Employee News

14 Jan

Posted at 18:50h in Employee News, Health, Publications, Research

Fluent Research’s Founder & President Nellie Gregorian and Executive Director William Sandy have collaborated with Critica on an article published this week in the Frontiers in Public Health Journal.

Titled, “Implications of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Results of Online Bulletin Board Interviews,” the article details the results from focus groups, or “bulletin boards,” carried out to discover the nature of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its implications.

The article was also written by Jack M. Gorman and Sara E. Gorman from Critica Inc, and David A. Scales, M.D., Ph.D. from the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

You can read an excerpt below or check out the full article here.

Introduction:

The introduction of safe and effective vaccines that protect against the virus that causes COVID-19 has the potential to bring the pandemic under control. Unfortunately, a substantial minority of Americans are either hesitant to be vaccinated or say they will absolutely not receive one of the vaccines under any circumstances (1). Vaccine hesitancy and refusal threaten the ability to establish community (also called “herd”) immunity and therefore pose a significant risk to the public’s health (2).

Vaccine hesitancy and refusal are complex phenomena involving multiple themes and narratives (3–5). These phenomena vary by ethnic and racial groups, geographic areas, political affiliations, and a host of other demographic and cultural factors (6–12). Vaccine hesitancy and refusal have been fueled in part by misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 that has been spread throughout traditional and social media (13–15). Misinformation about vaccines is particularly difficult to dislodge (15–17).

While survey data have provided important information about the reasons for vaccine hesitancy, direct interviews and focus groups offer the potential to reveal more nuanced factors and to place vaccine hesitancy within a larger socio-ecological context. Among the reasons cited for vaccine hesitancy in one recent focus group study are concerns with the rapid development of the vaccine and fears about long-term adverse side effects (18). The same research group found that Black focus group participants also cited mistrust of the healthcare system and racial injustice as reasons for vaccine hesitancy (18).

In the present work we conducted online focus groups, or bulletin boards, in an attempt to probe more deeply into why people are skeptical about COVID-19 vaccines. Efforts to persuade people to accept vaccination are more successful among those who are hesitant to be vaccinated but not yet fully decided against vaccination (19). One recent study did find that people who were “strongly hesitant” about vaccinations against COVID-19 could be persuaded by messages that “highlighted the personal benefits of vaccinations or directly addressed speed of developmental concerns” (20). We used an initial screener to select participants who were hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine but not yet firmly decided for or against having one. Our analysis of the results was influenced by the social ecological model (21). The information gleaned from these interviews revealed several themes that we believe are important not only to understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal but also to larger issues facing the U.S. healthcare system.

10 Jan

Posted at 17:48h in Employee News

January 10, 2022 (New York, NY) – Fluent Research, a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm, announced today that Sofia Polo has been promoted to Senior Research Strategist. In this role, Sofia will oversee a wide range of global research studies, informing the development of products and programs that benefit children, youth, and families.

“Sofia has been an invaluable asset to our team, and her promotion acknowledges her contribution to our success and continuing growth,” said Nellie Gregorian, Founder and President of Fluent Research. “After her exceptional work on topics ranging from early childhood education to mental health and emotional well-being of children and teens to technology innovations, Sofia is well poised to effectively work with our leadership on shaping our research agenda in a rapidly changing environment.”

Sofia joined Fluent Research in April 2019 in the role of Research Strategist. She has a strong interest in leveraging research to promote education, health and mental health of children, youth, and families. A native Spanish speaker, Sofia is committed to amplifying the voices of the Latinx communities and advocating an equitable approach to research practices.

Prior to joining Fluent, Sofia worked as a health research training consultant at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Environmental Policy from Occidental College, and her Master of Public Health in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

About Fluent Research
Fluent Research is a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm. Since 2006 Fluent has leveraged understanding of human behavior to help the world’s best-known brands and organizations advance worthy causes, innovate transformational products, and successfully navigate change. Fluent’s work centers around three practice areas: thought leadership research, formative research and evaluation, and social impact assessment. Fluent has applied rigorous and innovative research solutions in service of promoting children’s access to and quality of education, and gender equality in the U.S. and in over 70 countries around the world. Fluent’s creative arm, Fluent Productions, is an award-winning producer of original documentary content that harnesses the power of visual storytelling to bring attention to important issues facing our society, to build empathy and inspire action.

Contact: Stefanie Cousins
[email protected]

 

30 Nov

Posted at 22:55h in Employee News

December 1, 2022 (New York, NY) – Fluent Research, a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm, announced today that Stefanie Cousins, M.P.H. has joined the company in the role of Vice President, Marketing and Communications. In this role Stefanie will lead content marketing and storytelling initiatives, leveraging Fluent original research.

