John McKenzie, Tamika Williams

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Market Segmentation to Target Recruitment
AdoptUsKids partnership with States
Agency Courts 2009

• John McKenzie, Tamika Williams
• and Pam Kramer

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Objectives

• Overview of the NRCRRFAP at AdoptUsKids
• Understand market segmentation as one method of
  targeting recruitment to improve outcomes,
  including diligent recruitment
• Share lessons learned from Washington State and
  other States
• Learn how data can inform messaging and design

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Mission of AdoptUsKids a Service of the
Children's Bureau (2007-2012)

• To raise public awareness about the need for
  foster care and adoptive families
• To assist U.S. States, Territories, and Tribes in
  their efforts to recruit, retain, and connect
  foster and adoptive families with children
  awaiting permanency throughout the United States.

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AEA and its Partners
Toll-free Response and Fulfillment AEA
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The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids

• adoptuskids.org (in English) adopte1.org (in
  Spanish)
• Northwest Adoption Exchange (Seattle)
• National photolisting of children waiting in
  foster care for adoptive families
• Information on foster care and adoption for
  families, professionals and the media
• Professional website page to highlight promising
  practices in recruitment retention

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The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids

• National Recruitment Initiatives
• National multi-media campaigns to recruit
  families for waiting children including public
  relations outreach
• Toll Free national call in number for resource
  parent information and referral to support the
  National Ad Campaign

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The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids

• Parent Respite Program (NACAC)
• Annual mini-grant awards to parent support groups
• Development of national respite model to support
  foster and adoptive families
• Research and Evaluation (UT at Austin)
• Evaluation of AdoptUsKids programs to insure the
  highest quality of service
• Review and dissemination of promising practices
  in recruitment and retention

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NRCRRFAP

• The National Resource Center for the Recruitment
  and Retention of Foster and Adoptive Parents at
  AdoptUsKids
• Member of Childrens Bureau T/TA Network
• Located at The Adoption Exchange, Inc. Aurora,
  Colorado

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National Resource Centers Implementation Centers
States, Territories Tribes
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T/TA Network - Principles

• Members of the T/TA Network partner with one
  another in a manner consistent with the Systems
  of Care (SOC) framework and CFSR principles to
• Build capacity
• Facilitate systemic improvements

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Role of the NRCRRFAP at AdoptUsKids
T/TA Flier
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T/TA Services Provided
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Accessing NRC Services

• No wrong door for accessing T/TA
• Contact Regional Offices, specific NRCs, or NRCOI
  for help and information
• T/TA is free, available on-site, and customized
• NRCs tailor services to be culturally appropriate
  and tailored to meet the individual needs of
  States, Tribes and Territories
• Many other services available in addition to
  formal, on-site T/TA

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The Goal of NRCRRFAP

• Our goal is to help States achieve data driven,
  measurable outcomes with sustainable capacity
  building.
• States are looking for strategies that lead to
  increased placement stability timely permanence
• No one strategy can meet all recruitment needs.
  Recruitment, response and retention all are
  important.

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A Comprehensive Approach
Prepare, support and respect Families

• Outcomes
• Timely permanence
• Placement stability

Getting the right people on the path
Community partnerships
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What is Targeted Recruitment?

• What are the elements of Targeted Recruitment?
• How are you currently Targeting your recruitment
  efforts?

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Examples of Targeted Recruitment

• Faith Based
• Military
• Community Based (such as Native American)
• Geo-mapping
• Referrals from existing parents
• Market Segmentation

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Why invest in Market Segmentation?

• Data driven - understanding
• Who, where and how
• Baseline for determining and monitoring outcomes
• Targeted - focuses recruitment activities
  strategically to where you can be most successful
  in reaching your goals including diligent
  recruitment
• Cost effective - in finding families
• Better use of agency time
• More recruited families will become licensed and
  have placements

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Market research segmentation

• Market research firms, such as Claritas and
  Tapestry, conduct studies of thousands of people
  across the US looking at over 10,000 behaviors
  and demographic predictors including

• The information is used to create profiles.
  Claritas PRIZM has identified 66 profiles or
  segments. Every US household falls into one of
  these 66 segments.

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How the marketing firm comes up with market
segments to target

• Financial Data
• Income
• Credit card usage, etc.

• Demographic
• Age, race
• Urban, rural, etc.

Market research firm

• Lifestyle choices
• Religion, politics
• Hobbies, travel, etc.

(current database of 890,000 US households
updated yearly)
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Examples of market segment descriptions for
Social Groups
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Washington State, a case study

• Four private recruitment contractors cover 6
  state regions
• Each has had its own unique recruitment brand,
  message and strategy
• Confusing to the target audience
• AdoptUsKids did an initial orientation to TR
  branding messaging in June of 2007
• The State agency decided in September to proceed
  the new unified brand and message was launched
  in May 2008 in conjunction with the 20th annual
  national foster care month

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History of Foster Family Recruitment in
Washington state

• For years, hardworking people and dedicated
  agencies have poured time, money, and countless
  hours into trying to increase the number of
  foster families available to care for children.

