Focus groups: In-person focus groups in key geographic locations expanded on the online discussion. Here, we dug deeper into how outdoor enthusiasts see climate change impacting their lifestyle now and in the future.
  • Quantitative survey: Next, informed by the qualitative inputs, we conducted a nationwide quantitative survey of outdoor enthusiasts and oversamples in select POW geographies across a variety of outdoor sports. This study provided the information to build and deliver the “motivation map” of decision-making pathways related to climate change activism.

On the whole, Artemis’ motivation research showed how POW can connect with and recruit outdoor advocates across the political spectrum to support the fight against climate change.

Strengthening advocacy: winter hike up a mountain

The Outcome

Using the results generated by Artemis Strategy Group’s motivational research, Neimand Collaborative developed an effective message framework. POW used it to guide future communications and organizing strategies for POW Alliance communications, their redesigned website, social media language and other outreach to the outdoor community.

The details of this important research-driven campaign are available to review here [PDF].

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Turning Insights into Assets for an Industry Leader

By on October 25, 2022 in

The Situation

Fidelity Charitable is a public charity that helps donors maximize their generosity through donor-advised funds. As the nation’s top grantmaker, Fidelity Charitable distributed $10.3 billion to charities in 2021.

Building a strong thought leadership voice on the topics of giving and philanthropy in the US is one key to Fidelity Charitable’s ongoing success.

Our Recommendation

Turn Research Insights Into Assets

Since 2011 Artemis Strategy Group has supported Fidelity Charitable in providing research on donor motivations, behavior, beliefs and attitudes. We often say that effective thought leadership “requires thinking,” and the team at Fidelity Charitable is great at thinking through the most important topics impacting their audiences. They also make a point to tie topics to the initiatives the organization is undertaking. The themes the team pursues are timely, relevant and interesting. Furthermore, they are world-class at turning their insights into assets that support the organization’s mission.

The Outcome

Unique Data about Valuable Audiences

Fidelity Charitable has a deep understanding of how women approach philanthropy, and how their approach differs by generation. Their beautiful report on Women and Giving [PDF] highlights specific philanthropic attitudes and behaviors, and how they changed the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diving deeper into differences by generation, a study on Impact Investing shows that Millennials are most active in impact investing among the generations. Millennials are also the most familiar, positive and optimistic about the financial benefits of impact investing.

Timely Topics: Crypto, Covid and Taxes

Cryptocurrency is a topic that gets a lot of media attention, but not everyone sees the connection between giving and crypto. We worked with Fidelity Charitable on this Cryptocurrency and Philanthropy study. We found that a third of cryptocurrency investors have donated some of their cryptocurrency to charity. Their reasoning? They wanted to do something good with their cryptocurrency (two thirds), their assets had appreciated (56%) or for tax benefits (54%).

Many think of giving when they think of taxes, so it’s no surprise that nearly two-thirds of Americans participate in year-end charitable activities [PDF]. A surprise from our survey on this topic: Almost 60% would rather receive a donation to their favorite charity than a gift for themselves.

COVID-19 hit many hard physically, mentally and financially. But donors remained committed to philanthropy during the global pandemic. Most donors planned to maintain or even further increase their donations, as this report on Covid-19’s Influence on Giving shows.

Fidelity Charitable is an example of an organization that does a beautiful job of creating and using research to inform their audiences about important topics while also building their brand.

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Transforming an Industry Conversation

By on October 12, 2022 in

The Situation

Addressing an Industry Conversation Around Economic and Business Challenges

Many Americans nearing retirement age do not have enough money accumulated to see them through the rest of their lives. Also, many who do have assets are uncertain how to “decumulate” those assets to make their money last as long as they do.

Annuities are one answer to the retirement income challenge. However, they have been under-utilized in the U.S. because of low familiarity and misperceptions.

Industry leaders created a nonprofit organization called the Alliance for Lifetime Income (ALI) in 2018 to help address the retirement crisis. ALI’s goals are to raise awareness and educate Americans about the value and importance of having protected lifetime income in retirement. Essentially, to transform an industry conversation. ALI turned to Statler Nagle, an organization that specializes in helping industry groups address critical issues through impactful communications programs.

Artemis was selected to conduct the research program supporting the creation and growth of ALI.

Our Recommendation

Research Elements Drive the Campaign

Artemis’ primary research is a key tool connecting and focusing a diverse, multi-agency team around the core program.

