This paper describes a system that helps to assess the impact of radio advertising, and to improve the creative quality of the executions. The "Spot-Check" project is an example of cost-effective research, respecting the constraints of the small budgets that are typical for radio advertising in Switzerland. The paper presents data from a pilot test. Spot-Check embraces two parts: Questions which are typical for Post-Tests and for Pre-Tests. The Pre-Test elements support the optimization of radio commercials in terms of executional quality. Indicators which differentiate between the tested commercials are likability, interest shift, and perceptional dimensions such as "striking", "entertaining" and informative. The key Post-Test measurement is recognition. The efficacy of commercials may be expressed as an index, calculated by dividing recognition score by GRPs. This "recognition % per 100 GRPs"- index differentiates between more and less efficient commercials. Patterns of relationship, however, between such "post-test" results and findings of the pre-test part are still to be established.
The paradigmatic concept of a brand is a name standing for a "virtual individual". Within this traditional approach, a multi-brand product carrying more than one brand is an antinomy, standing against the idea that a loyal consumer can trust the brand without further investigation of the product. All the same, multi-brand products exist. In many cases a "guest" brand is featured on a "host" brand in order to communicate specific aspects or in order to support a brand extension. Whenever a manufacturer considers using a "guest" brand on one of his products, an objective and mutually agreed assessment of a brand's value gets pivotal. This paper suggest to use Conjoint Analysis as a "lean" and straightforward approach to estimate the value of a "guest" brand relative to the "host" brand and to a price premium. The methodology is put forward using a research project on the NutraSweet logo in the French table top sweetener market.