Boosterseat Campaign Manuel Manual

boosterseat_campaign.. boosterseat_campaign_maneul

Boosterseat_Campaign.. Boosterseat_Campaign_Maneul

boosterseat_campaign.. boosterseat_campaign_maneul

User Manual: manual

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 50

Introduction
Why Children Need Booster Seats
Program Model and Key Components
Building a Community Coalition
Identifying Parental Barriers To Booster Seat
Choosing a Campaign Message
Program Activities
Increasing Use Through A Discount Coupon Program
Evaluating Your Program
Funding Your Campaign

BUILDING A BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN

The Washington State Booster Seat Coalition

March 2004

A GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY

ORGANIZERS, HEALTH EDUCATORS

AND INJURY PREVENTION

SPECIALISTS

633 Yesler Way, Suite 332

Seattle, WA 98104

Mailing Address:

Box 359960

325 Ninth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98104-2499

Tel: 206-521-1520

Fax: 206-521-1562

www.hiprc.org

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION……………………………………….......................…………… 4

WHY CHILDREN NEED BOOSTER SEATS…………...................……….. 5

PROGRAM MODEL AND KEY COMPONENTS………..................………. 7

KEY COMPONENTS OF A BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN

BUILDING A COMMUNITY COALITION……………………...................... 9

WHY USE A COMMUNITY COALITION?…………..………...........…………….. 9

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL COALITION…………..……...........………….10

POTENTIAL MEMBERS OF A COALITION………………............……………….13

IDENTIFYING PARENTAL BARRIERS TO BOOSTER SEAT

USE……………………………………………………………………........................…16

BARRIERS FACED BY PARENTS………………….………...........……………….….16

SETTING UP YOUR OWN FOCUS GROUPS………….…..........……………….18

CHOOSING A CAMPAIGN MESSAGE………………………...................…..23

DETERMINING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE……………….……….........……….23

CREATING THE MESSAGE YOU NEED……………………….…….........………..24

CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING BOOSTER SEAT MESSAGES…..............29

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES........………………………………….....................30

MASS MEDIA ACTIVITIES………………………………………….........……………….32

GRASSROOTS EDUCATION ACTIVITIES………………………..........……………35

INCREASING USE THROUGH A DISCOUNT COUPON

PROGRAM…………………………………………………………….................. .....39

WHY USE A COUPON PROGRAM?……………………………………….........…….39

SETTING UP A COUPON PROGRAM…………………………………….........…….40

EVALUATING YOUR PROGRAM………………………………...................…43

WHY EVALUATE YOUR CAMPAIGN?..........................................43

OUTCOME EVALUATION – MEASURING CHANGE IN BOOSTER SEAT

USE…………………………………………………………………………………................44

PROCESS EVALUATION – MEASURING WHAT YOU DID……….............…47

FUNDING YOUR CAMPAIGN…………………………………….....................48

BUDGET ITEMS FOR A BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN……............………….48

FUNDING SOURCES…………………………………..……………..........……………..49

BOOSTER SEATS

In recent decades we have come to realize that injuries – the most common cause

of death to children – are often preventable. The most effective prevention methods

involve addressing a specific problem with a specific solution, and using modern

techniques of health education to bring about behavior change through community

campaigns and intervention programs.

In the state of Washington, a group of individuals and agencies developed and

implemented the Washington State Booster Seat Coalition to decrease deaths

and injuries to children riding in cars. We sought to accomplish this by promoting

booster seat use among 4- to 8-year-old children, the group most likely to be

improperly restrained.1, 2

Using a wide variety of venues and educational media, we worked to educate the

community about the need for booster seats and created programs to help families

overcome financial barriers. In 1999 we formed a broad-based community coalition

to advise and implement the campaign. This coalition built upon the successful

car-seat training programs instituted by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission

and the Washington Safety Restraint Coalition, and focused exclusively on booster

seat use. The coalition’s formation was followed by the passage of Washington’s

landmark Anton Skeen Act in 2000, the first state booster seat law in the nation.

Following the law’s implementation in 2002, the Washington State Booster Seat

Coalition continued to work with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission on a

booster seat campaign.

Our evaluation of the campaign through observations of booster seat use in King

County, the most populous county in the state, demonstrated that we were able to

increase booster seat use from 13 percent in 1999 to 57 percent in 2003.3

The purpose of this manual is to help others learn from our experience in improving

motor vehicle safety for children, and adapt our model to the needs of their

communities. Well-done interventions can make a difference. We hope that this

manual will show you how.

INTRODUCTION

BOOSTER SEATS

Booster seats for children riding in motor vehicles have emerged as an important

injury prevention strategy for U.S. children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading

cause of death for children and adolescents between the ages of 1-19 years. An

estimated 3,612 child occupants died on our nation’s roads in 2001.4 Thousands

more have been injured. Booster seat-age children, generally between the ages of

4-8 years, account for 7.3% of passenger deaths.4 Many of these deaths and injuries

could have been prevented if the children had been buckled up properly in a booster

seat.

Booster seats are safety restraints designed for

children who have outgrown their forward-facing

car seats, but who are still not big enough to fit

safely in an adult seat belt. The American

Academy of Pediatrics5 and the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)6

recommend booster seats for children over 40

pounds and under 4’ 9" tall. Booster seat-size

children generally are between 4 and 8 years of

age, and between 40 and 80 pounds. Booster

seats protect children by raising them so that the

vehicle lap-and-shoulder belt fit correctly. Instead

of the shoulder belt uncomfortably rubbing the

child’s face and neck or the lap belt riding dangerously up on the child’s abdomen,

a booster seat positions the shoulder belt diagonally across the child’s trunk and

keeps the lap belt low across the hips (Figure 2).

Figure 2: How booster seats help seat belts fit right

WHY CHILDREN NEED

BOOSTER SEATS

Figure 1: Two types of booster seats

Lap belt rides up

on tummy

Shoulder belt

rubs face Can sit up

straight

Knees bend

Shoulder belt

crosses shoulder

Hard to sit

up straight

Lap belt

stays across

hips

SEAT BELT DOES

NOT FIT SEAT BELT FITS WITH

BOOSTER SEAT

Knees do not bend

unless child

slouches

WHY BOOSTER SEATS?

High-back

booster seat No-back

booster seat

Without a booster seat, an older child runs the risk of serious injury, and even

death, in a car crash.7 Children using seat belts that do not fit properly can suffer

serious head, neck, and spinal injuries that can leave crash survivors with serious

disability including brain injury and paralysis. They can also suffer injuries to the

abdominal area known as “seatbelt syndrome,” in

which internal organs are compressed and severely

injured. 8

Booster seats have been proven to prevent these

injuries and save lives. Children riding in booster

seats are 59 percent less likely to suffer serious

injury than those using only seat belts.7 Children

riding in booster seats also have less risk of a head

injury compared to seatbelt-only riders, a crucial

difference for a child’s ability to lead a healthy life.9

Despite the benefits that booster seats offer, most parents still do not buckle their

children in these seats. While national use rates of car seats among children

weighing under 40 pounds is between 85-95 percent, booster seat use hovers

around 19 percent nationwide.10 For this reason, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) has designated booster seats one of the nation’s top traffic

safety priorities.

States around the nation have recognized the importance of booster seats and

are passing laws requiring booster seat use. Washington passed the first law in

the nation in 2000. By the end of 2003, 23 states had booster seat legislation

and more are considering legislation. Booster seats have become the new legal

standard for safely transporting children.

Booster seats are still a new concept for many, and so parents, healthcare

professionals, child-care providers, and other caregivers need further information

and education about booster seats. Parents and professionals must know who

should ride in booster seats, where to buy them, and how to install them safely.

WHY BOOSTER SEATS?

“Safety belts are not designed to fit

smaller children,” said NHTSA

Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D.

“Booster seats remedy that problem

by positioning the belt where it is

most effective.”

-Dr. Jeff Runge

We based our booster seat education campaign on other public health

community intervention models that have proven to be successful. Previous

injury prevention campaigns have used a community-based approach,

bringing together community organizations and stakeholders to develop the

campaign and carry it out. Bicycle helmets,11, 12 life-jackets,13 and gun storage

devices14 have all been successfully promoted through broad-based

community organizing.

The community organization approach to health promotion is based on a

great deal of research and theory. Two principles of community organizing

are important: the “principle of participation”,15-18 and the “principle of

ownership.” These principles state that behavior change is more likely if the

people affected by a problem are responsible for planning and instituting

steps to solve the problem, including establishing structures to ensure that

the change is maintained.16, 19-21 So, for our campaign, we involved the

community in promoting booster seats to help increase use and to continue

booster seat usage over the long term.

For an organizing framework for our booster seat campaign, we used the

PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model designed by Lawrence W. Green and

Matthew Kreuter.18 There are multiple phases in this planning framework

and this manual will describe how to implement these phases in your booster

seat education campaign:

1) Social Diagnosis – Identify booster seat problem and

community resources that can address it. Promote community

participation and collaboration.

2) Epidemiologic Diagnosis – Review injury and death statistics for

booster-size children.

3) Behavioral and Environmental Diagnosis – Use focus groups

and an initial observation survey of booster seat use and parent

knowledge to understand environmental and behavioral factors

that contribute to booster seat use and non-use.

4) Educational and Organizational Diagnosis – Determine which

factors will help parents increase booster seat use.

5) Administrative and Policy Diagnosis – Understand current and

needed booster seat laws and policies.

PROGRAM MODEL

AND KEY COMPONENTS

PROGRAM MODEL

6) Program Implementation – Design intervention based on initial

research and planning.

7) Process Evaluation – Evaluate program based on what you did

in your campaign.

8) Impact Evaluation –Evaluate program based on changes in

parental knowledge, attitudes, use and access to booster seats.

9) Outcome Evaluation – Evaluate program based on changes in

booster seat use and child passenger injury and death rates.

The Washington State Booster Seat Coalition used social marketing to guide

program development. Social marketing focuses on how to optimize benefits,

reduce barriers, and provide persuasive arguments to help change health

behavior. It was used to identify specific target audiences and to develop

campaign messages.

KEY COMPONENTS OF A BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN

Our campaign used a variety of methods to help increase booster seat use

in Washington. The following components were modeled after other

successful injury prevention programs and were vital to our campaign’s

success:

yCommunity coalition

yState booster seat law

yDiscount coupon program

yToll-free hotline for child passenger safety information

yParent advisory group

ySupportive state Office of Highway Safety

yEstablished network of child passenger safety experts who teach parents

how to use seats

yMedia coverage

yEducational materials and outreach

yTraining of key groups, in particular health care and child care providers.

PROGRAM MODEL

Our community coalition has been the heart of Washington’s booster seat

campaign. Formed in 1999, the Washington State Booster Seat Coalition organized

key interests and efforts. Coalition members made decisions about the campaign

based on input from those who work everyday with families, who are traffic safety

experts, and who are parents themselves. It was a key ingredient of our booster

seat program’s success.

WHY USE A COMMUNITY COALITION?

A booster seat coalition will help you develop a program in the community working

with local partners. This structure creates joint ownership of the campaign and

helps encourage participation, momentum, and sustainability. Each of the coalition

members contributes to campaign planning and development. This involvement

helps encourage continued participation and commitment to booster seat activities,

and establishes a network that can continue in the long-term. The end result is a

campaign more likely to achieve your ultimate goal: increasing booster seat use!

One of the most practical reasons for setting up a local booster seat coalition is

cost. A booster seat education campaign can be expensive. A coalition is a cost-

effective way to reach the public. By tapping into the existing communication

networks of your coalition members, you can extend the reach of your message by

supporting a project coordinator who works with members, facilitates information

sharing, and organizes meetings.

