Unlocking DBSA's Audience Insights for Targeted Engagement

Our primary objectives were twofold: to gain a data-backed understanding of our audience and to identify specific needs within the Chicago Black Community. Initial KPIs were loosely set, aiming for a diverse respondent pool across various communication channels..

As the Creative Director and Consultant for this initiative, I wore multiple hats to ensure its success. My responsibilities spanned from the initial conceptualization to the final execution and analysis of the survey. I led a cross-functional team that included a writer, a  programs team member, and a grant writer, each bringing specialized knowledge to the table.

• Strategic Planning: Developed the overarching strategy for the survey, aligning it with DBSA's organizational goals and the specific grant targeting the Chicago Black Community.
• Content Creation: Authored the survey questions and designed the marketing materials, ensuring they were both engaging and insightful.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Acted as the liaison between different departments within DBSA, consolidating various viewpoints into a cohesive action plan.
• Data Analysis: Played a pivotal role in interpreting the survey data, which informed DBSA's marketing and engagement strategies for subsequent years (2021-2023).
• Project Management: Working in step with the VP of marketing, I oversaw the timeline, budget, and resource allocation, ensuring the project stayed on track and met its KPIs.

• Survey Monkey for survey creation and data collection
• Adobe Creative Suite for designing marketing materials
• Various CRM and email marketing platforms for audience engagement

Worked closely with a writer for crafting compelling narratives, a programs team member for understanding the end-user's needs, and a grant writer for aligning the survey with future funding opportunities.

By steering this project from a strategic, creative, and managerial standpoint, I helped DBSA gain invaluable insights into their audience, thereby setting the stage for more targeted and effective engagement strategies.

Navigating internal debates and aligning organizational goals were significant challenges. Time constraints and budget limitations further complicated the project, requiring innovative solutions to meet our objectives.

The survey was meticulously planned and executed, involving collaboration with internal teams from various departments. The questions were carefully crafted to yield the most valuable data for both immediate and long-term strategies 

The campaign was a resounding success, with an estimated response rate of approximately 9%. To put this in perspective, the average response rate for email surveys is generally between 1% and 3%. Our higher-than-average response rate indicates a highly engaged audience and underscores the effectiveness of our multi-channel approach. The data collected has been invaluable, not only for internal decision-making but also for grant applications.

The project underscored the critical importance of data in guiding organizational decisions. If given another opportunity, a collaboration with a specialized survey organization could further refine the process.

The survey's insights have led to several actionable items, including the need to diversify communication strategies and focus on specific demographic groups for more targeted engagement.