Social Research Market Research

The DJS Research team includes a number of researchers who are specialists in social research and social market research. As an agency, we have carried out numerous projects to develop and test interventions and policies, communications materials and social marketing campaigns for a range of organisations across the public and private sectors – in particular the public health sector:

• Many of our social market research projects are working direct with NHS Trust communications and commissioning teams.
• We have also worked on national consultations to inform communications strategies and policy for organisations such as the General Dental Council.
• Social research in to the link between reading habits and socio-economic status on behalf of Booktrust
• We have also carried out social marketing research in partnership with marketing and advertising agencies such as McCann Erickson.

In addition to the above, we have also undertaken flagship social market research projects on two separate occasions:

• A project to evaluate a ground-breaking Department of Health ‘self-help’ campaign to reduce alcohol consumption amongst ‘at risk’ groups. This involved quantitative (telephone and self-completion) surveys and qualitative ‘case study’ interviews with recipients of an alcohol self-help leaflet. We produced a report which evaluated the initiative and provided learning and recommendations to commissioners to inform future campaigns.

• Research to inform the development of a flagship Beacon Partnership Project in the East Midlands. The Beacon Partnership Projects were established by the NSMC and the Department for Health. The purpose of the projects was to demonstrate and showcase best practice in partnership working for social marketing, in order to improve public health outcomes. This project aimed to change the behaviour of those who supply takeaway food to consumers such as cooks, food preparers and takeaway owners in a bid to provide healthier food options for consumers.

Other social market research campaigns that we have tested cover a wide range of behaviour change issues such as:

• Smoking cessation;
• Cancer prevention and early intervention;
• Alcohol use;
• Healthy lifestyle (exercise, diet etc.);
• Healthcare behaviours e.g. visiting the dentist, registering with a GP;
• Teenage Pregnancy.

Our team also has experience of carrying out social market research examining sensitive healthcare issues such as sexual health, drug and alcohol use, literacy and education, sport, lifestyle and health issues and impacts.

We regularly work with a number of cancer networks to understand public perceptions towards cancer and benchmark and track awareness of cancer symptoms over time. This has included a face to face piece of research with almost 4,000 respondents living in rural East Anglia, as well as pre- and post-campaign testing in the North Trent region.

In addition, our work with the General Dental Council has recently covered a review of public knowledge of dental specialties and how these are regulated. A copy of this report is available in the public domain and can be viewed here.