“With more than two decades of experience in marketing and communications focused mainly on media, education, and health, Stefanie will bring leadership, knowledge, and know-how to our company’s marketing efforts,” — said Nellie Gregorian, President and Founder of Fluent Research. “As a former journalist and a seasoned results-driven leader in marketing, Stefanie brings a unique blend of intellectual rigor and creativity that will help Fluent develop more original content and expand the company’s reach.”

Most recently, Stefanie served for more than five years as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit organization that provides fresh produce and nutrition education to families living in under-resourced communities. In that role, she implemented innovative, data-driven marketing and fundraising campaigns that propelled the company’s exponential growth.

Before embarking on her marketing and communications career, Stefanie was an award-winning news and documentary producer, working with Barbara Walters at ABC News 20/20, investigating stories for NOW with Bill Moyers, and reporting on health and science issues for NYTimes Television.

For several years, Stefanie worked with numerous health and education-focused organizations to elevate and advance their use of storytelling. Her clients included nationally recognized leaders in the field, such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, WebMD, John Snow, Inc, and Baylor College of Medicine.

Stefanie holds an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and a B.A. in English and Italian from Middlebury College. She lives in Austin with her husband and two children.

About Fluent Research
Fluent Research is a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm. Since 2006 Fluent has leveraged understanding of human behavior to help the world’s best-known brands and organizations advance worthy causes, innovate transformational products, and successfully navigate change. Fluent’s work centers around three practice areas: thought leadership research, formative research and evaluation, and social impact assessment. Fluent has applied rigorous and innovative research solutions in service of promoting children’s access to and quality of education, and gender equality in the U.S. and in over 70 countries around the world. Fluent’s creative arm, Fluent Productions, is an award-winning producer of original documentary content that harnesses the power of visual storytelling to bring attention to important issues facing our society, to build empathy and inspire action.

Contact: Ruth Aravena
[email protected]

01 Sep

Posted at 02:30h in Employee News, Research

September 1, 2021 (New York, NY) – Fluent Research, a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm, announced today that Allison Gilman Caplovitz, Ph.D has joined the company in the role of Director, Content Research and Evaluation. In this role, Dr. Caplovitz will oversee Fluent’s extensive media, technology, and education research on a global basis, helping the organization deliver on its mission of advancing children’s and families’ health, wellbeing, and education. She will report to Nellie Gregorian, President of Fluent Research.

“For over a decade, Fluent Research has had the privilege of collaborating with some of the best-known brands in media, technology, and education in developing age-appropriate and stimulating products and programs. We couldn’t have asked for a more experienced and talented researcher than Allison Caplovitz to lead our content research and evaluation practice,” – said Gregorian. “After her exceptional work on groundbreaking children’s media properties, Allison is uniquely qualified to provide guidance and support to content and curriculum developers in creating age-appropriate, educational and engaging products and experiences.”

Dr. Caplovitz joined Fluent Research after a distinguished career in children’s media and education. Dr. Caplovitz was instrumental to the success of an iconic children’s media property, Blue’s Clues, in her role as the Manager of Research and Development for Nickelodeon. She also served as a consultant to Fisher-Price where she assessed the efficacy of an interactive literacy product called the Power Touch. Dr. Caplovitz has authored 17 Blue’s Clues children’s books, as well as numerous academic publications.

Most recently, Dr. Caplovitz was a founder of Technology & Education Consulting Associates (TECA) where some of her notable clients included The Cartoon Network, Netflix, 9 Story, Highlights for Children, PBS Kids, Sesame Workshop, The University of Pittsburg, The Austin Independent School District, and Texas State University.

Dr. Caplovitz has her B.S. from Cornell University and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, where she still resides with her family.

About Fluent Research
Fluent Research is a data and insights-driven strategic consulting firm. Since 2006 Fluent has leveraged understanding of human behavior to help the world’s best-known brands and organizations advance worthy causes, innovate transformational products, and successfully navigate change. Fluent’s work centers around three practice areas: thought leadership research, formative research and evaluation, and social impact assessment. Fluent has applied rigorous and innovative research solutions in service of promoting children’s access to and quality of education, and gender equality in the U.S. and in over 70 countries around the world. Fluent’s creative arm, Fluent Productions, is an award-winning producer of original documentary content that harnesses the power of visual storytelling to bring attention to important issues facing our society, to build empathy and inspire action.

Contact: Ruth Aravena
[email protected]