Benefit-based audience segmentation: A tool for identifying nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owner education needs

Abstract

Providing relevant forestry education and assistance to nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners is necessary to encourage informed decisionmaking on these lands. To be accepted and implemented on a wide scale, forestry outreach efforts must take into account the diversity of goals that NIPF owners have for their land. Benefit-based audience segmentation techniques (an be a valuable method of identifying meaningful subgroups of landowners who desire similar outcomes from their forest property and who will respond to similar communication strategies. For this study, we surveyed and interviewed Utah NIPF owners in three counties and identified three audience segments: amenity-focused landowners, multiple-benefit landowners, and passive landowners. After comparing the demographics, forestland characteristics, attitudes toward forest management, and learning preferences of these three audience segments, we discuss specific approaches for reaching them with forestry information.