The history of drug abuse across the United States has been a challenge for decades. Having a population of over three million people and one of the largest cities in the US, Boston was faced with an imminent problem. In 1986, almost one thousand drug trafficking arrests had been made while the Drug Enforcement Agency reported the confiscation of cocaine with a net weight of 80 kilograms (Rangan, 1994). This was not only alarming to the city administration but also, a bleak future for the population. Further, they had confiscated 2.1, 47, and 6.4 million synthetic drugs, tons of marijuana, and kilograms of heroin respectively (Rangan, 1994). As such, an inestimable black market of the illicit trade was taking place in the city. Although the mayor had initiated various programs involving education and anti-drug campaigns, substantial profits from drugs increased the trade hence he changed his tactics. Boston’s policy advisor to mayor Raymond Flynn was given the mandate to create a demarketing strategy against the illegal trade. Neil Sullivan sought help from a four-member research team at the Harvard Business School. This paper highlights the outcome and how the case became successful.
Programs to Curb Drugs in Boston
There were various anti-drug programs introduced in Boston to curb the spread of its use in the city. For instance, in 1986, the police department, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and other federal drug agencies carried out a crackdown and enforcement programs (Rangan, 1994). Further, it was introduced in the school curriculum where students were taught about the dangers of using drugs. In addition, other public agencies supported the efforts by offering counseling, awareness campaigns, and detoxification centers. Furthermore, an alliance against drugs in Boston had contacted Harold Cabot Inc. to carry out a study on Boston teenagers and come up with a specific advert targeting them. After the agency grouped the students and interviewed them, it realized that drugs were everywhere and readily available for the learners. Moreover, the use of celebrities as advocates for the anti-drug campaign did not have an impact on young people.
Major Points and the Outcome of the Case
The case involved undertaking a field study on ways of curtailing drug abuse among school children. Further, the research team comprised four members who came up with a research design and later analyzed the data. In addition, the objective of the assembled team was to create an effective communication strategy with guidelines on appropriate messages and mediums to use in reaching school children. In addition, the mayor had initially informed Sullivan and Zegans of the need to use an integrated and comprehensive approach, and every available method to curb the demand and supply of illicit drugs (Rangan, 1994). Therefore, the appointed group assembled and began by assessing among other issues; the validity of the data, sample size selection, focused group method appropriateness, screening of questionnaires, and essence of a moderator.
Defining the Problem
The immediate problem the team experienced was the sample size and how to get the correct number of participants and the best methodology to use. First, they had to limit the study scope to complete the work within the stipulated timeline of five months. Secondly, select a method that will yield relevant information and meet their budget limitations. Thirdly, choosing appropriate questionnaires and what to do with the obtained data (Rangan, 1994). To realize the aforementioned results, they considered several methodologies to use in the study. As such, a quantitative survey could take two months to implement, and the response rates ranged from 5 to 20 percent and it was ruled out. Individual interviews in a one-on-one were evaluated where trained counselors could target users and interview them with the reports being dependent on interpretation hence it was cumbersome to use. However, Quantitative surveys especially Focused Group Discussions (FGD) were seen as the main option where participants could discuss their behavior and attitude toward drugs with the aid of a moderator (Rangan, 1994). This could act as bases for brainstorming while providing insights and ideas to researchers as their discussions could be taped for later use and interpretation by experts.
Segmentation
The populations were divided into two main age groups to establish and keep a record of their stages of drug abuse. The first category consisted of school children between the ages of ten and thirteen years who represented experimental users while the second group comprised of regular users who were school students from 14 to 18 years. Furthermore, they considered young adults to get more information on drug dependence from an outsider’s point of view. However, the challenge to their sample was likely to result from few drug users attending community schools, yet, if they used a market research firm, bias could result.
Screening and Protocol
After rigorous editing, they disguised their questions so that the respondents could answer objectively. Researchers provided $12 as an incentive for the participants and the use of single-sex groups during group discussions (Rangan, 1994). Conversely, they encountered a problem with volunteers who could not read and understand the questionnaires. On the other hand, they had a well-planned protocol although the moderator could have initiated a formal procedure during the interviewing of respondents where one person spoke at a given time (Rangan, 1994). Further, targeted areas such as Mission Hill, Roxbury, Dorchester, and Charlestown provided the required information as they were representative of the city’s socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics.
Results of the Study
After the focus group data was collected, it was transcribed and summarized into fourteen topics under community programs and adverts. Further, the researchers analyzed all statements and realized that the young people rarely remembered drug statistics and they resented being told what to do since they did the opposite. In addition, the family had an important role to play in the fight against illicit drugs because young children looked at older relatives as their role models. Further, the elderly kin can convince the young relatives not to engage in drugs (Rangan, 1994). However, the group was surprised by the importance of a family to adult respondents who confided in them about the essence of the households.
In conclusion, the case was successful as the researchers realized from the study the important approaches to use in curbing the menace. For instance, the realization that a family played a major role not only in cautioning school children against drugs but also since young kids looked upon their elders as role models. Further, they realized that early advert methods were wrong because they instructed the young people on what to do rather than presenting strategies for behavior change. Lastly, the availability of funds from the mayor, early research done, and work by other agencies gave the group a basis to start their study and as such, it made the eventual case successful.
References
Rangan, K. V. (1994). Boston fights drugs (A): Designing communications research. Harvard Business School. Web.