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Something is not working!

• For the past 10 years, the number of newly
  licensed foster parents has stayed within a range
  of about 1,200 to about 1,400 per year.

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Its not who is doing the job, its how the
job is being done!
If we keep doing what we are doing, we will keep
getting what we are getting.
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How has the job been done?

• Weve historically tried to recruit foster
  parents like we were a Yall Mart as in Yall
  come! This approach is called, Generalized
  Recruitment.

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What does Yall Come Recruiting Look Like?

• Its using effective products like
• Brochures
• Booths at fairs and events
• Fliers in stores
• PSAs
• Banners
• Newspaper ads
• In less than effective ways.
• Its a little like casting a broad net into
• uncharted waters and hoping for a big catch.

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What are the results of generalized recruitment?
It is an axiom in politics that if people are
confused by something appearing on a ballot, they
will vote against it. If potential foster
parents are confused about the need, the process,
the benefit, and the outcome, they too will vote
against foster parenting.

• Mixed messages
• Lost time
• Lost resources
• Confusion
• Frustration
• Inaction

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The State determined that they needed to try
something different.

• HOW
• We have access to technology that we did not
  have when we started 30 years ago.
• We have access to experts who can help us
  improve our recruiting skills.

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When technology and experts merge!

• We brought together the very best experts
  foster parents, relative caregivers, private
  recruiters, state staff recruiters, private
  agencies, marketers, communications consultants,
  and designers.
• Held 3 on-site meetings where 45-50 people met
  for two days each in June, Sept and December.

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The Washington State Definition of a Successful
Foster Parent!

• Licensed for more than three years.
• Gone through re-licensing process at least once.
• Currently caring for a child in their home.

The workgroups identified numerous
characteristics of successful foster parents but
only those items that appeared as fields in the
state database were practical for use. These
foster families receive payment
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Market segmentation process
Address or Zip Codes plus 4 of current successful
parents (1,000 minimum)

• Consider
• What are the characteristics of the current
  successful parents?
• Where do the children in care come from?
• Other?

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Prism Profile Bar Chart (WA)
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Prism Profile Bar Chart (another State)
Index 100
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Lessons LearnedFinding the missing piece

• Incorporating Family-to-Family objectives of
  placing children in their own neighborhoods and
  schools.
• Adding to the search the Zip plus 4 data for the
  homes where the children were removed.

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Targeted Recruitment

• Market Segmentation technology was used to find
  out some very important information
• Who and where are the people that most resemble
  our successful foster parents in the communities
  where we most need them and where are they most
  likely to get their information?
• In those communities Where are the most
  successful foster parents and what activities,
  events, and products are most important to them?
• Which communities have the most children removed
  from home?

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Targeted Recruitment

• We ended up with addresses of people who fit the
  profile of our most successful foster parents and
  other families that we need to target.

Its like fishing with a state of the art sonar
system, knowing right where the fish are, and
using bait tailored for their tastes.
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In your community, in your town, and throughout
Washington state, people just like you are
changing the lives of children for the
better. You Can Too!
Messaging and Marketing Strategies

• One target demographic is affectionately called
  Big Sky. These are folks who like the great
  outdoors, adventure activities, camping, fishing,
  gardening.
• They represent a higher socio-economic group than
  we may have thought.
• We know where they like to eat and shop, what
  cable channels they watch and even what kind of
  cars they drive.

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Any index rating higher than 100 indicates that
the particular demographic group is more likely
than not to engage in that behavior. The higher
the index number the greater probability of a
behavioral indicator
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Any index rating higher than 100 indicates that
the particular demographic group is more likely
than not to receive information from the media
outlets indicated.
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(No Transcript)
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Developing persuasive messages

• Messages that appeal to the needs of potential
  parents
• Benefit - what benefit would persuade them to
  come forward to foster and/or adopt?
• Appeal - what needs/talents do parents have that
  would entice them to choose to act, rather than
  do nothing about fostering and/or adopting?
• Fears and barriers - what stands in the way of
  parents coming forward?

