Volume 03 | March 15, 2019
Calculating Target Population and Demographics for Media Campaigns

We've received a number of questions about how to calculate and enter the unduplicated target population and demographics for media campaign messages. Here is some information we hope will help.

Media Campaigns are publicized message(s) to educate people on specific topics, with an overall goal or purpose, and are aimed to a particular target population. Sometimes those in media call the target population the " reach " of your campaign. PBPS refers to this as " Target Participants ". These three terms are interchangeable. The target population/participants/reach consists of the total unduplicated number of people that are estimated to see your campaign message.
 
What to enter into PBPS?

In PBPS, in the field called "Target Participants," enter the unduplicated count of the target population/reach of your campaign. We understand that it is difficult to have exact counts and demographic data for most campaigns, so we ask you to rely on estimates. Estimates may be arrived at by using the Downloadable Demographics Calculator or they may be provided by a media company.

Here are some common examples:

  • Billboards, print, or radio/TV ads or PSAs: A marketing company, publication, or station can typically provide you with an unduplicated number of people who will likely see the message, i.e. the reach. Otherwise, estimate this based on the locality of where your message is displayed.

  • Social media campaigns and websites: Use the reach available to you from the social media platform reporting capabilities or website analytics. Again, avoid duplicating the count. 

For some media campaign formats in PBPS, there is an optional field where you may enter the number of impressions if desired. If you have any confusion as to what to enter where, please reach out to OMNISupport@omni.org before entering the activity. 

As a reminder, the Downloadable Demographics Calculator is a tool to help you refine your target population total into sub-categories for each demographic category: gender, age, race, and ethnicity. You can also filter out sub-categories from your calculation if particular groups were not targeted by your campaign (e.g., youth or senior age ranges). OMNI's FAQs and TA Tips on Calculating Demographic Data provides helpful scenarios and more detailed instructions. If you have questions at any time, please reach out to the OMNI TA Team!
News you can use...
What strategy should I choose for my Prescription Drug Lock Box distribution campaign(s)?

CSBs may create a campaign in the Plan Channel to track the distribution of lock boxes either under the Lock and Talk strategy or under the Prescription Drug Lock Boxes strategy.

What is the difference?

The Lock and Talk strategy is based on the distribution of lock boxes under your suicide prevention Lock and Talk efforts. For example, distribution at a suicide prevention awareness event or at a Lock and Talk presentation.

The Prescription Drug Lock Boxes strategy is based on the distribution of lock boxes outside of Lock and Talk efforts. For example, distribution at a health fair that does not solely focus on suicide prevention or distribution through a community partner.

What if we are doing both?

You would create two separate campaigns in the Plan Channel to reflect the different purposes of distribution. This means choosing the Lock and Talk strategy for one campaign, and Prescription Drug Lock Boxes for another campaign. Then, enter the activities under the appropriate campaign in the Implement Channel.

For more information, please review the Prescription Drug Lock Box Decision Tree, here .
Bright ideas to make your job easier...
  • Avoid entering demographics as Unknown; this will result in your activity being rejected by OMNI, and will create extra work for staff to revise the rejected activities. Instead, fill in the demographics completely by using the downloadable demographic calculator. 

  • Use the Rejected Activities report in the Evaluate Channel to get a comprehensive list of all your rejected activities and the reasons they were rejected. Learn more by clicking here

  • Use the OMNI provided sign-in sheets to capture required demographics. Find them on the Virginia Prevention Works portal.

  • Regularly record activities, rather than entering once a quarter or once a year. This will ensure there is time to make corrections.
Timelines and Important Dates
  • Spring 2019: TA Training Webinar on Data Visualization. Date to be determined.