Using Focus Groups in the Consumer Research Phase of a Social Marketing Program to Promote Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity and Walking Trail Use in Sumter County, South Carolina

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Burroughs, Ericka ; Peck, Lara E ; Sharpe, Patricia A ; Granner, Michelle L ; Bryant, Carol A ; Fields, Regina
• Description:
  Introduction
  
  The use of social marketing approaches in public health practice is increasing. Using marketing concepts such as the "four Ps" (product, price, place, and promotion), social marketing borrows from the principles of commercial marketing but promotes beneficial health behaviors. Consumer research is used to segment the population and develop a strategy based on those marketing concepts. In a community-based participatory research study, 17 focus groups were used in consumer research to develop a social marketing program to promote walking and other moderate-intensity physical activities.
  
  Methods
  
  Two phases of focus groups were conducted. Phase 1 groups, which included both men and women, were asked to respond to questions that would guide the development of a social marketing program based on social marketing concepts. Phase 1 also determined the intervention's target audience, which was irregularly active women aged 35 to 54. Phase 2 groups, composed of members of the target audience, were asked to further define the product and discuss specific promotion strategies.
  
  Results
  
  Phase 1 participants determined that the program product, or target behavior, should be walking. In addition, they identified price, place, and promotion strategies. Phase 2 participants determined that moderate-intensity physical activity is best promoted using the term exercise and offered suggestions for marketing walking, or exercise, to the target audience.
  
  Conclusion
  
  There have been few published studies of social marketing campaigns to promote physical activity. In this study, focus groups were key to understanding the target audience in a way that would not have been accomplished with quantitative data alone. The group discussions generated important insights into values and motivations that affect consumers' decisions to adopt a product or behavior. The focus group results guided the development of a social marketing program to promote physical activity in the target audience in Sumter County, South Carolina.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Community Networks Exercise Female Focus Groups Health Promotion Humans Male Middle Aged Original Research Social Marketing Walking

  More +
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 2006; 3(1).
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  R06/CCR421479/CC/ODCDC CDC HHS/United States ; U48/CCU409664/CC/ODCDC CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  South Carolina
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  3
• Issue:
  1
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:de6c3383f191869f059ef639ef2ce24226bb6c9531428bce212aebf8397d65ba0500f29af58f5becb66bea2fa8ff03c8ddf4e1549fc161c5a474fae40d5c0d0e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/19993/cdc_19993_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 391.71 KB ]