A booster seat coalition can also help pool resources, turning a small project budget

into a significantly larger one. Each coalition member can contribute to a piece of

the project instead of having one organization bear the cost burden. For a

Washington State Booster Seat Coalition seat check event, for example, one partner

arranged the location, another provided advertising funds, and another provided

the seats and volunteer experts to implement the program. Given that some funding

sources provide only small mini-grants, a coalition can help you stretch your dollars.

A booster seat coalition can also deliver messages more effectively. Existing

community organizations will have established contacts and systems for reaching

your audience. These organizations may already have credibility in the community

which may make families more receptive to your message. The organizations you

bring together are likely to have years of experience working with families, educating

about traffic safety, or advising parents about children’s health.

Coalitions can be successful at reducing injury risk in your community. Research

has shown that broad-based community coalitions have successfully increased

children’s bicycle helmet use, increased life jacket use, and increased the use of

BUILDING A COMMUNITY COALITION

FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN

COALITION-BUILDING

safe storage boxes for guns. Our booster seat observations showed that our

campaign, which included a broad-based coalition, significantly increased

the use of booster seats.1

Finally, a booster seat coalition elevates the issue for the community and

demonstrates its importance. By forming a separate entity focused on

booster seats, you communicate that booster seats deserve attention.

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL COALITION

Creating a community coalition takes considerable effort, as does

maintaining enthusiasm over the course of the campaign. Here is a checklist

to follow when forming a coalition:

MakMak

MakMak

Make a lise a lis

e a lise a lis

e a list of community resources that are already wt of community resources that are already w

t of community resources that are already wt of community resources that are already w

t of community resources that are already woror

oror

orking onking on

king onking on

king on

child passenger safhild passenger saf

hild passenger safhild passenger saf

hild passenger safee

ety issues. ty issues.

ty issues. ty issues.

ty issues. This list may include the State Office

of Highway Safety, police, fire, and EMS agencies, hospitals and public

health departments, insurance companies, and non-profit

organizations like SAFE KIDS, and traffic safety advocacy

organizations like AAA.

Find out how these organizations educate the public about child

passenger safety and what existing program activities may be

incorporated into a booster seat campaign. For example, the

Washington campaign used the local expertise of its Child Passenger

Safety Teams – county-based police officers, firefighters, and other

volunteer safety advocates who were trained by the Governor’s Office

of Highway Safety to help teach families about car safety for children

and provide seats to those in need.

MakMak

MakMak

Make a lise a lis

e a lise a lis

e a list of ot of o

t of ot of o

t of other organizations that are kther organizations that are k

ther organizations that are kther organizations that are k

ther organizations that are kee

ey sy s

y sy s

y staktak

taktak

takeholdereholder

eholdereholder

eholders in thes in the

s in thes in the

s in the

community who macommunity who ma

community who may be inty be int

y be inty be int

y be intereseres

ereseres

erestt

ted in this wed in this w

ed in this wed in this w

ed in this woror

oror

ork or who mak or who ma

k or who mak or who ma

k or who may bey be

y bey be

y be

imim

imporpor

porpor

portant ttant t

tant ttant t

tant to hao ha

o hao ha

o havv

ve as a pare as a par

e as a pare as a par

e as a part of the Coalition. t of the Coalition.

t of the Coalition. t of the Coalition.

t of the Coalition. These organizations

may include media, private businesses who serve families, child care

providers, or political leaders. Your list should be comprehensive and

broad. Members will vary in how actively involved they are.

TT

To help recruit coalition membero help recruit coalition member

o help recruit coalition membero help recruit coalition member

o help recruit coalition members, fs, f

s, fs, f

s, find out hoind out ho

ind out hoind out ho

ind out how a lacw a lac

w a lacw a lac

w a lack of boosk of boos

k of boosk of boos

k of boostt

terer

erer

seats has imseats has im

seats has impactpact

pactpact

pacted yed y

ed yed y

ed your communityour community

our communityour community

our community..

. Ask your Office of Highway

Safety for data on motor vehicle crashes involving children and on

safety restraint use. How many of the children involved would have

been saved or injured less severely if they had been riding in booster

COALITION-BUILDING

seats? How many children currently use booster seats? Compare

these statistics to national data from the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration.

If possible, collect data on use of seat belts, car seat, and booster

seats in the community. This data will help to solicit funding, recruit

coalition members, and measure program effectiveness. (See the

Program Evaluation section on page XX for information on how to

collect this data.)

Also, find out if there are groups at highest risk of injury, who could

be the focus of a “targeted” injury prevention campaign. In

Washington, as booster seat use increased, we moved to identify

high-risk groups, such as Latino families, in order to target our

prevention efforts with specific strategies to meet their needs.

Look at eLook at e

Look at eLook at e

Look at exisxis

xisxis

xisting lating la

ting lating la

ting laws and policies regarws and policies regar

ws and policies regarws and policies regar

ws and policies regarding boosding boos

ding boosding boos

ding boostt

ter seat use ander seat use and

er seat use ander seat use and

er seat use and

dede

dett

termine if theermine if the

ermine if theermine if the

ermine if they need ty need t

y need ty need t

y need to be updato be updat

o be updato be updat

o be updated.ed.

ed.ed.

ed. All states in the U.S. have a

child passenger restraint law, but each one has different

requirements. Find out: What is the law in your state? Up to what age

are children required to ride in car seats or booster seats? What is

the penalty if you violate the law?

On the local level, find out what policies exist in your county or city.

While it is less common for counties and cities to have child passenger

safety laws, it is possible for local governments to do so. If you are

unable to pass a law through your state legislature that meets your

community needs, you may find success on a local level. The

Washington State Booster Seat Coalition did not pursue local

governments during its campaign because of the state law, but local

governments have passed laws or implemented policies to protect

children from injuries (e.g., local bicycle helmet ordinances, tribal

passenger safety laws).

The policies of local health departments and area hospitals may vary.

Find out which organizations currently provide seats to families or

help parents install seats in their cars. Are there organizations

interested in developing such a program? During our campaign in

Washington, some organizations were unable to check or give away

seats due to concerns about liability or a lack of resources. While

COALITION-BUILDING

seat distribution by the King County Health

Department and EMS office was limited by

liability concerns, many area hospitals had

car seat and booster seat education and

fitting programs in place.

TT

Talk with community resources about their ealk with community resources about their e

alk with community resources about their ealk with community resources about their e

alk with community resources about their experiences with parents,xperiences with parents,

xperiences with parents,xperiences with parents,

xperiences with parents,

children, and carhildren, and car

hildren, and carhildren, and car

hildren, and cars. s.

s. s.

s. Are children buckled up in booster seats? What

do parents know about them? How do parents and children feel about

using booster seats? What are the biggest barriers that the parents

face in using these seats? What is needed to make change in the

community?

These initial conversations can help you understand community needs

and the environment in which the campaign will operate. These

conversations also help build bridges for the future.

FF

Form a sorm a s

orm a sorm a s

orm a stt

teering committeering committ

eering committeering committ

eering committee.ee.

ee.ee.

ee. Bring together 6-8 representatives of

key stakeholder organizations who can help guide decision-making

and provide expert advice.

SeSe

SeSe

Set a time/datt a time/dat

t a time/datt a time/dat

t a time/date fe f

e fe f

e for the for the f

or the for the f

or the firir

irir

irss

st coalition meet coalition mee

t coalition meet coalition mee

t coalition meeting and send outting and send out

ting and send outting and send out

ting and send out

inin

invitiations and meevitiations and mee

vitiations and meevitiations and mee

vitiations and meeting agendas.ting agendas.

ting agendas.ting agendas.

ting agendas. Have food available. We found

attendance improved at meetings when food was available. Follow

up invitations with phone calls and an email reminder.

AA

At the ft the f

t the ft the f

t the firir

irir

irss

st meet mee

t meet mee

t meeting, present the prting, present the pr

ting, present the prting, present the pr

ting, present the problem and discuss possibleoblem and discuss possible

oblem and discuss possibleoblem and discuss possible

oblem and discuss possible

apprappr

approacoac

oacoac

oaches thes t

hes thes t

hes to increase booso increase boos

o increase booso increase boos

o increase boostt

ter seat use.er seat use.

er seat use.er seat use.

er seat use. Develop a task list and

timeline.

Identify the rIdentify the r

Identify the rIdentify the r

Identify the role that eacole that eac

ole that eacole that eac

ole that each member will plah member will pla

h member will plah member will pla

h member will play in the camy in the cam

y in the camy in the cam

y in the campaign.paign.

paign.paign.

paign. Ask

each member to do tasks appropriate for their job titles and skills –

people are more willing to help when it can be integrated into their

daily duties, or when it furthers the mission of their organization.

SeSe

SeSe

Set a time/datt a time/dat

t a time/datt a time/dat

t a time/date fe f

e fe f

e for the neor the ne

or the neor the ne

or the next meext mee

xt meext mee

xt meeting. Fting. F

ting. Fting. F

ting. Folloollo

olloollo

ollow up with thanks andw up with thanks and

w up with thanks andw up with thanks and

w up with thanks and

meemee

meeting minutting minut

ting minutting minut

ting minutes with future tasks noes with future tasks no

es with future tasks noes with future tasks no

es with future tasks nott

ted.ed.

ed.ed.

ed.

COALITION-BUILDING

For information on state child

passenger safety laws, go to:

www.saferoads.org

www.statehighwaysafety.org

www.safekids.org

www.iihs.org

www.nhtsa.gov

FF

Folloollo

olloollo

ollow up with coalition memberw up with coalition member

w up with coalition memberw up with coalition member

w up with coalition memberss

about their neabout their ne

about their new tasks, andw tasks, and

w tasks, andw tasks, and

w tasks, and

prpr

proo

ovide infvide inf

vide infvide inf

vide information andormation and

ormation andormation and

ormation and

encouragement.encouragement.

encouragement.

Connect them to

other resources in the network if

needed. Thank them again for

their help and share their

accomplishments with the group.

POTENTIAL MEMBERS OF A

COALITION

Trafraf

rafraf

rafff

fic safic saf

ic safic saf

ic safee

ety organizationsty organizations

ty organizationsty organizations

ty organizations

Police departments

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety

Non-profit traffic safety advocates

Healthcare prHealthcare pr

Healthcare proo

ovidervider

vidervider

viderss

Pediatricians and family medicine doctors

Pediatric and trauma nurses

Hospitals and community clinics

Health educators

Community relations staff

Emergency medical services

Public health agency stafPublic health agency staf

Public health agency stafff

Injury prevention educators

Public health nurses

Child-care program staff

Childcare prChildcare pr

Childcare proo

ovidervider

vidervider

viders and organizations that prs and organizations that pr

s and organizations that prs and organizations that pr

s and organizations that proo

ovide resourvide resour

vide resourvide resour

vide resources tces t

ces tces t

ces to childcareso childcares

o childcareso childcares

o childcares

Licensed child-care centers

Home day cares

Child care licensing

Oversight and training organizations

Family educators at community colleges

COALITION-BUILDING

Tips for keeping your coalition running in the

later stages of the campaign:

y As new projects or new news develops from the

campaign, update coalition members.

y Continue to solicit member input on projects.

Invite them to sit on sub-committees or ask for

their feedback on a campaign message or

educational material.

y Ask different coalition members to present at

upcoming meetings.

y Invite outside speakers if possible, to help

further knowledge as well as partnerships.

y THANK EVERYONE AND RECOGNIZE

THEM FOR THEIR WORK!!!