  • Target Market Identification: ALI focuses on two audiences: end-user Americans (consumers) and financial professionals. Our research identified five consumer segments based on personal motivations and decision styles, creating a helpful tool for financial professionals to understand the values and motivations of their clients, and for consumers themselves to identify their own unique retirement needs.
  • Communications Strategy: The central element of this program is to have a well-structured strategic message. We used our Motivation Research approach to build the rational-emotional structure of a core message. This forms the foundation of ALI’s communication strategy and is used throughout the campaign through specific language, visual cues and in pieces such as this.
  • Cutting-Edge Thought Leadership Research: Throughout the campaign Artemis conducted rigorous research, with a focus on unique audiences and continuously-refreshed topical questions designed to identify audience inflections.

We looked at important changes that impacted retirement decisions during the pandemic. This research has given ALI strategic information. Furthermore, ALI pulls from the research, which acts as a repository, to disseminate new topics through their multiple communications groups.

The Outcome

A Reinvigorated Communications Environment

The Alliance for Lifetime Income has been at the forefront of delivering the message that securing one’s financial future now is critical to leading a protected, full life in retirement.

The organization has changed the tenor of the conversation about annuities. Additionally, ALI has increased the industry’s share of voice in the retirement planning discussion. In 2021 A U.S. Senate report about financial literacy in retirement highlighted ALI’s work.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Adoption in North Carolina

By on July 11, 2022 in

The Situation

In December of 2020, Artemis began a large-scale research project for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) through our long-term strategic partner Neimand Collaborative. The purpose of the research was to measure initial intentions among residents to get the newly arriving COVID-19 vaccines, and to understand the trade-offs people make between perceived risks and rewards of vaccine.

The Outcome

We are now entering our third year of ongoing research for NCDHHS, with a focus that has shifted away from inducing first-time vaccination and toward consistent compliance with vaccination protocols.

The challenge of transitioning to a mindset of COVID as an endemic part of life requires research that illuminates how to take a crisis reaction and normalize responsible behavior over the long haul – even as media coverage of the pandemic wanes. Now that young children are eligible for COVID vaccines, the NCDHHS is particularly interested in the vaccine perceptions and intentions of this cohort’s parents.

All of these important questions are of particular importance when assessing the perceptions and behaviors of historically marginalized populations (HMPs) — such as African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/LatinX, American Indians, newly arrived immigrants and the rural poor — within the state.

Our research, both quantitative and qualitative, continues to help chart the communications messaging and execution as the NCDHHS seeks to fulfill its goal of widespread vaccination in North Carolina.

See the current campaign here.

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Public Communications Campaign Research on Bicycling

By on March 18, 2019 in

The Situation

PeopleforBikes — an industry coalition of bicycling supporters and retailers, as well as a charitable foundation — is dedicated to promoting bicycle infrastructure in urban environments to encourage greater mobility physical, economic and social mobility for citizens. The coalition knows that building a safe, interconnected network of protected bikeways depends on gaining the support of many people. This includes, critically, those who only occasionally bike or never bike at all.

Artemis Strategy Group worked with partner Neimand Collaborative to help PeopleforBikes build a common value proposition around the wider concept of mobility. The goal was to build a campaign that bike enthusiasts advocates and the wider non-biking public could rally around.

We designed a public communications campaign research study to understand:

  1. Local aspirations and barriers relative to mobility within the community, including physical, financial and social mobility
  2. What messaging would best solidify existing support and entice new support from known pockets of opposition for biking infrastructure development as a critical component of enhanced mobility

Our Recommendation

We conducted our rigorous quantitative motivation research among a cross section of adults who either live in, commute to (for work or school) or visit each of eight targeted cities across the United States. This work helped the clients better understand people’s aspirations for mobility and how bike infrastructure could help them achieve their personal and civic goals.

The Outcome

Our public communications campaign research found that biking infrastructure, if part of a well thought out plan for infrastructure improvement, could be a win-win-win. First, car commuters win because the bikers have their own space and lanes. Next, pedestrians win because bikers have their own space and lanes. Finally, bikers win because they have their own space and lanes.

Partners Neimand Collaborative created messaging around this effective idea: Everyone has peace on the road when everyone has a piece of the road. PeopleforBikes will use these results to create a public communications campaign in each city aimed at building public interest, involvement and support for initiatives to build new biking infrastructure. The targets for these communications include cities, businesses and political elites in each city.

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Research to Shape a Foundation’s Legacy

By on February 6, 2018 in

The Situation

A major international foundation asked Artemis Strategy Group to conduct research to help the organization frame the issues, opportunities and choices related to the foundation’s legacy. It was developed as a “limited life” organization, and this foundation marketing research was conducted to identify the organization’s core and most salient characteristics in the eyes of important external audiences. The objective was to help the foundation determine how to speak about itself and the goals it wished to accomplish as it finalized its future role and activities. The foundation will close in 2020.