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Organization vs. Customer centered mindset
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Organization centered mindset

• Our mission is inherently good
• Customers are the problem
• Marketing Communication
• Limited need for marketing research
• Customers are treated as a mass
• Competition is ignored

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Customer centered mindset

• Our mission is to bring about behavior change by
  meeting target markets needs and wants
• Marketing is seen as more than communications
• Market research is vital
• Customers are grouped in segments
• Competition is everywhere and never ending

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A customer centered mindset means

• Our recruitment and retention strategies are
  driven by
• Messaging that appeals to targeted families
• Services that respond to family needs and wants
• Relationships not agencys view but the foster,
  adoptive parents perception of how we team
  together for the benefit of the children and how
  they are treated in the process
• Retention - is a strategic priority everybodys
  business

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Branding Messaging are Key

• Branding makes lasting impression of your
  organization
• Messaging changes with the audience

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Branding

• Name recognition, people can immediately identify
  with the brand and think about it
• Branding has a consistent look and feel
• Develop rules of thumb and stick to them about
  the brand
• Taglines needs to be easy to understand
  appealing

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Engage the Audience, ask the Experts

• Met with target audience members and asked them
  if they could have a brand and tagline that was
  their Nike Swoosh or their golden arches, what
  would it look like? They said
• Bright
• Bold
• Upbeat
• Happy
• Hopeful
• Professional
• Brand at a glance
• Appeal to adults not necessarily to kids
• Highly visible at all sizes
• Wide range of applications
• New, not necessarily familiar or comfortable
• Culturally inclusive
• Gender neutral
• Make people think about becoming a foster parent,
  feel good about the possibility of becoming a
  foster parent and take action to become a foster
  parent

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Using Data to Drive Design

• WA used various data gathering and analysis
  techniques to inform every aspect of the brand
  and tagline development process from color
  choices to typeface styles and tagline choices.
• Research shows that people tend to respond
  favorably to colors that appear naturally in
  their immediate surroundings.

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Branding

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The Result
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What People Said About it

• It was bright, to the point. Clear message.
  Logos with houses are concerning in that it sends
  a message that foster parents need to have a
  house but we have a number of foster parents who
  live in apartments.
• My eye naturally gets the message tag line.
• Blue is a comfort color that pops in this
  design. The message is positive and implies
  action not just one that makes a person feel ok.
• Professional, yet warm and friendly
• Bold, classic, gender neutral, not "kiddie"
  looking, felt it was personally encouraging, like
  it was talking directly to me "You Can Too".

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Adopt Cuyahogas Kids Campaign
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Adopt Cuyahogas Kids Campaign
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On-going efforts in WA

• Statewide brand - Contractors and State Regions
  have used the new standardized theme in a variety
  of ways on bags, shirts, fans, and calendars.
• Family-to-Family Tools gained from market
  segmentation are being used in neighborhoods of
  focus to recruit families where we have most of
  our child removals.
• 1-888-KIDS-414 launched a campaign for the new
  statewide toll free number and website (getting
  more than 330 hits a month from the new web
  site).
• Statewide Recruitment Information Center
  Developed a common reporting system and form.
  Contractors and state staff now are able to
  efficiently track foster parents through the
  recruitment process.
• Customer/Caregiver Service - More than 5 dozen
  support and "hub and spoke" groups around the
  state have been implemented.

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Communications Planning
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Some Examples
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The overall process
Grouping
Statewide plans
Local plans
Painting portraits
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Role of the State

• Get leadership approval to proceed with the
  project and designate what regions/sites/agencies
  of the State should be included in the project
• Determine a market research firm they want to
  contract with (cost to run States data is under
  10,000.)
• Provide necessary data (zip 4 data on current
  successful families)
• Participate in evaluating and analyzing data
  reports

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Role of the State (continued)

• Actively participate in planning and
  implementation of the plan including
• Craft the message(s), establish brand (based on
  the results from the Market Segmentation study)
• Develop materials that are benefit driven for
  prospective families
• Develop community partnerships
• Get the message out to the targeted areas reach
  the families through media, targeted direct
  mailing, etc.
• Address gaps in retaining families throughout the
  process
• Sustain/improve results through data analysis

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Role of the NRCRRFAP

• Facilitate the development of the targeted
  recruitment plan and timeline with the States
  team.
• Consult with States staff to interpret the
  information obtained in the market research
  analyses.
• Refine the data provided by market research to
  assist the State in creating a usable and
  effective recruitment retention plan.
• Facilitate next steps. Provide guidance,
  direction and advice on the best strategies to
  implement a targeted recruitment plan, including
  branding and messaging.
• Assist in reviewing the implementation and engage
  State in refining plan over time, including
  retention/customer service strategies.

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Lessons learned

• Get buy-in from all participants
• Understand implement the customer centered
  mind-set at all stages of the RR process
• Training in the process and tools
• On-going evaluation accountability
• Determine what to measure consistently monitor
  progress

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Next Steps for NRCRRFAP at AdoptUsKids

• Currently working with Connecticut and Kentucky
  on their Market Segmentation programs
• Actively working on Customer/Caregiver Service
  initiative for improving retention

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Questions and Answers?
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Contact Us

• Tamika Williams
• Associate Director
  Training
  and Technical Assistance
  NRCRRFAP at
  AdoptUsKids
• [phone]
• tamika_at_adoptex.org