1 Passkeys Foundation The Finish Line Market Research Preliminary Report University of Southern California IBEAR MBA July 25, 2006 Richard

1

Passkeys Foundation

The Finish LineMarket Research

Preliminary Report

University of Southern California

IBEAR MBA

July 25, 2006

Richard

2

Passkeys Foundation/The Jefferson Center, a 20-year old organization that has delivered character education curricula to schools nationwide, is launching a new character education program directed at parents called The Finish Line. A combination of a free weekly newsletter, a Web site of materials, a future book, and an online store of character education materials such as children’s books and videos, The Finish Line is lifetime product for parents concerned with their children’s values and character.

Situation

The Finish Line does not have a marketing budget and has to depend solely on word-of-mouth and viral marketing to grow the audience for The Finish Line newsletter and, through the newsletter, attract parents to the online offerings including the online store. Because its business is concerned largely with outcomes rather than outputs, Passkeys Foundation/Jefferson Center needs to know the best way to proceed to have maximum impact on the parent audience.

Complication

Is there a way to reach a large audience of parents through a parenting newsletter? What needs do parents have that the structure and themes of The Finish Line newsletter, Web site, and book should foreground to maximize both its impact? Should The Finish Line target parent influencers, such as therapists, teachers, and religious leaders, to maximize impact? Finally, would the publication of a book, The Finish Line, substantially increase the reach of the newsletter/Web site service?

Question

Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006

3

Methodology

Secondary Research

•210 Websites•12 Annual reports•Teacher and parent guidebooks•Student materials•Center for the 4th and 5th R’s “Smart & Good High Schools” summary of research•CEP 2001 National Schools of Character•Ethics Resource Center, Character Education: How to Get Started•“Character Education in America’s Blue Ribbon Schools: Best Practices for Meeting the Challenge”

Interviews & Surveys

•Exploratory research methodology•10 parent telephone interviews 2 completed•80 online parent surveys 43 completed•10 child therapist telephone interviews 7 completed•10 pastor/minister/priest/rabbi/etc. telephone interviews 2 completed•10 teacher telephone interviews 1 completed


4

Methodology (cont’d)

Academic Research

•Lawrence Kohlberg, The Psychology of Moral Development•George McLean, Psychological Foundations of Moral Education and Character Development•Robert Coles, The Moral Intelligence of Children•Thomas Lickona, Character Matters: How To Help Our Children Develop Good Judgment, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues•Thomas Lickona, Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect & Responsibility•Marvin Berkowitz, Melinda Bier, “What Works in Character Education”•Marvin Berkowitz, A Primer for Evaluating a Character Education Initiative•Marvin Berkowitz, The Education of the Complete Moral Person•Frank Goble, The Case for Character Education•CASEL “Safe & Sound Schools” Program Meta-analysis•Education/academic journal articles•Interviews with top character/values education researchers: Dr. Thomas Lickona (SUNY Cortland), Dr. Marvin Berkowitz (University of St. Louis)


5

Methodology

Interviews & Surveys

•Exploratory research methodology•10 parent telephone interviews 2 completed•80 online parent surveys 43 completed•10 child therapist telephone interviews 7 completed•10 pastor/minister/priest/rabbi/etc. telephone interviews 2 completed•10 teacher telephone interviews 1 completed

Approach •Client interview•Academic interviews•Pretest telephone surveys on 15 individuals

6

1

Research hypotheses

2

Interest in a parenting newsletter is correlated with values/character concerns that parents have in regard to their children.

Personal familiarity with character education programs will increase parents’ and parent influencers’ participation & proliferation potential.

Publication of the book, The Finish Line, will greatly increase interest in the newsletter.

Parent influencers have a higher proliferation potential than parents.

3

4


7

1

Preliminary conclusions & recommendations

2

Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach.

Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers.


Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach.

Influencers have a high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish “character partnerships” with them.

A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product.

3

4

5

8

11

Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (cont’d)

2





Influencers have a high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish “character partnerships” with them.


3

4

5

9

Outcomes differ from outputs and are measured by impact.

OutputsOutputs

•Growth

•Market creation

•Revenues

•Donations

•Growth

•Market creation

•Revenues

•Donations

OutcomesOutcomes

•Children’s learning

•Behavior change

•Character development

•Moral judgment

•Social & emotional learning

•Performance

•Children’s learning

•Behavior change

•Character development

•Moral judgment

•Social & emotional learning

•Performance


10

Focusing only on reach is only part of the impact picture.

