| Course | IHP 510 Marketing, Communications Strategies and Outreach |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | graduate paper on audience research and segmentation |
| Length | About 1,010 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | MS Healthcare Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for IHP 510 Module 2
Who Is Overdue and Why: Audience Research for a Colorectal Cancer Screening Campaign
[Student Name]
Southern New Hampshire University
IHP 510: Marketing, Communications Strategies and Outreach
Module Two Paper
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Who Is Overdue and Why: Audience Research for a Colorectal Cancer Screening Campaign
Lakeview Health System, a composite network of twelve primary care clinics, wants to raise its colorectal cancer screening rate from 58% to 70% among patients aged 45 to 75. About 27,000 patients are overdue. It would be easy to send all of them the same reminder letter. Social marketing suggests a different starting point: understand who these people are, what stands in their way and what might move them. This paper describes the audience research plan, the segments it identified and the implications for the campaign.
Why Research and Segment
Grier and Bryant (2005) describe consumer orientation as the defining feature of social marketing. Rather than assuming what people need to hear, marketers study the audience's beliefs, values, barriers and benefits through formative research, then divide a large population into segments that share characteristics relevant to the behavior. Each segment can then receive an exchange, a set of benefits and reduced costs, that fits it. The authors note that segmentation lets limited budgets focus on groups most likely to respond or most in need, and that it prevents messages from missing everyone by aiming at an average person who does not exist.
Research Methods
The research combines three sources. First, electronic record data describe the overdue population by age, sex, insurance, preferred language, clinic, past screening and number of visits in the past two years. Second, a short survey mailed and texted to a random sample of 1,200 overdue patients, available in English and Spanish, asks about awareness, reasons for not screening and preferred communication channels, with a small gift card for responses. Third, six focus groups of eight to ten participants each explore beliefs and reactions to sample messages, including groups conducted in Spanish and groups for Black men, whom local data show are screened at lower rates.
Designing Research for Health Literacy
In the health literacy evidence pooled by Berkman et al. (2011), lower literacy is associated with less use of preventive services, including cancer screening, as well as poorer understanding of health information. Survey questions were therefore kept to simple sixth-grade wording, tested with five patients and offered by phone for those who prefer not to read. Focus group facilitators used plain language and avoided medical terms such as colonoscopy prep until participants introduced them.
What the Data Showed
Record data showed that overdue patients skew younger, with 38% aged 45 to 54, many newly eligible after guidelines lowered the starting age. Medicaid patients were screened at 44% compared with 64% for commercially insured patients. Spanish-preferring patients were screened at 49%. Black patients were screened at 51%, and Black men at 46%. Nearly one in five overdue patients had not set foot in a Lakeview clinic for two years. Survey responses, from 41% of those sampled, most often cited not knowing they were due, fear of colonoscopy preparation, cost and time off work. Many did not know that a home stool test was an option.
Five Segments
Combining the sources produced five segments. The newly eligible, aged 45 to 49, are mostly unaware they are due and see themselves as too young. Lapsed screeners were screened once but are overdue, often because a reminder never came. Medicaid patients with practical barriers cite transportation, cost fears and difficulty taking time off. Spanish-preferring patients want information in Spanish from trusted sources and prefer text messages. Black men in focus groups described mistrust rooted in past experiences, discomfort with colonoscopy and a preference for hearing from physicians and peers who look like them. Patients without recent visits cut across segments and need outreach outside the clinic.
Table 1. Audience Segments
| Segment | Main barrier | Main motivator | Preferred channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newly eligible (45-49) | Unaware; feel too young | Staying healthy for family | Text, patient portal |
| Lapsed screeners | No reminder | Convenience | Mailed reminder with test kit |
| Medicaid, practical barriers | Transportation, cost fears, time off | Free, at-home option | Mailed kit, phone call |
| Spanish-preferring | Language; information gaps | Family; trusted messengers | Text in Spanish; promotoras |
| Black men | Mistrust; colonoscopy discomfort | Being there for family | Physicians and peers; barbershops |
Note. Segments combine record, survey and focus group findings.
Making Outreach Culturally Appropriate
Kreuter et al. (2003) describe five strategies for cultural appropriateness in health promotion. Peripheral strategies change how materials look, using images and colors familiar to a group. Evidential strategies present data showing the problem's impact on that group. Linguistic strategies provide materials in the audience's language. Constituent-involving strategies draw on staff and messengers from the community. Sociocultural strategies build on the group's values and beliefs. They argued that deeper strategies, involving constituents and addressing values, are more likely to be effective than surface changes alone. For Lakeview, Spanish translation alone would be a linguistic strategy; involving promotoras and framing screening around family would add constituent-involving and sociocultural depth.