Our Recommendation

Artemis Strategy Group developed a careful process of interviewing several dozen selected high-level individuals throughout the world who had some level of engagement with the foundation. The interviewees included grantees, leaders of NGOs, philanthropists and people influential in social change. These confidential interviews were conducted in a structured manner that facilitated aggregate analysis around the choices to be made.

The Outcome

The brand guidance from the research helped the foundation use its “voice” and reputational leverage more effectively, refine the focus of grant making and activities and enhance the collective value of the grants and activities. Importantly, it helped the foundation decide where to focus its powerful voice in its remaining years.

Our client ran the communications function of this foundation and presented the research and resulting strategies to the leaders and the board. He was so taken with the process of listening to perceptions of the foundation by people who had touched it over the years that he introduced his presentation with a poem. We wrote a short blog post about it.

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Research to Develop a Foundation’s Brand & “Promise”

By on February 6, 2018 in

The Situation

We helped develop a major U.S. foundation’s brand, and they implemented a “Promise” at the same time. Ten years later we helped them update the written Promise because they wanted to publish it and use it as a touchstone for their brand. Their goal was to assess the response that it elicited from a broad spectrum of their stakeholders. These stakeholders included foundation staff, grantees, partners and the board of directors. The end goal of the communications development research was to provide feedback that was both evaluative and diagnostic; the Promise should strike a positive chord across the spectrum of stakeholders.

Our Recommendation

Artemis Strategy Group used a highly interactive facilitation process to get feedback from senior staff and board members, and then completed an online survey of the foundation’s critical stakeholders, which included a wide range of internal and external audiences. This approach permitted a highly granular assessment of the Promise; the respondents were able to “mark up” what they liked and did not like about the language. Artemis completed a holistic assessment that featured an analysis of components that most motivated positive actions.

The Outcome

This research was used as a catalyst to build a stronger footing for the foundation’s brand, and a new, powerful Promise emerged from the process. Conducting the survey was the tactical piece of this work and it was important, but the thinking tasks and working with the dynamic staff and board throughout the process made the outcome impactful. The board is comprised of leaders from sectors such as business, government, medicine and academia. They all have powerful voices and strong opinions. This process of creating the foundation’s Promise “helped the board bond,” according to our client, and the staff developed a strong sense of authorship.

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Communicating the Value of North Carolina’s Public Education Systems

By on October 25, 2017 in

The Situation

We were charged with message development in order to communicate the value of maintaining and strengthening North Carolina’s public education systems among parents in a political environment that was driving toward creating a voucher system.

Our Recommendation

Through qualitative and quantitative Motivation Research we identified four “pathways of thought” that motivated parents to support quality public schools, representing four distinct strategic communications options.

The most powerful message acknowledged the twin impact on creating high-quality young adults and a better, more successful society. But a more powerful motivator was how parents benefited from a quality school system. Generating greater support for schools in North Carolina depended on rebuilding the societal contract by providing people with confidence that they didn’t have to choose between personal aspirations and political ones. Here is how we viewed the core of these motivators using the framework of the means-end theory:

 

Supporting Public Education: Pathway Core using means-end theory

 

The Outcome

The key to our message development was to address parent values first and social values as a resulting aggregation. We did this by focusing messages on how public education actualizes the full potential of individuals, validates parents and creates social value through increased personal advancement.

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Health Insurance: Capitalizing on a New Market Opportunity

By on September 20, 2017 in

The Situation

The Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges created a new market opportunity that could change the competitive landscape for health insurance companies. But they also presented significant challenges for any company designing and communicating its offer–leading to this healthcare research study.

The client, a regional healthcare insurance provider, engaged Artemis Strategy Group to help them determine how to communicate with a new market and what to emphasize in their communications to the 15 percent of Americans who are uninsured. One challenge was that the target audience was incredibly diverse. Their motivations and likely shopping behaviors were not well understood. Add to this the complexity of the health insurance purchase process on the exchanges. The client requested insights on the multiple components of the consumer’s decision process: deciding to shop for insurance, shopping online through the market, and finally, selecting their insurance offer.

Our Recommendation

We designed and conducted several streams of research among the target uninsured audience and, separately, among community/health leaders to provide systemic perspective. The research thoroughly probed how people without health insurance think and make decisions about an intangible, complicated product with which they have limited experience. Our study results identified a core set of common motivational messages to reach this diverse audience, provided guidance on how to shape the offer and offered insights on shopping behavior that guided design and process.

The Outcome

A key insight came from understanding the frustrations uninsured people had experienced in prior efforts to obtain insurance and the reassurances they would need to renew their efforts. The array of new knowledge gleaned from research helped our client to develop a consistent positioning and go-to-market strategy for this developing opportunity.

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