7.1 Audience Analysis and Segmentation

Turning assessment into communication fit

Area VI of the HESPA II 2020 Eight Areas focuses on communication, and the current handbook weights it at 12% of the CHES exam. Exam items often describe a population, a health issue, and several possible messages or channels. The strongest choice is rarely the flashiest one. It is the option that fits the intended audience and is supported by data.

Use this quick audience-fit check:

• Who must act, decide, support, or influence the behavior?
• What barrier or benefit matters most to that audience?
• Which channel can reach them without creating new access problems?

Start by separating the priority population from the priority audience. The priority population is the group affected by the health issue. The priority audience is the group the message is designed to influence. For example, a program may aim to reduce childhood asthma triggers among children in public housing. Children are part of the priority population, but parents, building managers, school nurses, and tenant leaders may each be a priority audience for different messages.

Segmentation means dividing a broad audience into smaller groups that share relevant traits. CHES-level segmentation should be practical. Useful segments may reflect age, language preference, reading level, cultural identity, readiness to change, perceived risk, trusted messengers, barriers, preferred media, geography, or role in a decision. A segment is worth using when it changes the communication strategy.

Avoid segments that are convenient but not meaningful. Splitting a county campaign by ZIP code may help with outreach logistics, but it does not automatically explain beliefs or barriers. Splitting by age may matter for a vaccination campaign if younger adults have different channels and concerns than older adults. The exam may test whether you choose variables that explain communication needs.

Audience analysis uses both quantitative and qualitative information. Survey data can show which barriers are most common. Focus groups can reveal wording that feels respectful or confusing. Key informant interviews can identify trusted messengers. Clinic data can show who is missing appointments. Social media analytics can show where engagement is happening, but they should not replace direct input from people affected by the issue.

A useful audience profile connects facts to decisions. It may include what the audience already knows, what they misunderstand, what action is being requested, what benefits matter to them, what barriers interfere, who influences them, and how they prefer to receive information. This profile should guide message framing, reading level, language access, visuals, and channel mix.

Be careful with stereotypes. Cultural tailoring should come from community input and credible data, not assumptions. Two people can share a language and still differ in health beliefs, trust, access, or family decision roles. A CHES should use cultural humility, ask questions, involve representatives from the audience, and test materials before broad distribution.

Audience fit also includes access. A text-message reminder may work for people with stable phones and data plans. It may fail for people who share phones, change numbers often, or need information in print. A web video may be engaging, but it is not enough if captions, transcripts, mobile display, or low-bandwidth options are missing.

In scenario questions, look for the sequence. First identify the communication objective. Then define the audience. Then review what is known about literacy, culture, barriers, benefits, and channels. Then draft and test messages. Jumping straight to a brochure, app, or media campaign skips the analysis that makes communication ethical and effective.

For exam prep, practice asking: Whose behavior, decision, or support is needed? What do they need to know or feel able to do? What prevents action? Who do they trust? What channel can reach them without creating new barriers? The answer that best fits these questions is usually the Area VI answer.