The Influence of Organizational Characteristics and Campaign Design Elements on Communication Campaign Quality: Evidence from 91 Ugandan AIDS Campaigns

Abstract

This research proposes and tests a model of the relationship between organizational factors, campaign design elements, and campaign quality of communication campaigns. It is the first quantitative study to test these relationships across many organizations. The context for the study was AIDS education and outreach campaigns in Uganda, during a time of successful decrease in the spread of HIV infection. Ninety-one organizations were surveyed. Since only 14% of the organizations collected exposure or outcome data, the study focused on the factors affecting campaign quality. Quality was examined by measuring goal specificity, execution quality, and message quality. The results show that financial resources, professional training, participation of outreach workers in planning the campaign, and audience participation in planning and executing the campaign were key organizational variables affecting the quality of the campaigns. The important campaign design elements affecting campaign quality were conducting research, using multiple channels, targeting only a few groups, and pretesting messages. The results have import for campaign planners, managers of organizations conducting campaigns, and funders. In addition, it is vital that organizations collect exposure and outcome data in the future to provide feedback on each campaign.

Impact of a behaviour change intervention on long-lasting insecticidal net care and repair behaviour and net condition in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

“…Radio has been shown to be a cost-effective way of changing behaviour, as it reaches many more people than community activities [ 22 ]. Nonetheless, the data also support the central tenet of BCC strategy design that the reinforcing properties of using multiple channels are more effective than using a single channel [ 23 , 24 ].…”

“Research participants want to feel they are better off than they were before research was introduced to them”: engaging cameroonian rural plantation populations in HIV research

“…The importance of community participation in HIV research has been demonstrated across different settings and is considered “good participatory practice” by UNAIDS [20]. Working in Uganda, Kiwanuka-Tondo and Synder [21] found that organizational characteristics and quality of community engagement had a great impact on peoples’ willingness to participate. Manson and colleagues [22] found that cultural values necessary for performing research with indigenous populations revolved around “trust, respect, self-determination, mutuality of interest, perspective taking, full participation, reciprocity, collective benefit and long-term commitment” (p. 73 S).…”

Center for Disease Control’s Diethylstilbestrol Update: A Case for Effective Operationalization of Messaging in Social Marketing Practice

“…Second, the posters used in the breastfeeding campaign did not pay adequate attention to finer aspects of messaging like self-efficacy of the messages, which increases persuasion (Witte, Meyer, & Martell, 2001). Third, lack of a multipronged message dissemination strategy (Kiwanuka-Tondo & Snyder, 2002) could have adversely affected exposure and impact. Clearly, success of a social marketing campaign depends on how well one of its central components (i.e., messaging) is operationalized.…”

“…Our vision for centralizing the messaging process ( Figure 1, Phase 2) incorporates Murray-Johnson and Witte's (2003) message design components along with consideration of organizational and cultural factors (Airhihenbuwa, 1995;Airhihenbuwa & Obregon, 2000;Kiwanuka-Tondo & Snyder, 2002). Murray-Johnson and Witte mandated three components be considered when designing health campaign messages: stimuli, motivational cues, and appraisals of the environment and resources.…”

“…(Murray-Johnson & Witte, 2003, p. 481) In conjunction with stimuli, motivational cues, and appraisals of the environment, organizational factors should influence the messaging process. Kiwanuka-Tondo and Snyder (2002) argue that message factors influenced by organizational input include reach, execution quality, and message quality. Reach ensures exposure of the audience to the message (Flay & Sobel, 1983), and execution quality refers to the extent to which an intervention helps its audience comprehend and remember campaign messages.…”