“It’s How You Listen That Counts”®
HEARING HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AIMED AT TEENS SURVEY RESULTS 2007
February 04, 2009
INTRODUCTION: In 2006, the House Ear Institute (HEI) sponsored a test market research study of 196 teens and young adults between the ages of 12-22 in the Phoenix, Arizona regional area to support its goal of reaching them with an effective hearing health message. After conducting extensive pre-campaign market research, the House Ear Institute entered the test market phase of the “It’s How You Listen That Counts” campaign in January 2006. The test phase, which ran through November 2006, included surveys of teens and young adults about their lifestyles, values and opinions with the goal of finding the best methods of communication to educate the challenging teen sector about the importance of safe listening practices. Hearing conservation messages were delivered via a campaign Web site (http://www.earbud.org/) and an educational TV spot that aired on MTV and its Web site, as well as several Yahoo! sites. The campaign was also promoted via online ad banners. All test campaign materials and promotions featured “Ear Bud,” the campaign mascot. Surveys were conducted by a market research firm through a combination of phone interviews and online questionnaires. Results of this test campaign provided the information needed to create a teen-oriented message strategy for launching an effective hearing awareness campaign on a broader scale in future. Highlights from the test market study follow.
STUDY RESULTS: Message and Delivery:
There were 630,000 total hits to the http://www.earbud.org/ Web site during the 10-month test campaign in Arizona, and 92.9% of those who visited the Web site gave it a positive response. The 60-second MTV spot drew millions of viewers and 48% of those who saw it then logged onto the earbud.org Web site for more information. Online campaign promotions on the MTV.com and Yahoo! sites garnered 9.7 million ad impressions.
Teen Awareness of Hearing Loss and Prevention:
Prior to the launch of the test campaign, 80% of teens and young adults in the test market area said they had received zero information about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and didn’t recognize it as a problem. By the end of the 10-month test campaign, their understanding of hearing conservation and hearing loss jumped 30%.
Teen Listening Habits:
Young adults in this study reported they listen to music most often with stereos and speakers, followed by radio and TV/MTV, and finally via MP3 Players with headsets. They reported their listening volume level as medium to high, because they like the sensation of total immersion in the music so they can tune out the world, and “get lost in the music.”
Teen Interests, Activities and Information Channels:
When asked about interests, the majority of respondents cited hanging out with family (28.7 percent) and friends (27 percent) as their top interests and activities. Next were playing sports (15.3 percent), watching movies (9.6 percent), and playing video games (8.2 percent). While surfing the Internet and downloading music were a bit further down on the list of primary interests, the Internet was cited as a preferred source for news and information.
STUDY RESULTS: Message and Delivery:
There were 630,000 total hits to the http://www.earbud.org/ Web site during the 10-month test campaign in Arizona, and 92.9% of those who visited the Web site gave it a positive response. The 60-second MTV spot drew millions of viewers and 48% of those who saw it then logged onto the earbud.org Web site for more information. Online campaign promotions on the MTV.com and Yahoo! sites garnered 9.7 million ad impressions.
Teen Awareness of Hearing Loss and Prevention:
Prior to the launch of the test campaign, 80% of teens and young adults in the test market area said they had received zero information about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and didn’t recognize it as a problem. By the end of the 10-month test campaign, their understanding of hearing conservation and hearing loss jumped 30%.
Teen Listening Habits:
Young adults in this study reported they listen to music most often with stereos and speakers, followed by radio and TV/MTV, and finally via MP3 Players with headsets. They reported their listening volume level as medium to high, because they like the sensation of total immersion in the music so they can tune out the world, and “get lost in the music.”
Teen Interests, Activities and Information Channels:
When asked about interests, the majority of respondents cited hanging out with family (28.7 percent) and friends (27 percent) as their top interests and activities. Next were playing sports (15.3 percent), watching movies (9.6 percent), and playing video games (8.2 percent). While surfing the Internet and downloading music were a bit further down on the list of primary interests, the Internet was cited as a preferred source for news and information.
CONTACTS:
Media Contact: Kirsten Holguin, Communications Manager, House Ear Institute
(213) 353-7081, kholguin@hei.org
Campaign Contact: Marilee Potthoff, Marketing Director, House Ear Institute
(213) 483-4431, mpotthoff@hei.org
