Boston Fights Drugs

Boston is being threatened by the increasing use of drug. The number of arrests related to drugs is continuously on the rise. It also implies a huge inestimable underground ‘black market' of drugs running through the city. Boston's Mayor Raymond Flynn is looking to take the drug problem head-on. He enforced various ‘anti-drug' and ‘drug-education' programmes but quick and substantial profits were increasing drug-trafficking and attracting illegal drug dealers. This time Mayors policy advisor Neil Sullivan and Marc Zegan initiated a research program to create a plan to ‘de-market' the drug in Boston. Harvard Business School's four member field study group came up with a research design and analysis.

Problem Definition:

The mayor wants to determine what message the city should send to its young people and how it should be packaged and through what delivery channels it should be communication.

Objectives of Market Research

The basic objective of the market research is to obtain guidelines on designing an effective communication message. This would be through following sub-objectives: 1) Understanding their motivation for drug use 2) who influences their behaviour 3) which advertisement influences them.

Let us now evaluate their approach and findings.

Analysis of focus group summaries:-

1) Dorchester Boys & Roxbury Boys (Exhibit 6):- Kids are aware of drug problem. They listen to the family member's opinions about drugs. Educational programs are effective and have a good recall. The focus group however should have been moderated properly and only one person should have been allowed to speak at one time.

2) Charlestown Girls (Exhibit 7):- Nonusers neglect and avoid people who use drugs and try to stay from them. Movie stars are not considered credible by them, instead they relate with kids in a realistic commercial which is not far-fetched. Community programs could give the needed diversion to drug use.

3) Mission Hill Boys (Exhibit 8):- Drug users should take up some activity. They consider