SchoolsSchools

Schools

Pre-school and elementary school programs

Headstart programs and afterschool programs

PTAs

School district nurses

Non-prNon-pr

Non-profof

ofof

ofit organizations fit organizations f

it organizations fit organizations f

it organizations focused on children’s health or focused on children’s health or f

ocused on children’s health or focused on children’s health or f

ocused on children’s health or family safamily saf

amily safamily saf

amily safee

etyty

tyty

SAFE KIDS Coalition

Injury Free Coalition for Kids

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

PrivPriv

Privatat

atat

ate businesses with an inte businesses with an int

e businesses with an inte businesses with an int

e businesses with an interest in children or ferest in children or f

erest in children or ferest in children or f

erest in children or familiesamilies

amiliesamilies

amilies—

Auto insurance companies

Children’s product manufacturers or retailers

Car dealerships

MediaMedia

Media

Parenting grarenting gr

arenting grarenting gr

arenting groupsoups

oupsoups

oups

COALITION-BUILDING

PARTIAL MEMBER LIST OF THE WASHINGTON STATE BOOSTER SEAT

COALITION

American Response Ambulance

Bellevue Community College

Bellevue School District

Car Safe Kids

Childcare Resources and Referral

Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center

Evenflo Corporation

Grays Harbor County Traffic Safety and Injury Prevention

Harborview Hospital Family Patient Resource Center

Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center

Highline Community Hospital

Kent Police Department

KOMO-TV (ABC)

Mary Bridge Hospital Center for Childhood Safety

Mercer Island Fire, Police & Public Safety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Region X

Overlake Hospital

Public Health – Seattle-King County

Safe Ride News

SAFE KIDS Coalitions throughout Washington

Safety Restraint Coalition

Shoreline Children’s Center

Shoreline Community College

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office

Snohomish County Health District

State Farm Insurance

Washington State Department of Health

Washington State Patrol

Washington Traffic Safety Commission

Since booster seats are a new technology for many parents, parents may initially

be unaware of the importance of booster seats or resistant to using them. You

should expect some parents to question why booster seats are needed and to be

concerned that their children may not want to use them. Some parents may also

question whether they are as safe as car sets for younger children, and others

may just place children in seat belts without a booster. In order to design an

effective education program, it is important to understand what the barriers are

to using booster seats and what would motivate parents to use them.

BARRIERS FACED BY PARENTS

One effective way to find out how parents feel about booster seats is to hold focus

groups or market research discussion groups with small groups of parents in your

community. These discussions provide parents with a forum to share their opinions

and knowledge about child passenger safety and booster seats. The information

learned from parents will build on what you learned from your conversations with

community organizations (described above).

For our campaign, we conducted a number of focus groups with parents in Spring

2000 before we started planning our educational efforts.22 Three focus groups

were conducted in King County with parents of children under 10-years-old. In

addition, two focus groups were conducted in other areas of the state with parents

of children who were not using booster seats. Professional survey research firms

conducted these groups.

From the focus groups in Washington State, we learned that parents face the

following barriers to using booster seats:

Lack of knowledge

yParents did not have a clear idea of what a booster seat is, or what

one even looks like.

yParents were confused about when children should ride in the

different safety devices. They incorrectly identified the correct age at

which it is safe for a child to use an adult lap and shoulder belt. Some

thought that adult seat belt use is based on a combination of child

behavior and size. Many parents thought their children were “too big”

or “too old” to ride in a safety seat, even though their children were the

right size for a booster seat.

ySome parents believed a seat belt was adequate and booster seats

were non-essential. They viewed the booster seat as a device that just

helps children see out the window better. They did not see the booster

seat as an essential safety device.

IDENTIFYING PARENTAL BARRIERS

TO BOOSTER SEAT USE

FOCUS GROUPS

yParents were concerned that booster seats might increase a child’s

risk of injury because she could slip out, because her face would be

closer to a window that may shatter in a crash, and because the seat is

not firmly attached to the car like a forward-facing car seat is.

Cost

Parents felt that booster seats are expensive. In 2000, parents in our focus

groups reported finding only high-back booster seats that cost $80-100

(even though less expensive low back and high-back seats were in stores

at this time.). Parents wanted to pay only $20-25 for a booster seat.

Child Resistance

Parents felt their children would resist booster seat use because they were

“too old” to be sitting in a safety seat. This resistance is made worse by

peer pressure. When older siblings and friends did not use booster seats,

their children did not want to use them.

Difficulty Fitting Seats in Vehicle

Parents expressed concern that it is difficult to fit the seats in the vehicle,

particularly if there are three passengers and car seats in the back seat.

They also were concerned about having to transfer seats between vehicles.

Lack of Shoulder Belts in Vehicle

Some parents could not use booster seats because their cars were made

before 1990 and only had lap belts in the back seat. Since booster seats

require a lap and a shoulder belt, these parents did not know how to buckle

their children safely in the car.

We worked to overcome the first three barriers through a comprehensive booster

seat campaign.

Many of these parental barriers may be shared by parents in your community.

Other barriers may be unique to your community, such as having few retail stores

carrying booster seats, or specific cultural or language barriers.23, 24

FOCUS GROUPS

SETTING UP FOCUS GROUPS

If you plan to conduct focus groups in your own community, you have two options,

depending upon your budget and staff resources:

a) Hire a professional market research firm; or

b) Organize and conduct the focus groups on your own

Below is a table outlining the pros and cons of each option followed by some tips

to keep in mind for each one.

USING A PROFESSIONAL FIRM

Tips for using a professional firm:

yWhen choosing a firm, interview them about how they conduct

their focus groups, how they have worked with clients in the past,

and who their previous clients have been. Ask to speak with their

former clients.

yBe clear about your goals for the focus groups and what

information you hope to learn from the participants. The firm will

design the session and choose the participants based on what

you tell them.

yProvide the firm with the characteristics of the audience that you

are trying to educate. Some questions you may ask yourself

before meeting with the market research firm team: Are you

educating parents or professionals who work with children? Are

they occasional users of booster seats or have they never heard

of them? What is the age range of the children that your

message will affect? Is your audience in a specific cultural group

or socioeconomic group?

FOCUS GROUPS

SORP SNOC

gnidulcni,scitsigolllaseldnaH gnineercsdnatnemtiurcertnapicitrap )gnimusnoc-emitebnac(

ehthtiwffatsr

uoyybtcatnoclanosrepsseL evresuoyytinummoc

eraohwsrotatilicaflanoisseforpsesU noitamrofnigniticilenidecn

eirepxe stnapicitrapmorf

tneserperotrotatilicafehtrofylekilsseL .ytinummoctegrateht

lacinhcetdnaecapsgnit

eemsedivorP tnempiuqe 0003$revotsocnacspuorgsucoF.evisnepxE .noissesrep

FOCUS GROUPS

ySuggest locations for the focus groups if you have a preference. It is

easier to recruit participants if the meeting location is close to their

home or work.

yMeet the focus group facilitator that the firm provides to find out if she

or he will be a good “fit” for your group. You will want someone who will

put your audience at ease and who will be able to draw information and

opinions from the participants. If you have your own facilitator whom

you would like to use, most firms are willing to work with this person.

yDiscuss what incentives can be offered to participants to thank them

for their time and efforts. Incentives help recruit participants and make

sure that they show up for the session. Consider providing a low-cost or

free booster seat to participants.

yIf you have a limited budget, some market research firms are flexible

and will share the responsibilities. For example, you could draft the

script, recruit participants, and find a location. The firm could help

revise the script, provide a facilitator, and write the final report that

shares results.

PLANNING YOUR OWN FOCUS GROUPS

Less expensive. Focus groups

can be held for $500-$800.

Need to arrange for technical

equipment and transcription of

recording after session has ended.

Opportunity for more personal

contact by your staff with the

community you serve. This contact

may help you on your campaign in

the future. For example, parents

who participate may be interested in

sharing booster seat information in

their own community and may refer

families to you for more information.

Need to handle all logistics,

including participant recruitment

and screening. Recruitment and

screening can be very time-

consuming.

Facilitator may not be as skilled at

drawing information from

participants. If the facilitator is

recognized by the community,

members may feel reluctant to

share personal information.

Can provide own facilitator who is

similar to your audience members

and from the community.

PROS CONS

FOCUS GROUPS

PROS CONS

Checklist for conducting focus groups on your own:

DeDe

DeDe

Dett

termine what the goals are fermine what the goals are f

ermine what the goals are fermine what the goals are f

ermine what the goals are for the for the f

or the for the f

or the focus grocus gr

ocus grocus gr

ocus groupoup

oupoup

oup. Are you trying to find

out why parents do not use booster seats on everyday trips? Are you trying

to find out the barriers that child-care providers have in educating their

clients (parents) about booster seats?

Identify yIdentify y

Identify yIdentify y

Identify your initial targeour initial targe

our initial targeour initial targe

our initial target audiencet audience

t audiencet audience

t audience. It is important to determine whose

behavior you want to change. However, realize that this may change

somewhat during the course of the focus groups – you may learn that

there is an additional group whose behavior change is necessary to

accomplish the camapign goals.

RR

Recruit a facilitatecruit a facilitat

ecruit a facilitatecruit a facilitat

ecruit a facilitatoror

oror

or. The best facilitator is someone who the participants

feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with. Facilitators must be very

careful not to impose their views and values on the group. They should be

aware of giving all participants a chance to share their opinions in a friendly

and supportive atmosphere.

RR

Recruit translatecruit translat

ecruit translatecruit translat

ecruit translatoror

oror

ors or assiss or assis

s or assiss or assis

s or assistants if needed.tants if needed.

tants if needed.tants if needed.

tants if needed.

Find a location and time that is conFind a location and time that is con

Find a location and time that is conFind a location and time that is con

Find a location and time that is convv

venient fenient f

enient fenient f

enient for this communityor this community

or this communityor this community

or this community..

. Evening

meetings or weekend meetings are often convenient for parents who work.

DeDe

DeDe

Dett

termine what incentivermine what incentiv

ermine what incentivermine what incentiv

ermine what incentives yes y

es yes y

es you haou ha

ou haou ha

ou havv

ve te t

e te t

e to encourage paro encourage par

o encourage paro encourage par

o encourage participation.ticipation.

ticipation.ticipation.

ticipation.

Are you

able to pay the participants? Can you provide food or child-care? Can you

reimburse for mileage or pay for parking? Recruitment is usually easier if

you can pay people for their time. We paid people $25-30 per 2-hour

session, provided food, and gave each participant a discount coupon for a

booster seat.

WW

Writrit

ritrit

rite a scripe a scrip

e a scripe a scrip

e a script ft f

t ft f

t for yor y

or yor y

or your four f

our four f

our focus grocus gr

ocus grocus gr

ocus group session based on youp session based on y

oup session based on youp session based on y

oup session based on your camour cam

our camour cam

our campaign goals.paign goals.

paign goals.paign goals.

paign goals.

Use open-ended questions, instead of questions that require only a “Yes”

or “No” answer. Open-ended questions encourage participants to describe

their feelings and opinions. In the Washington campaign, we had three

goals for our focus groups: 1) explore barriers to booster seat use; 2) discuss

what would change their behavior; and 3) test appeal of campaign

messages and communication channels.

FOCUS GROUPS

RR

Recruit parecruit par

ecruit parecruit par

ecruit participants.ticipants.

ticipants.ticipants.

ticipants.

Post advertising flyers

where potential participants will see them

regularly, such as stores, community centers,

clinics, churches, and parks. You can also

recruit directly at these venues and/or ask

contacts at these venues to encourage

participation. You will want about 8-10

participants per group. Recruit several extra

participants as typically some people do not

show up.

Screen recruits oScreen recruits o

Screen recruits oScreen recruits o

Screen recruits ovv

ver the phone.er the phone.

er the phone.er the phone.

er the phone.

Use your audience characteristics to screen

callers who respond to your advertisements. For example, if you are trying

to find out more information about parents who never use booster seats,

ask callers “Do you own a booster seat?”

DO INCLUDE ON A

RECRUITMENT FLYER:

· Characteristics of participant

(i.e. car owner)

·Incentives

·Who to contact for more

information

·Confidentiality of information

·Who is conducting the

research

TO ALLOW YOU TO SCREEN

RECRUITS AND TO REDUCE

BIAS IN YOUR RESULTS, DO

NOT INCLUDE:

·Location and time of meeting

·What the results will be used

for

FOCUS GROUPS

Gather matGather mat

Gather matGather mat

Gather materials that yerials that y

erials that yerials that y

erials that you will shoou will sho

ou will shoou will sho

ou will show or use at the session.w or use at the session.

w or use at the session.w or use at the session.

w or use at the session.

