The Insights Center features ideas, tools and resources on applying behavioral science to causes worth caring about. It includes the tools and thinking developed over nearly two decades of building behavior change campaigns and products. We hope they help you and your cause with the art and science of using behavior to spark real change.
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Leveraging Targeted Emotional Benefits To Fill Early Learning Jobs
Early learning is critical for baby brain development, but a dearth of qualified teachers means available child care spots can’t be filled. In a competitive job market, Marketing for Change helped attract new candidates by identifying untapped audience segments and offering emotional benefits tailored to their wants and needs.
The Challenge. Eighty percent of a baby’s brain develops during their first 3 years, and babies who experience quality early learning get a lifetime leg up. But a post-pandemic push to fill teaching jobs in Southwest Florida was lagging in a tight labor market, leaving child care seats empty and parents unable to work.
Our Approach. Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation tapped M4C to identify new segments of potential recruits as part of a broader effort to support baby brain development. Using secondary data and qualitative research with potential audiences, we honed in on three key segments: “adjacent” workers earning similar hourly wages in retail and hospitality jobs, stay-at-home moms returning to work, and active retirees.
Behavioral Insights. Although Barancik partners such as the YMCA offered a competitive wage and robust employee benefits package, that wasn’t enough to get people in the door. Through our research, we identified emotional benefits for each segment. For moms, that included working down the hall from their baby’s classroom. Adjacent workers liked the regular hours, with weekends and holidays off. And active retirees were interested in staying socially connected and giving back to the community.
We also designed a campaign brand to build self-efficacy and address a key barrier identified in research: concerns about required qualifications. You Can Teach! underscores that you don’t need to have a teaching degree or even a college education. You just need to be good with kids and willing to train on the job.
Results. A small media buy delivered more than 1.29 million impressions and nearly 10,000 website visits. Most importantly, the YMCA filled their open positions, achieving our campaign goal. The successful effort also sparked the formation of an early learning recruiting collaborative, which continues to fill childcare teaching slots across the region.
