Reducing Response Burden in the American Community Survey Proceedings of a Workshop (2016) / Chapter Skim
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3 Improving Response by Building Respondent Support
3 Improving Response by Building Respondent Support
Pages 13-38
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From page 13... ...
MAIL CONTACT STRATEGY AND RESEARCH Elizabeth Poehler (Census Bureau) focused on the current ACS mailing strategy and recently conducted Census Bureau research on the topic.
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The Census Bureau, in an attempt to address these respondent concerns while maintaining data quality at an efficient cost, has conducted research on ways to improve the mail materials and messaging to encourage selfresponse. This research has focused on addressing respondent burden, improving self-response rates through streamlined materials, and addressing respondent concerns about the prominent nature of mandatory messages on the mail materials.
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The next two tests focused on ways to soften mandatory messages by changing the visual design of the materials and explaining the benefits of participation. Finally, the "Why We Ask" Insert Test provided respondents with more information about why the ACS asked the questions it does.
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A reminder letter that highlighted the 10-digit user ID and included mandatory language increased total self-response return rates prior to starting CATI by 3.8 percentage points, while using a reminder letter but eliminating the prenotice letter and sending the initial mailing earlier increased total self-response return rates prior to CATI by a similar 3.5 percentage points. Finally, the tests found that sending an additional reminder postcard to addresses in CATI increased self-response return rates, but this was not translated into a noticeable change in the CATI response rates.
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The first "revised design" had a redesigned look and feel TABLE 3-1 Summer Mandatory Messaging Test Treatments Test Treatment Strategy Control • change in materials No Softened Control • Mandatory messages removed from initial letter, mail package letter, postcards, and envelopes • Mandatory messages kept in FAQ brochure, reminder letter, instruction guide Revised Design • Redesigned envelopes, use of bold lettering, highlighted boxes, "Open Immediately" • Strong mandatory language Softened Revised Design • Revised design used • Mandatory messages removed from postcards and envelopes • Mandatory messages softened in letters (plain text) Minimal Revised Design • Revised design used • Mandatory messages removed in all materials except initial letter • Mandatory messages in initial letter on back of page, in small font SOURCE: Elizabeth Poehler presentation at the Workshop on Respondent Burden in the American Community Survey, March 8, 2016.
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From page 18... ...
The revised design letter adds the Census Bureau logo, uses bulleted lists, enhances the Website address by putting a box around it, uses bold lettering, and adds text to appeal to the respondent's sense of community. The softened revised design letter is nearly identical to the revised design except the sentence about the mandatory nature of the survey is not Control Initial Envelope FIGURE 3-1 Control initial envelope with bold mandatory messaging.
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Another version removes the mandatory sentence. Overall, the results from this test indicated that reducing the frequency and visibility of mandatory messages reduces response rates.
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A second initiative would explore findings from social and behavioral sciences to incorporate into the mail materials and the messages used to encourage people to self-respond. IMPROVING RESPONSE TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY Donald Dillman (Washington State University)
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From page 21... ...
SOURCE: Don Dillman presentation at the Workshop on Respondent Burden in the American Community Survey, March 8, 2016. Available: http://sites. nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_173168.pdf [September 2016]
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He would modify the envelope to refer to a "U.S. Census Form" rather than "The American Community Survey," he said, because the U.S.
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introduced his remarks by stating that the relationship between survey design and survey burden is complex. On the one hand, response burden is not a well-defined concept.
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combine data from the separate o design phases (monthly sample releases) into a single estimator.
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Another key feature of the responsive design framework is the focus on an evaluation of the survey errors, not just the burden. Evaluating the error properties of the survey estimates may result in a limited concern for nonresponse because, within subgroups, there may be greater concern for measurement error.
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. In summary, Peytchev observed the ACS is already one of the most innovative survey designs among the major federal surveys in that it has production sample replicates for experimentation, a formal multiphase design with multiple modes, and double sampling of nonresponse.
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In her view, it would be better to eliminate this brochure to have a consistent message. COMMUNICATING THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY'S VALUE TO RESPONDENTS Andrew Reamer (George Washington University)
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Lastly, Reamer suggested a test in which the Census Bureau recreates its decennial census partnership in a few communities in the near future in order to let respondents know they can call someone in their neighborhood to affirm the legitimacy of the ACS and to explain the value of filling out the questionnaire. He observed that this would be a relatively low-cost initiative.
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From page 29... ...
A participant asked about the relationship of respondent burden to the device on which respondents respond to the survey, inquiring if the ACS Internet instrument is optimized for completion on a mobile device. Lowerincome individuals are more likely to access the Internet via a mobile device rather than through a desktop or laptop computer and a high-speed Internet connection at home.
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Reamer commented on the tension between research findings that show an increased response rate when the mandatory response is emphasized and the program to test softening the mandatory message. He said the Census Bureau had to test softening the message for political reasons.
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Other types of organizations have used branding and capitalized on its tenets to make their communications more effective. She said branding is germane to the ACS as a tool to a meliorate respondent burden.
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Bauman discussed how ACS participation could be reframed to overcome obstacles in the current context that include government distrust, concerns about privacy, and lack of awareness of the survey. She recommended that the Census Bureau assess the branding campaign and communication strategy employed in the 2010 decennial census program.
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From page 33... ...
Message: However, the entire country benefits from the wealth of information provided from this survey of over 11 billion estimates each year for more than 40 topics covering social, demographic, housing, and economic variables. Terhanian's comment: He challenged using the word "however." He suggested the positive message is that the entire country benefits through the participation of the 3.5 million lottery winners, the lucky ones others trust, depend on, and even envy.
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As part of its decision-making process for selecting markets and communities, Nielsen annually conducts a brand awareness survey that measures how consumers perceive the Nielsen brand. The survey probes familiarity with the brand and the likelihood of participating on a panel if asked.
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Within the African American advertising campaign, for example, Nielsen found it effective to target high-traffic cinemas where African American consumers tend to watch movies and presented short, digital clips in cinema advertising. In contrast, for the Asian American community, which is oriented to ethnic print media, Nielsen created advertorials -- essentially information that the community would want to know about what they are buying and how they are watching television.
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Successful Nielsen vignettes include heritage month videos for each of the diverse communities showcasing the fact that Nielsen knows and is powered by the consumers. DISCUSSION In the question period after this panel, one participant asked about targeting brand communication to specific audiences in addition to the general public, such as ACS employees who should be messengers of the value of the ACS.
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Lo and Terhanian concurred the ACS should capitalize from the efficacies, goodwill, familiarity, and awareness of the Census brand. Terhanian added that building brand awareness is incredibly expensive.
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