If you show

sample educational materials or sample messages, make sure your

materials are big enough to be seen by all at the meeting, or that you

provide individual copies.

DeDe

DeDe

Dett

termine hoermine ho

ermine hoermine ho

ermine how yw y

w yw y

w you will recorou will recor

ou will recorou will recor

ou will record the answd the answ

d the answd the answ

d the answerer

erer

ers.s.

s.s.

s. Tape record or videotape the

sessions so you can have a record of participant answers and reactions.

Videotaping can be costly, but it allows you to see facial expressions. In

addition, you should have one or two people designated as “scribes” for

the session in case the sound quality of the recording turns out poor.

Place reminder calls tPlace reminder calls t

Place reminder calls tPlace reminder calls t

Place reminder calls to paro par

o paro par

o participants a daticipants a da

ticipants a daticipants a da

ticipants a day or twy or tw

y or twy or tw

y or two befo bef

o befo bef

o before the meeore the mee

ore the meeore the mee

ore the meeting.ting.

ting.ting.

ting.

During the recruitment, screening, and actual session, makDuring the recruitment, screening, and actual session, mak

During the recruitment, screening, and actual session, makDuring the recruitment, screening, and actual session, mak

During the recruitment, screening, and actual session, make parentse parents

e parentse parents

e parents

feel comfeel comf

eel comfeel comf

eel comforor

oror

ortable and vtable and v

table and vtable and v

table and valued.alued.

alued.alued.

alued.

Their “expertise” as parents is what you

need!

Expect the uneExpect the une

Expect the uneExpect the une

Expect the unexpectxpect

xpectxpect

xpected at the fed at the f

ed at the fed at the f

ed at the focus grocus gr

ocus grocus gr

ocus group!oup!

oup!oup!

oup! Participants may bring along

unexpected friends, equipment may not work correctly or people may

interpret questions in a way that you did not expect. You may want to

conduct a small pilot group first to test the script, facility, and equipment.

Campaign messages will play an important part in your efforts to educate

the public about booster seats. These messages communicate the behavior

you are encouraging (such as buckling up 4-8 year-olds in booster seats),

as well as explaining why the behavior is important (e.g., booster seats are

safer than adult seat belts alone). Depending on your specific

communication, the campaign messages may also include additional

information that supports your main message (e.g., booster seats are only a

$20-25 investment). There are many messages that you can communicate,

and you may choose different ones for specific audiences or at various stages

of your campaign.

Key campaign messages should be driven by your focus group results. Use

your initial information about parent attitudes and barriers to determine

which messages will influence them to buckle their child in a booster seat.

Then, test these messages through focus groups or surveys to determine

which ones are most important and most effective for meeting your campaign

goals.

DETERMINING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Your target audience will depend upon your campaign objectives and

strategy. The campaign objective may be to increase booster seat use among

parents of a certain ethnic or socioeconomic background. Alternatively,

empowering community organizations and healthcare providers to educate

the families they serve may be your objective.

Your target audience will depend upon your campaign objectives and

strategy. The campaign objective may be to increase booster seat use among

parents of a certain ethnic or socioeconomic background.

Most likely the campaign will target those who provide daily care to children

and who make decisions about how they ride in the car. In this case you will

be educating parents and other family caregivers or guardians.

You may also decide to reach families through healthcare or child-care

providers – those who influence parents. Doctors, nurses, and emergency

medical staff are good spokespeople for booster seats according to our

focus group research. At a child’s annual checkup as well as during periodic

visits throughout the year, healthcare providers can advise parents on how

to keep kids safe in the car with booster seats.

CHOOSING A CAMPAIGN MESSAGE

MESSAGE

Child-care directors and teachers are also powerful

messengers because they have daily contact with

families and watch children grow through the different

stages of child passenger safety. Child-care providers

often have the responsibility of transporting children

themselves, so providing them with information about

booster seats will help protect children when they are

not in the care of their parents.

CREATING THE MESSAGE YOU NEED

Use information from focus group, observations, or survey research, national child

and traffic safety organizations, and conversations with community and campaign

coalition members to create your messages.

Choosing the Behavior to Highlight in Your Message

Information about how people are buckling up children ages four and older will

help you determine what behavior to target. For example, families who are moving

their children directly from car seats to adult seat belts will need to learn that

booster seats are the proper stage after car seats. On the other hand, families

who already use booster seats, but use them only on long trips or while highway

driving, should learn that booster seats are needed on every ride, even for short

distances.

In the Washington campaign, our initial messages focused on using booster seats

before seat belts:

POTENTIAL TARGET

AUDIENCES FOR A

BOOSTER SEAT

CAMPAIGN:

·Parents and guardians

·Childcare Directors and

Staff

·Public Health and

Healthcare Providers

·Elementary School

Teachers and School

Officials

·Parenting organizations

ready

Is your child

for a

seat belt

Think again:

Children need to ride in

a booster seat until they

are at least 4’ 9” tall, usually

at about 8 years old and

80 pounds.

www.boosterseat.org

Let Them Go Through

Stages, Not Glass

Is Your Child Ready for a

Seat Belt? Think Again!

BIG KIDS NEED

BOOSTER SEATS

For more information and booster seat coupons,

visit www.boosterseat.org or call 1-800-BUCK-L-UP

(1-800-282-5587).

A message from the Washington State Booster Seat Coalition

4-8 years

40-80 pounds up to 4’9” tall Lap belt rides

up on tummy

Shoulder belt

rubs face Can sit up

straight

Knees

bend

Shoulder belt

crosses shoulder

Hard to sit

up straight

Lap belt

stays across

hips

SEAT BELT

DOES NOT FIT SEAT BELT FITS WITH

BOOSTER SEAT

Knees do not

bend unless child

slouches

*** This information is not sponsored by the school district. In consideration for the privilege to

distribute the attached materials, the school district shall be held harmless from any cause of action,

claim or petition filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these

materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees, and judgments or awards.***

Keep big kids safe in the car

—

use booster seats on every ride, every time.

It’s the law. And your child is worth it.

MESSAGE

As booster seat use increased, we used

other messages to address information

gaps and to motivate parents to protect

their children in the car with booster

seats. We created messages for families

who would be motivated by the law, or

only used booster seats on long trips, and

messages for those who did not use booster seats at all.

Choosing a Message to Help Address Barriers to Booster Seat Use

Information about barriers and motivators to booster seat use will help you

determine messages that address barriers that your campaign needs to overcome.

For example, our focus group research showed that the majority of parents believed

that 4-8 year-old children were safe to ride in adult seat belts and were too old or

too big to ride in a safety seat. So, for the Washington campaign, we knew that we

needed a message that addressed this belief. We chose “Is Your Child Ready for a

Seat Belt? Think Again!” to let parents know that children do not always fit right in

an adult seat belt.

Similarly, we learned that parents believe that booster seats are very expensive,

costing $80-100. So, we included information about inexpensive booster seats in

our campaign messages as well as a message about a discount coupon program

that we had set up.

Buckle Up! It’s the Law

Use Booster Seats

Every Ride, Every Time

Booster seats range in price from $15-

$110. A higher price may not mean a

better or safer boosters seat.

MESSAGE

Choosing the Size Range that Your Message Recommends

Information from national child passenger safety organizations and from your state

booster seat law will help you determine the age or size range that your message

recommends. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provide recommended standards.

Currently, booster seats are recommended for children over 40 pounds and under

4’9" tall. We found that most parents did not readily know their child’s height, so

we focused on weight and age criteria in our recommendation.

In Washington, we began our campaign recommending booster seats for children

between 4-8 years old or 40-80 pounds – the AAP and NHTSA standard in 2000.

At the time, this standard differed from our new state law that required booster

seats for 4-6 year-old or 40-60 pound children beginning July 1, 2002. The Booster

Seat Coalition chose to promote the higher standard because we believed it was a

safer public health recommendation.

During the summer of 2002, when Washington’s Anton Skeen Act officially took

effect, we emphasized a message to reflect the law:

Booster Seats Required by Law. Kids 4-6 Years or 40-60 Pounds.

During this time we nstill kept our public health

recommendation in the message, but it became a

submessage:

Doctors and safety experts

recommend that children use booster

seats until the seat belt fits, typically

when they are around 8 years old,

about 80 pounds, and at least 4’9" tall.

MESSAGE

In 2002 we also added the upper limit height standard of 4’9" to our message

because AAP and NHTSA updated their recommendations during that year. However,

for shorter communications such as radio ads when we needed to keep our message

simple, we did not include height in our message recommendation. Our focus group

and observational data showed that parents did not readily know their child’s height,

so the 4’9" tall standard was not as useful.2 Research showed that parents do

indeed know their child’s weight,2 so campaign communications focused on age

or weight.

Choosing Your Message Appeal

Information about your audience’s motivation for using booster seats can help you

determine the type of message appeal that you use. From your research and

interviews with community members, you will know if parents and caregivers think

booster seats are important, how likely they are to use them, and what would

encourage them. You will also learn if your audience is motivated to act out of fear

of a ticket or fine, loss of life, or out of a desire to do the best for their children.

Share your message with others who have led safety campaigns in the community

to get their feedback.

In Washington’s campaign, our initial messages were designed to attract parents’

attention since many did not know about booster seats or did not believe that they

were important to use. Some of our messages utilized a “fear appeal” in an effort

to show parents the consequences of not using a booster seat.

It’s Easier to Put Your Child in This [booster seat]…. Than This [ambulance]

And You Think This Seat is a Hassle?

MESSAGE

One of our messages attracted

attention by countering parental

beliefs about when children can

fit safely in adult seat belts:

When the landmark Washington

booster seat law25 took effect in

July 2002, our message appeals

used the law to motivate caregivers.

Both messages that used the threat of law

enforcement to prompt caregivers to start

using booster seats informed parents of the

financial consequences of non-use, and

targeted more resistant parents and those

who used booster seats inconsistently.

Is Your Child Ready for a Seat Belt?

Think Again!

Buckle Up. It’s the Law.

TIPS FOR CREATING MESSAGES

WITH IMPACT

yKeep the message simple.

yCommunicate with pictures.

yUse clear, direct language.

yUse images, colors, and headlines to

grab the audience’s attention.

yMake the message relevant to your

audience.

yWrite your message in the form of a

question to make your audience stop

and think.

yMake sure the message reflects what

will motivate your audience to start

using booster seats.

yProvide a phone number and web site

where parents can get further

information. This will help you track

the impact of your advertisement.

yTest messages and graphics and get

feedback from members of your

audience before finalizing materials.

Booster Seats Required By Law.

Tickets Cost $101.

Booster Seat Web Site

MESSAGE

CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING BOOSTER SEAT MESSAGES

Analyze local and national booster seat use data to determine what booster

seat behavior to target.

Determine your audience (e.g., parents, healthcare providers, or both). Try to

narrow your audience such as parents who live in a certain area or who have

children of a specific age. These specifications will make your message more

effective.

Once you choose your audience, use information from focus group research to

determine the audience’s motivation for using booster seats or educating others

about booster seats.

Use your initial research to determine what type of message will appeal to the

audience (e.g., emotional appeal that focuses on parental desire to protect

child)

Decide the age or size range that the message recommends.

Develop potential messages based on your knowledge of audience motivation,

appeal, and preferred messengers.

Test these messages with audience members and gather feedback on what

grabs their attention, what is understandable, and what is motivating about

the messages. Also, find out what can be improved.

Modify the message concepts based on audience feedback.

Before you finalize the messages, test them again with audience members

and also show them to a child passenger safety expert to determine technical

accuracy.

As the campaign strategy changes or as new data becomes available, change

the messages accordingly.

