Example:

1. Initiative/Organization (the term organization will be used throughout to refer to either an initiative or an established organization)

 Name of Organization:  ______________________________  Date:  ______________

Name of Person(s) Being Interviewed:  ______________________________________

Contact Information:  ____________________________________________________

1. What is the mission of the organization?  Has the mission changed over the lifespan of the organization? When was it started?  By whom?  
2. Describe the services your organization performs.
3. Where does the organization’s funding come from?  Has it kept up with inflation and the cost of living?  How reliable has it been over the years?
4. Does your organization raise funds on its own?  If so, who do you appeal to?  Describe your fund raising campaign. (Ask for copies of fund raising materials)

2.  Personnel

1. How many people are employed?  What duties do they perform?  What is their average length of employment with the organization?
2. How do people communicate with each other within the organization?  How does the leadership communicate with employees?

3. (read this to the interviewee) Social Marketing…is defined as seeking to influence social behaviors not to benefit the marketer, but to benefit the target audience and general society. From a social marketing point of view… people must first perceive that they have a genuine problem, and that the service you offer them is a good solution for that problem.

1. Describe the type and number of clientele your organization serves.
2. Have you ever asked your target clientele what they perceive as the problem that your organization offers a good solution to?  Explain.
3. What must the clientele do in order to receive your organization’s services?  What charges, if any, are there?  Is there a fee structure?  Have you ever asked your clientele about pricing?
4. What does your clientele have to give up (e.g., time, effort, risk of embarrassment or disapproval) in order to receive your services?  
5. Where does your clientele have to go to receive your organization’s services?  
6. How do your clientele learn about your services?  What information channels/vehicles (e.g., public service announcements, advertising, public relations, promotions, media advocacy, personal selling and entertainment) do you use to reach your clientele?  How do you determine accessibility and the quality of service delivery?
7. How do you create and sustain demand for your services?  
8. (read this to your interviewee)  Most organizations have two different types of audiences that must be addressed in order to be successful:  external audiences – those outside the organization that are involved with your work; and internal audiences – those involved with program implementation or approval.
1. Examples of external audiences would be: target clientele, secondary audiences, policymakers (defined as people or groups who influence policy decisions that affect your organization), and gatekeepers (those who control the purse-strings and/or make policy decisions affecting your organization).  Who would you include in your organization’s list of external audiences?
2.  Internal audiences include those involved with either approval (e. g., governing boards) or implementation of your program (e. g., employees, volunteers).   Who would you include in your list of internal audiences?
9. What community organizations have similar missions/goals.  Do you work with any other organizations in the community?
10. Describe the political environment (e. g., supportive, hostile, indifferent) in which your mission is carried out?  What do you do to affect the political environment to create a more friendly environment for your organization’s mission?
11. What sort of reporting do you do to your funding agencies?  How do you advocate for more funding?

4. Problems/Products

1. What would you say are the biggest problems facing your organization today?
2. Do you think improved communication (with both internal and/or external audiences) could help improve or solve these problems?
3. Do you think improved “social marketing” of your organization could help with these problems?
4. What social marketing project that we could develop this semester, would be useful for your organization?

5. What would you like to know from your clientele (customers) that would help your organization to carry out its mission?  What questions would you like answered by your clientele?  What questions should we ask your clientele to help us develop our social marketing project?

Last modified January 25 2011 02:26 PM