CommitmentCommitment EffectivenessEffectiveness

ReachReach

Impact

•Broad effort & multiple, continuous character education “experiences”

•Defined goals

•Measurable outcomes

•Assessment and evaluation

•Broad effort & multiple, continuous character education “experiences”

•Defined goals

•Measurable outcomes

•Assessment and evaluation

•Geographic reach

•Demographic reach

•Geographic reach

•Demographic reach

•School leadership advocacy

•Teacher advocacy and involvement

•Involvement and commitment of parents

•Community commitment

•School leadership advocacy

•Teacher advocacy and involvement

•Involvement and commitment of parents

•Community commitment

Sources: “What Works in Character Education,” 2006; Educating for Character, 1993; academic interviews, April 2006

11

1


2



Influencers have high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish “character partnerships” with them.



3

4

5


2

12

The Finish Line has high potential in terms of audience and proliferators . . .

Source: Web surveys, July 2006

HighProliferators

HighProliferators

ModerateProliferators


LowProliferators

LowProliferators

58%

28%

14%

52%

18%

30%

46%38%

16%

YES

MAYBE

NO

13

. . . and especially among people parents who purchase character/values books & videos for their children.


Purchase valuesbooks & videos

Purchase valuesbooks & videos

Do not purchase

Do not purchase

Entire population

Entire population

62%

16%

22%

18%

55%

27%

51%30%

19%

YESMAYBE

NO

14

They are more likely to subscribe if a book has already been published.


HighProliferators

HighProliferators



LowProliferators

LowProliferators

43%43%

14%

66%20%

14%

74%

13%

13%

YES

MAYBE

NO

15

1


2






3

4

5


3

16

All influencers expressed an interest in proliferating The Finish Line among parents . . .

Source: Telephone surveys, July 2006

Child Therapists/Social Workers


Teachers/Principals

Teachers/Principals

ReligiousLeaders

ReligiousLeaders

29%

71%

YES

MAYBE

100%

50%50%

17

. . . and a significant concern that surfaced was how to increase commitment among parents.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



Teachers/Principals

Teachers/Principals

ReligiousLeaders

ReligiousLeaders

Source: Telephone surveys, July 2006

18

1


2






3

4

5


4

19

There is no significant correlation between parent interest in The Finish Line and having children who have had character education programs . . .


Children have hadcharacter education

Children have hadcharacter education

55%

13%

32%YESMAYBE

NO

Children have not hadcharacter education

Children have not hadcharacter education

63%

25%

12% YESMAYBE

NO

20

. . . and this includes the two most widespread character education programs . . .


D.A.R.E.D.A.R.E.

46%

23%

31%YES

MAYBE

NO

CHARACTER COUNTS!CHARACTER COUNTS!

33%17%

50%

YES

MAYBE

NO

36 million students/year36 million students/year 6 million students/year6 million students/year

21

. . . but the exceptions are Positive Coaching and STAR.


Children have been inPositive Coaching

Children have been inPositive Coaching

71%

14.5%

14.5%

YESMAYBE

NO

Children have been inSTAR

Children have been inSTAR

71%

29%

YES

MAYBE

High parental involvement programs

High parental involvement programs

High implementation program

High implementation program

22

Parent influencers were unfamiliar with character education programs.

Source: Telephone interviews, July 2006

Had children inD.A.R.E.

Had children inD.A.R.E.

71%

14%

32%

YESDON’TKNOW

NO

Had children in othercharacter ed programs

Had children in othercharacter ed programs

74%

26%

DON’TKNOW

NO

23

1


2






3

4

5


5

24

High potential parents are worried about morals and parental involvement.

TotalResponses

43responses

23responses

ParentalInvolvement

20responses

Values/Morals

10responses

Responsibility

5responses

Other


25

Parent proliferators are primarily worried about the role that parents play.

TotalResponses

10responses

6responses

ParentalInvolvement

5responses

ParentalExample

4responses

Age appropriateparenting

3responses

Electronicmedia


26

1

Limitations

2

Sample size limitations for individual categories of parent influencers.

Web survey sample was large but offered no opportunities for detailed questions.


Influencer survey sample was not random; further research would study a larger, non-random sample.

3

4 Open-ended questions have yet to be coded and correlated with interest and proliferation potential.

5 None of the proportions have been statistically tested for significance.

27

1

Further research

2

Descriptive, large sample research on parent influencers for a “Partners of Character” initiative.

Research into the parent commitment component of impact.


Descriptive research on the market potential of individual product offerings in the online store and the buyer potential of newsletter subscribers.

Further research into the market potential of the book and its specific influence on driving parents and influencers to the online service.

3

4

Documents

1 Passkeys Foundation The Finish Line Market Research Preliminary Report University of Southern California IBEAR MBA July 25, 2006 Richard