After selecting your target audience and message, you need to determine

how to deliver your message. This decision depends on communication

channels identified during your assessment phase (e.g., focus groups,

surveys). It also depends upon your campaign objectives, strategy and budget.

Is your objective to increase booster seat use in one city, in a neighborhood

in a city, or throughout a state or region? Is your strategy focused on changing

how parents buckle up their kids, or are you trying to change what doctors

and nurses tell their patients about child passenger safety? What resources

are available? Each of these choices affects how you disseminate your

campaign messages.

Your decisions will also depend upon the information you learn from focus

group research and discussions with community stakeholders and target

audience members. These investigations will tell you where the audience

gets child safety information and who they prefer to hear this information

from. Do they learn from the news, from television advertisements, or from

discussions with other parents? Are doctors, police officers, or teachers the

best messengers about booster seat use? Your research can also tell you

where the audience frequently travels to

by car and what media your audience

frequently sees. Do they listen to Latino

radio stations or read a local parenting

newsletter? All of this information will help

you determine where to educate the public

about booster seat use.

Finally, your decisions will depend upon

your funding availability. If you have more

resources, you will be able to utilize a mass

media campaign strategy, including costly

radio and television ads. If you have fewer

resources, you will need to rely on more

grassroots and word-of-mouth activities.

Partnerships with coalition partners can

share the burden of producing and

distributing materials. Our campaign relied

heavily on organizational and business

partners with a commitment to keeping

kids safe.

PROGRAM ACTIVITES

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN

DECIDING CAMPAIGN

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

· Audience needs and characteristics,

including cultural background,

knowledge and attitudes about booster

seats, and barriers to use

· Geographic area of campaign

· Where your audience gets safety

information

· Where your audience frequently goes

while driving in the car with children

· Who your audience trusts for advice on

children’s safety

· Funding possibilities

· Strengths and resources of campaign

partners

BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNICATION

CHANNELS

There are a number of campaign activities and communication channels that you

can use to deliver your message. The more people hear that booster seats are

important for children’s safety in cars, the more likely they will begin to use them.

When delivering messages, be sure to use channels that your audience mentioned

in your focus group research. Even the most clever advertisements will fail if they

are never seen or heard.

One of the most important resources for your campaign will be a local source for

further information and questions on child passenger safety. Since it is not possible

to answer all booster seat questions in a brief campaign brochure or television

advertisement, a resource line can answer critical questions for parents, physician

offices, child-care centers, and other organizations with questions. There are also

national resources available (such as NHTSA’s toll free telephone line see Appendix

B), however it is helpful to have a local community contact to handle local calls

and inquiries. The Washington campaign benefited from the following local booster

seat information sources:

yTT

Toll free Phone Noll free Phone N

oll free Phone Noll free Phone N

oll free Phone Numberumber

umberumber

umber – The Washington Safety Restraint Coalition toll-free

telephone line 1-800-BUCK-L-UP handled individual requests for coupons and

materials, and answered technical questions about booster seats. Staffed by

certified child passenger safety technicians, the hotline was already an

established state resource when our booster seat campaign began. As a

campaign partner, the Safety Restraint Coalition incorporated the phone line

into our statewide booster seat efforts.

yBoostBoost

BoostBoost

Booster Seat Wer Seat W

er Seat Wer Seat W

er Seat Web Siteb Sit

eb Siteb Sit

eb Site – e –

e – e –

e – We created a Web site for the campaign,

www.boosterseat.org, to help educate families and caregivers about booster

seats. Individuals could order discount coupons and access educational

materials from the site, as well as learn about the state law and the location of

upcoming classes and seat checks

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Booster Seat Web Site

yChildren’s RChildren’s R

Children’s RChildren’s R

Children’s Resouresour

esouresour

esource Line ce Line

ce Line ce Line

ce Line – Children’s Hospital has a resource line

with a fulfillment option. As part of their role with the coalition, the hospital

handled bulk order fulfillment. This was key for mass mailings to child-

care providers, physicians, and organizations.

Resource information was printed on all of our educational materials and

included in our broadcast ads. We shared these resources during trainings,

outreach events, and other campaign

activities.

Below is a list of campaign activities that

the Washington State Booster Seat

Coalition used to increase booster seat

use from 2000-2003. We engaged in two

types of education, broad-based mass

media communication and grassroots

education which used more direct,

personal contact to convey messages.

MASS MEDIA ACTIVITIES

yRadio SpoRadio Spo

Radio SpoRadio Spo

Radio Spotsts

tsts

ts – Radio public service

announcements and paid advertise-

ments aired during the first three years

of the campaign. These spots also used

a physician as the main messenger, in

addition to local radio celebrities, law

enforcement officers and Emergency

Medical Technicians (EMTs). Messages

used were similar to those in our

television ads. These spots aired

throughout the day, with an emphasis

on the morning and evening

commuting hours. Our campaign

utilized radio stations listened to by

parents, including talk radio, pop

music, sports broadcasts, and family

stations such as Radio Disney. We also

sponsored traffic reports on the radio

during morning and evening

commutes.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Children’s Hospital radio spot --

Produced by KOMO Radio (6/21/02)

Announcer: You and your child’s health is

brought to you by Children’s Hospital &

Regional Medical Center.

Pat Cashman: This is Pat Cashman with a word

about child safety in cars. I can tell you car

crashes are the leading cause of death and

injury among children and there’s no question

a number of those deaths could have been

prevented with the proper use of booster seats.

Pat: For all of the facts, I’m joined by Dr. Beth

Ebel, a pediatrician from Children’s Hospital.

Beth Ebel: Thanks, Pat. We recommend that

kids ride in booster seats until the lap and

shoulder belt fits properly. That’s when

children are about 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

Pat: You must be this tall to wear this belt.

Beth: In fact, it’s a law that kids use a booster

seat, if they’re between the ages of 4 and 6

years or between 40 and 60 pounds.

Pat: Describe how the booster seat works.

Beth: The booster seat puts the lap and

shoulder belt in your car into a safe position

across your child’s lap and chest. It prevents

the belt from riding up on the belly and

prevents injuries to the organs. It also keeps

the shoulder belt off the neck to prevent spine

injuries.

Pat: Dr Ebel, do you think I would fit in

booster seat?

Beth: No Pat, they’re just for kids.

Anncr: For a $10 discount booster seat

coupon, visit www.boosterseat.org, that’s

booster seat.org.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

yTT

Teleele

eleele

elevision Avision A

vision Avision A

vision Adsds

dsds

ds – We utilized television ads each year to raise awareness among

parents about which children need booster seats. Many of the ads included

doctors, state troopers, or ambulance workers as messengers since our focus

groups indicated that parents would listen to these experts regarding booster

seats for their children. When the law came into effect in July 2001, used a

well-known police spokeswoman to deliver the message. Ads aired throughout

the day, often during local news times and sometimes during primetime. Many

of the parents we surveyed reported learning their health information from the

TV, so we prioritized this medium working in partnership with State Farm

Insurance, KOMO-TV, Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, and the

Washington Traffic Safety Commission to provide funding and support.

yMass TMass T

Mass TMass T

Mass Transit Extransit Ext

ransit Extransit Ext

ransit Exterior Aerior A

erior Aerior A

erior Adsds

dsds

ds – To help reach parents in the car and to reinforce

the radio campaign, we purchased large poster ads on the sides and backs of

buses, the most popular and visible form of mass transit in the state. Ads from

the Washington Traffic Safety Commission focused on grabbing readers’

attention about the importance of booster seats. When the law went into effect,

our transit posters focused on the law.

yMoMo

MoMo

Movie Theatvie Theat

vie Theatvie Theat

vie Theater Aer A

er Aer A

er Adsds

dsds

ds – During the first year of our campaign, the Washington

Traffic Safety Commission ran public service announcements during holiday

season movie previews. These announcements used one of the designs for the

transit advertisements in an effort to reinforce public exposure to our campaign

and use resources wisely.

yMedia OutleMedia Outle

Media OutleMedia Outle

Media Outlet Wt W

t Wt W

t Web Siteb Sit

eb Siteb Sit

eb Siteses

eses

es –The KOMO-TV (ABC affiliate) web-site traffic report

section included information about booster seats in its Tips section and the

home page included an online poll on booster seats for one week. This poll

provided an interactive education tool that raised awareness about booster

seats, and was a source of feedback for our campaign about people’s knowledge

and opinion of booster seats and the law.

Movie Theater Ad

yPrint APrint A

Print APrint A

Print Advdv

dvdv

dverer

erer

ertisements in Local Ptisements in Local P

tisements in Local Ptisements in Local P

tisements in Local Parenting and Health Magazinesarenting and Health Magazines

arenting and Health Magazinesarenting and Health Magazines

arenting and Health Magazines – Coalition

partners, including Children’s Hospital and State Farm Insurance, utilized existing

media buys with local parenting and health-related magazines to run booster

seat ads.

yAA

Advdv

dvdv

dverer

erer

ertisements on Milk Cartisements on Milk Car

tisements on Milk Cartisements on Milk Car

tisements on Milk Cartt

tonsons

onsons

ons – In an effort to

reinforce our message with families, advertisements

were placed on the side of milk cartons produced by a

popular local dairy. This advertisement was donated

and ran for several months.

yNeNe

NeNe

News Stws St

ws Stws St

ws Stories in Mediaories in Media

ories in Mediaories in Media

ories in Media – During all stages of the

campaign we generated news stories in local print and

broadcast media, including regional publications geared

toward parenting and on talk radio interviews. Story

topics included the new booster seat law, basic facts

about booster seats, local and statewide usage rates

of booster seats based on our research findings and

journal artciles, and conversations with parents,

including national booster seat advocate Autumn

Alexander Skeen, about their personal experiences.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Milk Carton

CHRMC Poster Ad

GRASSROOTS EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

yTT

Training of Healthcare Prraining of Healthcare Pr

raining of Healthcare Prraining of Healthcare Pr

raining of Healthcare Profof

ofof

ofessionalsessionals

essionalsessionals

essionals – Because our parent focus groups

showed us that doctors were trusted spokespeople, our campaign provided

trainings and educational materials to healthcare professionals. We provided

in-services at pediatrician offices for all staff members who interact with families,

classes for medical staff and students at area hospitals, and a one-day forum

for representatives from hospitals, public health and community clinics in King

County, the most populated county in Washington.

yTT

Training of Child-care Prraining of Child-care Pr

raining of Child-care Prraining of Child-care Pr

raining of Child-care Profof

ofof

ofessionalsessionals

essionalsessionals

essionals – We trained child-care directors, staff

members, and pre-school teachers through small classes and sessions at

regional and statewide conferences. The classes provided participants with

continuing education credit required for their child-care license. These trainings

were particularly useful to child-care providers because they often transport

children and have daily contact with parents.

yTT

Training of Praining of P

raining of Praining of P

raining of Police Ofolice Of

olice Ofolice Of

olice Offf

ficericer

icericer

icers and Fire Fights and Fire Fight

s and Fire Fights and Fire Fight

s and Fire Fighterer

erer

ers s

s s

s – Public safety officers became

members of Washington State’s Child Passenger Safety Team – a statewide

network of county-based safety restraint experts. The state Office of Highway

Safety and a non-profit traffic safety advocacy organization organized the teams

and provided the training. Parents could call or visit these teams for advice,

and needy families can often receive free or reduced-price seats from these

teams.

yPP

Parent Education Sessionsarent Education Sessions

arent Education Sessionsarent Education Sessions

arent Education Sessions – Education sessions about booster seats were

offered to parents at hospitals, clinics, community organizations, and schools.

