Lecture 6 - Advertising Research Need to consider 2 aspects: Message research Concept testing to finished campaign Memory impact Recognition and recall (Which, to what level?) Physiological arousal (It's importance?) Persuasion (Which approach to take?) Sales response (The only measure?) Arguments for and against Measuring Advertising Effectiveness FOR - Avoid costly mistakes (maximise returns on investment) - Research problems in measuring the contributions of each marcom elements - Evaluate alternative strategies - Increase the efficiency of advertising in general (avoid losing sight of what the advertisers are doing) - Time AGAINST - Cost (cost of testing vs. cost of not testing) - Disagreement on what to test (eg awareness vs purchase?) What does advertising research involve? · Message Research (to test the effectiveness of advertising messages; also called copy research, or copytesting). - Copy development stage - "Rough" stage - Final production stage - After the ad has been run in the media • Sometimes research is done under natural advertising conditions and other times in simulated or laboratory situations. Message Research Methods Qualitative Message Research Quantitative Message Research Qualitative Message Research
1. Not based on producing numerical results and statistical analyses 2. Insights into and interpretations of those advertising elements that influence people's responses to ads - Group discussions (focus group) - Depth interviews - Pre - and post-testing in the form of answers to open-ended questions - Use of semiotic approaches (content of the advertisement) Quantitative Message Research 1. Concerned with measuring the effects an advertisement may have (pre-test research) or has had (post-test research) - 2 key points 2. Many advertisers - especially smaller organisations have time or funding constraints 3. Advertising research is crucial in order to measure the effects that ads have so that improvements can be made on a continuous basis. Occurs at Various Stages 1.Concept Testing 2.Rough Testing 3.Finished Art or Commercial Testing 4. Market Testing (Post- testing) 1. Concept testing - Aimed at the actual content of the ad and the impact that content has on potential customers. Many advertising agencies conduct concept tests before spending money to develop an advertisement or promotional piece. - Focus groups - Concept testing instruments - Comprehension tests - Reaction tests Finished or market testing · Used when copy is finished or in final stages - Portfolio test (a display of a set of print ads, one of which is the ad being evaluated) - Theatre test (a display of a set of television ads) - Focus groups - Mall intercept (comprehension and reaction tests are commonly utilized when in a mall intercept setting) Alternative Message Evaluation Methods
. Recognition and recall (brand awareness and brand-related thoughts) · Physiological arousal (unobtrusive indicators of emotional impact of ads) · Persuasion (brand image, i.e. influence on brand attitudes) · Sales response (impact on behavior, i.e. purchases of an advertised brand). The memory-driven · Starch readership service (magazines) RECOGNITION AND RECALL · Bruzzone tests (TV) Physiological Arousal · Burke day-after recall (TV) Persuasion Sales Response Mesaures of Recognition and