A typology of middle school girls: audience segmentation related to physical activity

Abstract

The Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) combines social ecological and social marketing approaches to promote girls' participation in physical activity programs implemented at 18 middle schools throughout the United States. Key to the TAAG approach is targeting materials to a variety of audience segments. TAAG segments are individuals who share one or more common characteristic that is expected to correlate with physical activity. Thirteen focus groups with seventh and eighth grade girls were conducted to identify and characterize segments. Potential messages and channels of communication were discussed for each segment. Based on participant responses, six primary segments were identified: athletic, preppy, quiet, rebel, smart, and tough. The focus group information was used to develop targeted promotional tools to appeal to a diversity of girls. Using audience segmentation for targeting persuasive communication is potentially useful for intervention programs but may be sensitive; therefore, ethical issues must be critically examined.

Figures

Figure 1

Overview of different types of girls in the unedited language of seventh and eighth grade girls. NOTE: Dash designates that some of the types of girls that were mentioned could fall into more than one group. For example, nerds were considered smart, but they can also be quiet girls or outcasts at schools. Likewise, athletic girls were also considered the popular girls at schools. At the Louisiana site, the cheerleaders and majorettes are also considered tough girls because they “don’t act ladylike.… They lift up their skirts [cheerleading].” Size of the circle reflects number of different names given to the segment and does not reflect the number of girls or frequency of mention. In the box on the side of the figure are other types of girls that were named during the focus group discussions. However, they were considered a small (not main) group of girls, or they were only discussed briefly.

Figure 2

Examples of Real Girl flyers primarily targeting (a) tough girls, (b) smart girls, (c) preppy girls, and (d) quiet girls.