Some sessions focused only on booster seats and were specifically for parents

of elementary or pre-school children. Other trainings included booster seats as

part of a general child passenger safety training for parents of newborns and

infants.

yHealthcare PrHealthcare Pr

Healthcare PrHealthcare Pr

Healthcare Proo

ovider Outreachvider Outreach

vider Outreachvider Outreach

vider Outreach – We contacted community and provider

education departments at area hospitals as well as private clinics to educate

them about the booster seat law, booster seat recommendations, and

available resources. We also encouraged hospitals to provide booster seats

to families through voucher programs or discount coupons. Information

about clinic or hospital programs was provided through internal employee

publications.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

yElementarElementar

ElementarElementar

Elementary School Outreachy School Outreach

y School Outreachy School Outreach

y School Outreach – We educated elementary school students and

their teachers directly through a safety program that a local ambulance company

offered. EMTs, who are popular with students, invited students inside an

ambulance so they could practice using a booster seat on a demonstration vehicle

seat. We also sent an educational flyer and a coupon home to parents through

school and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) mailings. We delivered educational

materials, including a poster, to the school nurses and school principals for

posting and/or distribution. Finally, we submitted articles for school newsletters.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

yOutreach tOutreach t

Outreach tOutreach t

Outreach to Fo F

o Fo F

o Family Education Specialistsamily Education Specialists

amily Education Specialistsamily Education Specialists

amily Education Specialists – Our booster seat materials were

sent to educators at community colleges and other organizations who led classes

on child development and parenting. We encouraged child passenger safety

and booster seat information to be included in modules on safety and car travel.

We also provided information to organizers of parent support groups for their

fairs and small group discussions.

1/3 Page Flyer

Prescription Pad

BIG KIDS NEED

BOOSTER SEATS

For more information and booster seat coupons,

visit www.boosterseat.org or call 1-800-BUCK-L-UP

(1-800-282-5587).

A message from the Washington State Booster Seat Coalition

4-8 years

40-80 pounds up to 4’9” tall

Lap belt rides

up on tummy

Shoulder belt

rubs face Can sit up

straight

Knees

bend

Shoulder belt

crosses shoulder

Hard to sit

up straight

Lap belt

stays across

hips

SEAT BELT

DOES NOT FIT SEAT BELT FITS WITH

BOOSTER SEAT

Knees do not

bend unless child

slouches

*** This information is not sponsored by the school district. In consideration for the privilege to

distribute the attached materials, the school district shall be held harmless from any cause of action,

claim or petition filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these

materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees, and judgments or awards.***

Keep big kids safe in the car

—

use booster seats on every ride, every time.

It’s the law. And your child is worth it.

Prescription for Car Safety

Name Height Weight

Recommendations:

___

Up to at least

20 lbs.

Up to at least 1

year old

Rear-facing Seat

(infant or

convertible)

___

20 to 30 lbs.

Less than 1 year

old

Rear-facing Seat

(convertible)

___

20 to 40 lbs.

Over 1 year old Forward-facing seat

with harness

___

Over 40 lbs. &

under 4 ft. 9

in.tall.

Booster Seat with

lap and shoulder

seat belt

___ At, or over 4 ft.

9 in.tall (

generally

about 80 lbs and at

least 8 years old).

Lap and Shoulder

Seat Belt

(Never put

the shoulder belt

behind the back or

under the arm)

NOTES:

 Always follow the instructions that come with the child safety seat or booster

seat.

 Always use both the lap and shoulder belt with your booster seat.

 Some booster seats come with a harness for children weighing between 30 to

40 lbs. Remove the harness when your child outgrows it, or reaches 40 lbs.

 The back seat is the safest place for all children to ride.

For more information:

Visit www.boosterseat.org or call 1-800-BUCK-L-UP.

To see if the seat belt will fit your child, try the

following test.*

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?

2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the

auto seat?

3. Does the lap belt fit snugly across the top of the

thighs?

4. Does the shoulder belt come across the center of the

shoulder and chest?

5. Can the child sit like this for the whole trip?

e questions, your child If you answer “no” to any of thes

needs to ride in a booster seat.

*Used with permission from SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

5/03

es of Boosters

Shield booster

Using the shield portion of

this booster is no longer

recommended

High-back booster

with harness (use as

a car seat with harness until 40 lbs. then

remove and use as a booster seat with lap

and shoulder belt)

High-back booster

for cars with or

without headrests

No-back booster

for cars with built-in

headrests

front back

yOutreach at Health FOutreach at Health F

Outreach at Health FOutreach at Health F

Outreach at Health Fairair

airair

airss

s – We set up information booths and

displays at health fairs held at hospitals, clinics, community centers,

and schools through all stages of the campaign. Besides answering

questions, we weighed and measured children using a colorful “Child

Passenger Safety Scale” and provided recommendations on which

safety restraint was best for the child. We used a specially designed

“prescription pad” form to write the recommendations on and to

provide families with written information about booster seats. When we were

unable to staff a booth for the fair, we sent along information and discount

coupons that parents could take with them.

yOutreach at Community FOutreach at Community F

Outreach at Community FOutreach at Community F

Outreach at Community Festivestiv

estivestiv

estivals and Child-Orientals and Child-Orient

als and Child-Orientals and Child-Orient

als and Child-Orienteded

eded

Fairair

airair

airss

s We attended neighborhood festivals and events

centered on booster-size children to help deliver our

message to parents. We found the child-oriented events,

such as the KOMO-TV Kids’ Fair, more useful than street

fairs and other festivals that do not always attract a large

number of families with booster-size children. Activities at

these events included Polaroid photos of children properly

seated in a booster seat, coloring activities, height/weight

measurements using our “Child Passenger Safety Scale,”

and booster seat raffles.

ySeat Check and GivSeat Check and Giv

Seat Check and GivSeat Check and Giv

Seat Check and Giveaea

eaea

eaww

waa

ay Evy Ev

y Evy Ev

y Eventsents

entsents

ents – Throughout the campaign, organizations

in the Coalition organized or assisted with booster seat fittings at seat check

and giveaway events. Coalition members, many of whom were volunteer child

passenger safety technicians, fit hundreds of children in booster seats. When

needed, booster seats were provided free to the families. These events provided

parents with hands-on demonstrations and information about how to use their

particular booster seat. Events were held at hospitals, fire departments, police

departments, retail stores, car dealers, and community organizations during

the spring, summer, and fall months.

yNeighborNeighbor

NeighborNeighbor

Neighborhood Community Association Outreachhood Community Association Outreach

hood Community Association Outreachhood Community Association Outreach

hood Community Association Outreach – To reach families on a

neighborhood level, we communicated with leaders and newsletter editors of

community associations. Neighborhood groups are often homeowners’

associations or community clubs, and they work with a city’s town hall in

bettering the community. These associations also provide a useful grassroots

communication network for information about booster seats. Newsletter articles

and educational materials were provided to the association leaders. These

materials were distributed at block parties and neighborhood block watch

events.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Height/Weight

Scale

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

yMatMat

MatMat

Materials Mailings terials Mailings t

erials Mailings terials Mailings t

erials Mailings to Community Organizations, Healthcare and Childcareo Community Organizations, Healthcare and Childcare

o Community Organizations, Healthcare and Childcareo Community Organizations, Healthcare and Childcare

o Community Organizations, Healthcare and Childcare

PrPr

Proo

ovidervider

vidervider

viders, and Social Sers, and Social Ser

s, and Social Sers, and Social Ser

s, and Social Service Centvice Cent

vice Centvice Cent

vice Centerer

erer

erss

s – We mailed educational materials to

various community organizations that serve families and children throughout

the course of our campaign. These mailings included order forms and

information resources that the recipients’ could contact for additional

information. Our mailings were sent to the following organizations:

HEALTHCARE:

· Hospital Community Health Education Departments

· Hospital Emergency Rooms and Trauma Nurse

Coordinators

· Pediatric and Family Medicine Clinics

· Public Health Nurses and Departments

CHILDCARE:

· Child care centers

· YMCAs and other after-school programs

· Headstart and other programs for early education of low-

income children

SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS:

· WIC Clinics

· Libraries

· Shelters

· Social and Human Service Agencies

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:

· Community Centers

· Senior Centers (to reach grandparents)

· SAFE KIDS Coalitions

OTHER:

· Native American Tribal Governments

A booster seat discount program has been a key component of the Washington

campaign. Many families and organizations have called the toll-free hotline, visited

the web site, or contacted us simply because we offer coupons. From 2000-2002,

we offered a $10 discount toward an Evenflo® low-back booster seat that was

sold at Fred Meyer, a local retailer with stores throughout the state. This coupon

brought the price of a booster seat to under $20 – an affordable range for many

families according to our focus group testing. In 2003, we began offering a new

coupon, good for $5 off any Cosco® brand booster seat sold at Target Stores, a

national retailer with a statewide network of stores. The coupon allowed families

to purchase a low-back booster seat for approximately $12 and a high-back booster

seat for $25.

WHY USE A COUPON PROGRAM?

Increasing access to booster seats is the most important reason for including a

coupon program in a campaign. Even though some booster seats are priced

affordably for families, the seats are still too expensive for many. Focus group

research has shown that cost is one of the biggest barriers for parents. A discount

coupon helps remove, or reduce, this barrier for low-income and middle-income

families. Many families have told us that they appreciate the information provided

on the coupon and that it maked a difference in their decision to purchase a seat.

Booster seat coupons also help promote booster seat use by drawing attention to

booster seats. The coupon encourages families to consider buying a booster seat.

Doctors, child-care providers, and public safety officials may be more likely to

distribute information to parents if they see a benefit for the family in the form of

a discount coupon.

Because coupons attract attention, a discount program can help you reach more

families with your message and educational materials. The reverse side of our

coupons included brief information about which children need booster seats and

why booster seats are needed. If a parent picked up only the coupon, she or he

would still get exposure to our key messages.

A booster seat coupon also benefits your campaign by helping you build

relationships with community businesses. When discussing a coupon program or

when surveying the neighborhood to find out what stores offer booster seats, you

convey to the store owner/manager that booster seats are important products to

offer. If store owners know this, they may be willing to help you with a coupon

program or with an educational program. Fred Meyer and Toys ‘R Us supported a

number of car seat checks during the campaign.

INCREASING USE THROUGH A

DISCOUNT COUPON PROGRAM

COUPON PROGRAM

SETTING UP A COUPON PROGRAM

Setting up a booster seat discount program is a challenging task, but the rewards

for your campaign and for families are worth it. It takes time and energy to make

contacts and build relationships with community businesses. It also takes time to

sell your idea to the business and, if successful, design, print and distribute the

coupons. Below is a checklist to follow in creating a coupon program for your

community.

Find out what sFind out what s

Find out what sFind out what s

Find out what stt

tores sell boosores sell boos

ores sell boosores sell boos

ores sell boostt

ter seats in the community and whereer seats in the community and where

er seats in the community and whereer seats in the community and where

er seats in the community and where

rere

retail stail s

tail stail s

tail stt

tores are locatores are locat

ores are locatores are locat

ores are located. ed.

ed. ed.

ed. Are they accessible to the communities you want

to help? Do the stores market to your audience and does your audience

shop there? Do they carry a wide selection of booster seats? Are their

prices reasonable so that a discount will be enticing and helpful for

families?

DeDe

DeDe

Dett

termine what yermine what y

ermine what yermine what y

ermine what your ideal discount coupon wour ideal discount coupon w

our ideal discount coupon wour ideal discount coupon w

our ideal discount coupon would ofould of

ould ofould of

ould offf

ferer

erer

er. Consider the

type of seats your target families need, what discount would be enticing,

and how long the coupon program should last. Focus group testing can

help provide some of these answers.

COUPON PROGRAM

Fred

Meyer

Coupon

Target Coupon

SAMPLE

Find parFind par

Find parFind par

Find partnertner

tnertner

tners ts t

s ts t

s to help with the coso help with the cos

o help with the coso help with the cos

o help with the costs of printing and dists of printing and dis

ts of printing and dists of printing and dis

ts of printing and distributing coupons.tributing coupons.

tributing coupons.tributing coupons.

tributing coupons.

