Social Marketing Quarterly

Community-based prevention programs are increasingly being asked to deliver better outcomes with fewer dollars. Funders and prevention researchers are challenged to transfer state-of-the-art prevention technologies for communities to readily apply. How does this happen? For five years, social marketers from the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and Porter Novelli guided five U.S. communities in using social marketing and behavioral science principles to develop HIV prevention programs for and with local teens. Because evaluation data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest these programs were effective, it is important to draw lessons from this pilot effort that will save time and money for future community-based Prevention Marketing efforts.

The lessons to be learned emerge from the technical assistance providers' experience, a reflective account of “if we knew then what we know now, here's how we could have done things differently.” The lessons themselves center around:

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Seeking out or establishing conditions in the community that are conducive to success; and

Researchers at Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation (CPHRE) were contracted by the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a random sample survey to serve as one component of the evaluation of the Prevention Marketing Initiative (PMI) Local Site Demonstration Project, a community-based HIV prevention program for adolescents. Data were collected from 1,402 adolescents over a 23-month period. A five wave, cross-sectional design was used. A dual sampling strategy combined Random Digit Dialing (RDD) with Listed Household (LHH) samples.

Particular care was devoted to ensuring the rights of teenaged participants. Data were collected anonymously and concerns about confidentiality and privacy informed design and operational decisions. Response rate goals were achieved. Factors that may have contributed to the adequacy of the response rate include the use of advance letters and a toll-free phone line as well as sensitivity to the needs and concerns of the target population, the perceived legitimacy of CDC research and the perseverance of the interviewers.

Studies of the relationship between perceived risk and condom use among young adults show contradictory results. This article examines some reasons why the relationship appears to be inconsistent. One source of inconclusive results within and across studies appears to be the fact that perceived risk is both a “cause” and an “effect” of condom use. Measures of perceived risk rarely specify the context for responding and can therefore be interpreted in varying ways. Implications for both researchers and social marketing practitioners are discussed.

Effective prevention programs are worthy products, but they do not necessarily sell themselves. Social marketing strategies can be used to encourage donors to sustain preventive interventions financially. Viewing potential program funders as the target audience, this paper defines major audience segments, suggests audience research materials, and raises other marketing considerations. Examples of the application of social marketing principles to fundraising are drawn from the experiences gained during the Prevention Marketing Initiative (PMI) Local Site Demonstration Project, as project sites sought ongoing financial support at the end of their federal demonstration funding period.

Individuals from the five sites that participated in the Prevention Marketing Initiative (PMI) Local Site Demonstration Project, an HIV prevention program targeting adolescents, were interviewed in a two-part qualitative case study. This article summarizes lessons learned from 179 community participants on topics ranging from organizing initial planning committees to financially sustaining federal demonstration programs over time. The insights of participants involved in the process may help ensure the success of future Prevention Marketing efforts. Overall, they found the process to be challenging but worthwhile, and felt that the resulting multifaceted HIV prevention programs for young people were successful.