Case Study
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute’s (OFRI) mission is to increase public understanding of Oregon’s forest practices and laws by providing forest education programs and materials for the general public, K-12 students and teachers, and forest landowners. To be effective, their programming and campaigns need to be strategically driven, and the insights that DHM derives from our research play an instrumental role in bringing their educational programming to life.
DHM collaborates with OFRI through the full lifecycle of their public education campaigns, from early creative development to post-launch evaluation. Before any ads go live, DHM conducts concept testing to identify which messages, visuals, and themes are resonating most with Oregonians. This includes gauging reaction to imagery, assessing clarity of key messages, and understanding which concepts best communicate forest sustainability, biodiversity, and the role of replanting. Once campaigns are launched, DHM follows up with statewide surveys to measure ad recall, message comprehension, and shifts in public knowledge. These evaluations help OFRI understand how well their campaigns are performing across different platforms and demographic groups, and where future outreach can be refreshed, revamped, and refined.
Results have consistently shown that OFRI’s research-driven campaigns improve understanding of forest management and replanting practices, especially among newer residents and younger Oregonians. By combining early creative testing with post-campaign impact analysis, DHM helps OFRI build campaigns that are not only memorable, but also meaningful to the community they are meant to help.
Partnering with social impact firm DH, DHM helped shape a statewide mental health advertising campaign for Washington adults 55+ by using survey and focus group insights to ensure the final creative concept reflected the voices of those it aimed to help.