Plan who, hoPlan who, ho

Plan who, howw

w, and when t, and when t

, and when t, and when t

, and when to delivo deliv

o delivo deliv

o deliver these ter these t

er these ter these t

er these to families. o families.

o families. o families.

o families. The retailer may

agree to print the coupons or another community partner may be able

assist. Some partners may just wish to have their logo printed on the coupon

in exchange for free printing services.

ApprAppr

ApprAppr

Approacoac

oacoac

oach the regional or corh the regional or cor

h the regional or corh the regional or cor

h the regional or corporatporat

poratporat

porate ofe of

e ofe of

e offf

fice of boosice of boos

ice of boosice of boos

ice of boostt

ter seat reer seat re

er seat reer seat re

er seat retailertailer

tailertailer

tailers ands and

s ands and

s and

manufacturermanufacturer

manufacturers about ys about y

s about ys about y

s about your prour pr

our prour pr

our program.ogram.

ogram.ogram.

ogram. Write an introductory letter and

include an executive summary of your overall program. Describe how the

coupon program would benefit the communities you serve. Share how

your booster seat education program can benefit the retailer or

manufacturers. If a company representative is interested, provide a list of

the key components of a coupon program. Many coupons involve a shared

cost arrangements between the retailer and the manufacturer.

Arrange fArrange f

Arrange fArrange f

Arrange for boosor boos

or boosor boos

or boostt

ter seat educational infer seat educational inf

er seat educational infer seat educational inf

er seat educational information tormation t

ormation tormation t

ormation to appear on the reo appear on the re

o appear on the reo appear on the re

o appear on the revv

verer

erer

ersese

sese

side of the coupon.side of the coupon.

side of the coupon. As discussed above, the back of the coupon is an

excellent avenue for delivering your message. For families who do not

receive other educational information, the coupon may be the only written

information that they see.

Ask yAsk y

Ask yAsk y

Ask your comour com

our comour com

our companpan

panpan

pany contact ty contact t

y contact ty contact t

y contact to educato educat

o educato educat

o educate their eme their em

e their eme their em

e their emploplo

ploplo

ployy

yees about the coupons.ees about the coupons.

ees about the coupons.ees about the coupons.

ees about the coupons.

To help this effort, offer to provide your contact with an information flyer

that can be displayed in company workrooms. Provide them with booster

seat educational materials in case managers wish to empower their sales

representatives with knowledge. A knowledgeable sales staff are better

positioned to answer parent questions and sell the right product.

Discuss hoDiscuss ho

Discuss hoDiscuss ho

Discuss how the comw the com

w the comw the com

w the companpan

panpan

pany can help the camy can help the cam

y can help the camy can help the cam

y can help the campaign bpaign b

paign bpaign b

paign by pry pr

y pry pr

y proo

oviding redemviding redem

viding redemviding redem

viding redempp

ptiontion

tiontion

tion

infinf

information tormation t

ormation tormation t

ormation to traco trac

o traco trac

o track coupon prk coupon pr

k coupon prk coupon pr

k coupon program and oogram and o

ogram and oogram and o

ogram and ovv

verall camerall cam

erall camerall cam

erall campaign efpaign ef

paign efpaign ef

paign efff

fectivectiv

ectivectiv

ectiveness.eness.

eness.eness.

eness.

Raw sales data may be difficult to obtain as this information is often

confidential. The retailer may be willing to share how many coupons were

redeemed per store. Consider coding and tracking coupons by distribution

method to determine which channels are most effective. Tracking codes

may be an additional burden for the company, however, so this may not be

possible.

COUPON PROGRAM

AA

Acc

cknokno

knokno

knowledge and thank ywledge and thank y

wledge and thank ywledge and thank y

wledge and thank your coupon parour coupon par

our coupon parour coupon par

our coupon partnertner

tnertner

tner. Issue a press release to

recognize your partner’s support in keeping children safe and send thank

you letters. Ask coalition members to act as community ambassadors by

thanking their local store branch.

Encourage coalition memberEncourage coalition member

Encourage coalition memberEncourage coalition member

Encourage coalition members and os and o

s and os and o

s and other community disther community dis

ther community disther community dis

ther community distributtribut

tributtribut

tributoror

oror

ors ts t

s ts t

s to alero aler

o alero aler

o alertt

stt

tore managerore manager

ore managerore manager

ore managers about upcoming educational es about upcoming educational e

s about upcoming educational es about upcoming educational e

s about upcoming educational evv

vents that maents that ma

ents that maents that ma

ents that may bringy bring

y bringy bring

y bring

cuscus

custt

tomeromer

omeromer

omers ts t

s ts t

s to the so the s

o the so the s

o the stt

tore.ore.

ore.ore.

ore.

Retailers want to have enough seats to meet

customer demand, and many stores do not keep large quantities of stock.

Positive relationships also help if you need to smooth out any problems

that arise or want to hold future events at the store.

Periodically cPeriodically c

Periodically cPeriodically c

Periodically chechec

hechec

heck in ck in c

k in ck in c

k in chechec

hechec

heck in with coalition memberk in with coalition member

k in with coalition memberk in with coalition member

k in with coalition members, communitys, community

s, communitys, community

s, community

contacts, and families tcontacts, and families t

contacts, and families to fo f

o fo f

o find out hoind out ho

ind out hoind out ho

ind out how thew the

w thew the

w the

prpr

program is doing. Also, cogram is doing. Also, c

ogram is doing. Also, cogram is doing. Also, c

ogram is doing. Also, chechec

hechec

heck in with yk in with y

k in with yk in with y

k in with yourour

ourour

our

comcom

companpan

panpan

pany contact.y contact.

y contact.y contact.

y contact.

Provide updates to

company contact on how the coupon

program has helped the families in your

community. Troubleshoot any problems

that arise.

COUPON PROGRAM

Tips to Remember When

Developing a Coupon Program

Partnership

·Be prepared to contact

many company

representatives before

finding the right person.

·Be prepared with a quick

summary of your program

and how the coupon will

help the company and the

community. Your

company contact may only

have a brief moment to

consider your proposal.

·Be prepared for the

decision-making process

to take a long time.

·Be prepared to negotiate

and accept compromise.

·Be prepared for businesses

to turn you down.

EVALUATION

Evaluating a booster seat campaign will measure how effectively it has delivered

a message to your audience. An evaluation is often seen as the last step, but it is

actually done throughout the course of your campaign. You should determine how

you will evaluate your program when you initially plan the framework for your overall

campaign. There are different types of evaluation activities and different

approaches to take depending on program goals and resources.

WHY EVALUATE YOUR CAMPAIGN?

A carefully designed evaluation strategy is just as important as the campaign

strategy. If your campaign works, you want to know! If it does not work, you want to

know that, too, so you can figure out your next steps. An evaluation can show if

booster seat use has changed in your community and which families have begun

using them. It can give information on whether parents are receiving campaign

materials. Program evaluation can also highlight campaign needs. For example, it

can identify high-risk neighborhoods where booster seat use is low or identify an

age group that is not responding to the current message. In short, a careful

evaluation is not only an integral part of a booster seat education campaign, but

also a critical part of program planning for the future.

Program evaluations also serve a public relations function for the campaign. Sharing

results from a survey of booster seat behavior will provide a reason to contact the

media. Press stories generated from this information will provide another

opportunity for your audience to hear why booster seats are important. Reporting

increases in community booster seat use shows non-users that booster seats are

becoming more widely accepted, perhaps prompting them to join the bandwagon.

Evaluation results may provide opportunities to improve campaign funding – an

essential need for continuing your good work! Potential grant-making organizations

and in-kind donors are interested in hearing what you have done and how you

have made an impact on the community. They like to know that their will be well-

spent and will make a difference in the lives of families. Resources are always

scarce and it is important that they be used wisely. An evaluation is the only way to

now this.

TYPES OF PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

Each campaign is designed around a measurable objective. The role of program

evaluation is to determine whether that objective was met. Evaluation of the primary

campaign goal – for example, whether you increased booster seat use or whether

you increased awareness about the booster seat law – is called the “outcome

evaluation”. Evaluation of what you did in your campaign is called the “process

evaluation”.

EVALUATING YOUR CAMPAIGN

EVALUATION

OUTCOME EVALUATION – MEASURING CHANGE IN BOOSTER SEAT USE

In our booster seat campaign, our goal was to increase booster seat use among 4-

8 year-old children. Our outcome evaluation, therefore, was a survey of observed

booster seat use. As our campaign was based at a regional injury research center

and affiliated with a university, we used a scientific research method to evaluate

program effectiveness. Your campaign does not need to be evaluated by a formal

research study, but you can still conduct an effective evaluation in your community.

How We Designed Our Booster Seat Observation Surveys in King County, WA

For our research study, our goal was to increase booster seat use in King County

and we chose intervention neighborhoods to specifically study. Then we made our

goal more specific: to increase booster seat use by at least 10 percent more than

booster seat use in control neighborhoods. Of course, it would be wonderful if

booster seat use resulted in fewer child deaths or hospital admissions, but detecting

a difference in child deaths, which fortunately are rare relative to booster seat

use, would have been a prohibitively large and expensive study. So we settled on

increasing booster seat use. We decided that we could best measure booster use

by directly observing children in the car, since we had concerns that families would

not be able to accurately report booster seat use, either because they were confused

about what a booster seat was, or because people generally over-report behaviors

which are socially desirable.

•ObjectivObjectiv

ObjectivObjectiv

Objective.e.

e.e.

e. We measured baseline booster seat use in each of the 12

communities beginning in January, 2000. Follow-up observations were

conducted 15 months later, beginning in March, 2001. We conducted

observations at 83 child-care centers and after-school programs.1, 2

•Collaboration.Collaboration.

Collaboration.Collaboration.

Collaboration. One key component of our booster seat campaign was

forming collaborations with knowledgeable individuals and organizations.

This is also important in developing an evaluation plan. Consider working

with colleagues who have evaluated other programs. Partnerships with

academic institutions or a school of public health or public health officials

may also provide critical expertise to help plan a successful evaluation plan.

We worked with academic researchers who had evaluated other community

campaigns, and got statistical advice in our study design and analysis from

an epidemiologist at the University of Washington.

EVALUATION

•Ethical design. Ethical design.

Ethical design. Ethical design.

Ethical design. Consider the ethical implications of your study and

evaluation. In our institution, any research plan must be presented to and

approved by the Human Subjects Division, which reviews our methods and

plan. The risks to an evaluation are that a driver might feel his or her privacy

is being compromised, or may not wish to talk with the observers, or may

feel that he or she is made to feel embarrassed or ashamed if children are

not in the proper restraint. We minimized these risks in the following ways:

(i) getting written consent from observation sites; (ii) handing an information

sheet about our study with study contact information to each driver, (iii) we

did not record identifying information about drivers or passengers, such

as license number, name, or telephone number; and (iv) providing each

driver with beneficial information about booster seats.

•Choice of intChoice of int

Choice of intChoice of int

Choice of interer

erer

ervv

vention and contrention and contr

ention and contrention and contr

ention and control areas.ol areas.

ol areas.ol areas.

ol areas. Our campaign was community-

based, and so we were interested in the use of booster seats in our four

intervention neighborhoods. We chose eight neighborhoods in two other

cities (Portland, Ore., and Spokane, Wash.) as our control neighborhoods.

These control neighborhoods were important for our campaign, because

we thought that booster seat use might continue to rise even in the absence

of our campaign, and therefore we wanted to separate out any general

trends in booster seat use from the impact of our campaign activities.