Implications for the Campaign
The research suggests the campaign should not rely on one letter. The newly eligible segment needs awareness that screening starts at 45. Lapsed screeners need a reminder paired with an easy option. Medicaid patients need barriers removed, such as a free home test mailed to them. Spanish-preferring patients need Spanish materials delivered by trusted messengers. Black men need respectful engagement through physicians, peers and community settings, with honest acknowledgment of mistrust. All segments benefit from learning that a home stool test is an option.
Limits
Survey respondents may differ from non-respondents, and focus groups capture views from a small number of people. Record data on race and language are sometimes missing. Segments overlap, so some patients fit several. These limits argue for testing messages with each segment before launch.
A small advisory group drawn from each segment will review the findings to confirm that the segments ring true to people inside them.
Conclusion
The 27,000 overdue patients are not one audience but several, each facing different barriers and responding to different messages and messengers. Research and segmentation, grounded in social marketing, cultural appropriateness and health literacy, give the campaign a foundation for reaching each group rather than hoping one message fits all. The next milestone builds a situation analysis on this foundation.
References
Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., & Crotty, K. (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: An updated systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(2), 97-107. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005
Grier, S., & Bryant, C. A. (2005). Social marketing in public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 26, 319-339. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.26.021304.144610
Kreuter, M. W., Lukwago, S. N., Bucholtz, D. C., Clark, E. M., & Sanders-Thompson, V. (2003). Achieving cultural appropriateness in health promotion programs: Targeted and tailored approaches. Health Education & Behavior, 30(2), 133-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198102251021
What the IHP 510 Module 2 instructions ask for
The IHP 510 audience research assignment usually asks you to plan or describe research on a target audience for a health marketing effort and to segment the audience based on findings. Graduate papers commonly run four to six APA 7 pages. Describe research methods that fit your audience, including literacy and language needs, report what the data show and define segments by barriers, motivators and channels rather than demographics alone. Show how cultural appropriateness will shape outreach to each segment and acknowledge the limits of your research. Instructors reward segmentation that leads directly to different strategies for different groups. IHP 510 graders notice clean headings in IHP 510 papers. IHP 510 names and dates need checking before IHP 510 submission.
How this IHP 510 Module 2 audience research paper example is built
This paper segments about 27,000 adults overdue for colorectal cancer screening in a composite health system. Grier and Bryant's emphasis on consumer research and segmentation frames the approach, and records, a bilingual survey and six focus groups provide data. Berkman and colleagues' health literacy review shapes plain-language methods. Screening gaps appear for Medicaid, Spanish-preferring and Black patients, and five segments emerge, each with barriers, motivators and channels in a table. Kreuter and colleagues' cultural appropriateness strategies push beyond translation to trusted messengers and family framing, and the paper names segment-specific directions and research limits. IHP 510 students can reuse this structure for IHP 510 work. IHP 510 claims here trace to cited IHP 510 sources.
Where the IHP 510 Module 2 rubric puts the points
Audience research papers in IHP 510 are commonly judged on appropriate research methods, attention to literacy and language, clear reporting of findings, segmentation based on barriers and motivators, cultural appropriateness, implications for strategy, recognition of limitations, scholarly support and APA 7. Strong papers combine several data sources, define segments that behave differently and show how each will be approached. Papers lose points when segments are purely demographic, when research methods ignore the audience's literacy or when findings do not change the strategy. Moving beyond translation to deeper cultural strategies is often credited. IHP 510 marks favor careful formatting across IHP 510 sections. IHP 510 citations keep every IHP 510 argument credible.
IHP 510 Module 2 help: the mistakes that cost points
In IHP 510, audience research papers often lose points for segments defined only by age or race, for methods that exclude people with limited literacy or English, for missing data and for skipping implications. Another frequent weakness is stereotyping groups instead of reporting what they said. Use several sources, design for literacy, define segments by barriers and channels, apply cultural appropriateness and link findings to strategy. If your campaign targets a different behavior, add it and any data to your IHP 510 notes so the segments fit. IHP 510 drafts start well from a IHP 510 outline. IHP 510 feedback already received guides IHP 510 revisions.
Get IHP 510 Module 2 written to your instructions
Send the IHP 510 audience research prompt and your campaign goal. The paper will plan research suited to the audience's literacy and language, report findings, define segments by barriers and channels and show how outreach will differ for each, within 24 to 48 hours, free the first time. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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IHP 510 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free IHP 510 Module 2 Audience Research Paper sample?
Read the complete paper on this page: five audience segments for a colorectal cancer screening campaign built from records, surveys and focus groups.
What is audience segmentation in health marketing?
Dividing a population into groups that share barriers, motivators and preferred channels so each can receive a fitting message and offer.
What is the difference between targeted and tailored materials?
Targeted materials are designed for a group; tailored materials are adapted to an individual's characteristics, such as their stated barriers.
Why does health literacy matter for audience research?
Low health literacy is linked to lower use of preventive services, so research and materials must be written and delivered accessibly.
Why is translation alone not enough?
Deeper cultural strategies, such as trusted community messengers and framing around shared values, are more likely to work than surface changes.