•SurSur

SurSur

Survv

vee

ey design and mey design and me

y design and mey design and me

y design and methods.thods.

thods.thods.

thods. After pilot testing our survey with families,

we designed a very short survey tool to measure booster seat use. Cars

were approached in the parking lot at pickup times only after the driver

had an opportunity to secure any children in the vehicle, and to fasten his

or her own seatbelt. Cars leaving with only a non-ambulatory child were

excluded from the survey. When stopping parents who are already in a car

with their children, it was very important that the survey was brief (less

than one minute of parent time). Appendix XXX has a copy of our survey

instrument. We asked parents very simple questions about the age and

weight of child occupants, and then asked about why they chose their

restraint method, and whether they were aware of the booster seat law.

Trained observers conducted the survey and directly observed and recorded

car seat use for all child occupants.

EVALUATION

•ObserObser

ObserObser

Observv

vation sitation sit

ation sitation sit

ation sites.es.

es.es.

es. We conducted observations at 83 child-care centers

and after-school programs.1, 2 Since the booster seat promotion campaign

was neighborhood-based, these sites were chosen in order to measure

booster seat use in the local 4-8 year old population, rather than the wider

population of children one might expect to find at a toy store or larger

shopping center. We decided to approach parents who were picking up

their children at child care centers and schools, feeling that they were less

rushed at pick-up than at drop-off. Fast food sites were pilot-tested but

were not used as observation sites because very few booster eligible-

children per hour were observed, making observations too inefficient, and

because several communities had only one or two fast food restaurants

within their borders. Random intersection sites were not used because

the study required that vehicles be stopped and approached, so that drivers

could be directly questioned about child age and weight. Our coordinator

obtained a list of child care centers and after-school programs, and then

called each site with more than 20 enrolled children of booster age in

order to get permission to conduct our survey. We emphasized that it was

a brief survey, families would benefit from receiving information about

booster seats, and our professional observers would stop by to introduce

themselves to office staff, and would be wearing official safety vests.

•PiloPilo

PiloPilo

Pilot tt t

t tt t

t testing the suresting the sur

esting the suresting the sur

esting the survv

vee

ey instrument.y instrument.

y instrument.y instrument.

y instrument. A pilot study was conducted to

determine the feasibility of the observational study and brief survey. This

was critical in making sure questions were understandable, observers were

clear on their instructions, and the questionnaire was brief enough for

parents to answer quickly.

•Hiring obserHiring obser

Hiring obserHiring obser

Hiring observv

verer

erer

ers.s.

s.s.

s. Observers were recruited from local colleges and

communities through newspaper ads in college and local newspapers. All

observers underwent a standardized three-hour training program to explain

the aims of the study and the methodology. Practice observations were

conducted under supervision prior to data collection. Observers were taught

about child passenger safety, how to identify car seats, and interview

techniques. We emphasized the importance of treating parents with respect

at all times, even when it appeared their children were not properly

restrained. Teams of two or more observers visited each site. Having two

observers lessened the chance of erroneous data, sped up data collection

at busy sites, and provided companionship and safety. As we have branched

into communities with non-English speaking families, we have begun to

employ bilingual observers and study materials.

EVALUATION

•Organization of obserOrganization of obser

Organization of obserOrganization of obser

Organization of observv

vations. ations.

ations. ations.

ations. The organizational skills of our program

coordinators were critical to the success of these observations. Our program

coordinator kept spreadsheets of approved observation sites, and

communicated with observers by email daily in order to schedule sites and

observers. She collected weekly observation forms, and was available to

troubleshoot any problems that might

arise.

Performing a careful evaluation is not cheap, but

putting resources into an ineffective campaign is

not cheap either. Evaluation costs may be partly

shared among collaborative partners. State safety

officials may already be considering child

passenger surveys in your area. Explore these

options as you consider what components to

include in the evaluation of your campaign. When

possible, budget for evaluation activities at the

start of the project and build in the analysis plan

into your campaign.

PROCESS EVALUATION – MEASURING WHAT

YOU DID

“Process evaluation” tools can help measure and

document the activities of your campaign. For

example, how many brochures did you distribute to parents? Through what

channels? Was a booster seat law passed? How many coupons were distributed,

and how many coupons were redeemed by retailers? How many individuals called

a local phone hotline for information and advice?

In the Washington campaign, there were a number of process measures used,

including tracking data on coupon delivery and redemption, channels and number

of booster brochures and fliers distributed, participation in community events,

formation of a parent advisory group, collecting statistics on visits to our

www.boosterseat.org web site, tracking paid media spots, and collecting press

clippings on news coverage. Keeping track of these program activities helped

guarantee that campaign goals were being accomplished.

TIPS FOR SETTING UP COST-

EFFECTIVE BOOSTER SEAT USE

OBSERVATION SURVEYS

·Partner with your state Office of

Highway Safety or other public

safety organizations who may be

considering surveys in your area.

·Hire part-time college students as

observers or partner with a

university class to carry out some

of the work for course credit.

·Use existing staff to coordinate

research observations.

·Ask coalition partners for

donations of study materials (i.e.

maps, printed survey forms)

FUNDING

A successful booster seat campaign will require funding to pay for program

activities, staffing, and communications. What you can accomplish will depend

upon the amount of funding your organization can obtain, either through direct

grant support or through partnerships and the pooling of community resources.

You can run a program on as little as $25,000 or on as much as $250,000 per

year. There are creative ways to make a booster campaign work even on

relatively little funding. Costs can be defrayed by asking for in-kind donations

from community organizations and businesses, and by sharing costs with

partners on program activities.

BUDGET ITEMS FOR A BOOSTER SEAT CAMPAIGN:

yPrPr

PrPr

Project Cooroject Coor

oject Cooroject Coor

oject Coordinatdinat

dinatdinat

dinatoror

oror

or –You will need a paid project staff member to coordinate

the campaign, mobilize community organizations, and manage day-to-day

administrative tasks. This could be a part-time position.

yEducational MatEducational Mat

Educational MatEducational Mat

Educational Materialserials

erialserials

erials and Mediaand Media

and Mediaand Media

and Media – Educational materials and media are

key components of any campaign. You may produce brochures, information

sheets, posters and paid media advertisements, including radio and TV spots,

depending on your communications strategy. You may be able to use existing

materials that have already been tested and developed. If you choose to create

your own materials, you will need resources for product design, creation, and

production. There are also costs to distribute materials. This will be one of the

campaign’s biggest expenses. Many, if not all, of these costs can be covered

through donations or grants. For paid advertisements, many media outlets will

offer non-profit organizations a price reduction, either through matching paid

spots at a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 rate or by offering reduced rates.

yMeeMee

MeeMee

Meeting and Evting and Ev

ting and Evting and Ev

ting and Event Costsent Costs

ent Costsent Costs

ent Costs – You will need funds to support coalition meetings,

press events, and community outreach activities such as booster seat fittings.

You may also need funds to pay for booths and attendance at health fairs,

community festivals, and family events. If you are part of a non-profit

organization, many of these costs may be waived or reduced. You can save

money by partnering with other organizations attending the event. Seattle

Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, for example, has included

the Booster Seat Coalition’s booth in its area at our region’s annual Kids’ Fair

event.

yPP

Parent Farent F

arent Farent F

arent Feedback and Preedback and Pr

eedback and Preedback and Pr

eedback and Program Evogram Ev

ogram Evogram Ev

ogram Evaluation Costsaluation Costs

aluation Costsaluation Costs

aluation Costs – Conducting focus groups

or parent feedback sessions, and assessing the success of your campaign

requires funding support. You can save money by conducting your own focus

groups or by relying on previous focus group research to understand parental

FUNDING THE CAMPAIGN

attitudes and beliefs about booster seats (see section XX above). To save money

on program evaluation, you do not need to engage in a formal research

evaluation study that requires surveying large numbers of people and studying

a control group. Instead, you can conduct periodic observational surveys in

your community to track the effects of your campaign.

yOperations CostsOperations Costs

Operations CostsOperations Costs

Operations Costs – Office space and equipment, computer and phone

support, day-to-day mailing and delivery charges, and support from organization

administrative staff will also be a part of your campaign budget. Few

organizations will donate monies to cover these costs, so it may help to run the

campaign out of a larger organization. The Booster Seat Coalition received

generous operations support from the Harborview Injury Prevention and

Research Center during its campaign.

FUNDING SOURCES

There are many public and private organizations that are willing to support booster

seat education campaigns and programs. Increasing booster seat use has become

a priority for federal and state agencies. Moreover, promoting children’s health

and safety is a focus area for many private foundations. Few organizations will pay

for staff time and administrative costs, but many will consider funding for

educational outreach, booster seats for distribution to families, and materials

development, including focus groups, creative development, and printing. Some

organizations, primarily public agencies and private foundations, will fund research

costs for program evaluation.

Poo

ott

tential Sourential Sour

ential Sourential Sour

ential Sources of Grant Fces of Grant F

ces of Grant Fces of Grant F

ces of Grant Funding:unding:

unding:unding:

unding:

yFF

Federal, statederal, stat

ederal, statederal, stat

ederal, state, and local agenciese, and local agencies

e, and local agenciese, and local agencies

e, and local agencies (National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, state Offices of Highway Safety, local health and public

safety departments)

yPrivPriv

PrivPriv

Privatat

atat

ate fe f

e fe f

e foundations, national and localoundations, national and local

oundations, national and localoundations, national and local

oundations, national and local (American Automobile

Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, local hospital foundations,

other foundations focused on children’s health)

yCommunity or coalition parCommunity or coalition par

Community or coalition parCommunity or coalition par

Community or coalition partnertner

tnertner

tners s

s s

s (hospitals, local SAFE KIDS Coalitions,

private businesses, such as insurance companies)

yOrganization emOrganization em

Organization emOrganization em

Organization emploplo

ploplo

ployy

yee funds fee funds f

ee funds fee funds f

ee funds for pror pr

or pror pr

or projectsojects

ojectsojects

ojects (i.e. hospital funds for projects

for patients)

FUNDING

Potential In-Kind Donation Sources:

yPrivPriv

PrivPriv

Privatat

atat

ate businessese businesses

e businessese businesses

e businesses for printing and production of educational materials,

media buys, booster seat donations, food and venues for meetings and

booster seat fittings

yPublic relations and advPublic relations and adv

Public relations and advPublic relations and adv

Public relations and adverer

erer

ertising comtising com

tising comtising com

tising companiespanies

paniespanies

panies for creative consulting and

production work

yMedia comMedia com

Media comMedia com

Media companiespanies

paniespanies

panies, such as TV broadcast outlets, for creative consulting

and production work. These companies may also be able to help partner

your campaign with a local business who would like to sponsor a community

education project.

yBoostBoost

BoostBoost

Booster seat manufer seat manuf

er seat manufer seat manuf

er seat manufactureracturer

actureracturer

acturers and res and re

s and res and re

s and retailertailer

tailertailer

tailerss

s for discount coupons or

discounted seats. Retail partners may also be willing to hold an educational

outreach event at their store, donating a venue, staff helpers, and

refreshments for attendees.

yInsurance comInsurance com

Insurance comInsurance com

Insurance companiespanies

paniespanies

panies for

materials creation, media ads,

booster seat donations, and

outreach event venues

yCar dealer

Car dealer

Car dealerCar dealer

Car dealerss

s for media ads,

booster seat donations, and

venues for outreach events

The Washington State Booster Seat Coalition

has received generous campaign support

from the following organizations:

The Ambulatory Pediatrics Association

American Public Health Association

The American Trauma Society

Bartell Drug Company

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention

Children’s Hospital and Regional

Medical Center

Evenflo Corporation

Fred Meyer Stores

Group Health Community Foundation

Harborview Injury Prevention and

Research Center

KOMO-TV

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

Nesholm Family Foundation

Safety Restraint Coalition

State Farm Insurance

Target Stores, Incorporated

Washington Traffic Safety Commission

Boosterseat Campaign Manuel Manual

boosterseat_campaign.. boosterseat_campaign_maneul

Boosterseat_Campaign.. Boosterseat_Campaign_Maneul

boosterseat_campaign.. boosterseat_campaign_maneul

Navigation menu

Versions of this User Manual:

Views

Navigation