The work reported here is based on a pretesting procedure developed by Radio Recall Research of Homdel, New Jersey, U.S.A. and analyzed by Drs. Sard and Sewall, Over the years pretested radio commercials have been classified on a wide variety of characteristics. Effectiveness scores and the characteristics of these ads have been collected and a large data base was developed. An analysis of over 800 radio commercials covering more than 30 product categories has identified controllable presentation characteristics that are significantly related to the commercials communication effectiveness.
In 1979 the Trustee Savings Bank was in the throes of its evolution into "the third force in British banking". Part of this change involved the loss of a tax free interest concession on one of its major accounts and a new advertising campaign was developed to counter the negative implications of this, using "We like to say Yes" as the mainspring. This was developed using humorous approaches and making the word "Yes" an integral part of the commercials themselves. After research at rough-cut stage, which identified certain weaknesses, it became necessary to check the communication points whilst the commercials were on air. However, a benchmark survey had not been taken, so stringent tests were built into the design of the survey to differentiate between respondents who had seen at least one advertisement in the campaign and those who had not. Further qualitative research among staff and target markets was undertaken to develop the current expression. This case history demonstrates the integration of qualitative and quantitative research in the development of an advertising campaign.
Pre-testing with rough prototype commercials is now an established procedure for U.S. advertisers and agencies. Rough prototypes, of the animatic artwork, still photo or live action "rough cut" variety can be inexpensively produced and evaluated for their effectiveness in gaining awareness, communicating and persuading, long before the major investment is made in finished production of an on-air quality commercial. Economic, psychological, and creative benefits to the rough pre-test are substantial. While nowadays, on average it costs $80,000 to produce a finished commercial, a good quality, testable rough prototype can be created for only $4,000. The economic benefits of rough pre-testing are immediately apparent when one compares the cost of producing and testing six finished commercials to that of producing and testing six prototypes, from which the strongest can then be selected for finished production.
The argument of this paper is that good listening depends on the thinking that you do before you do the listening and that this is no less trueadv at the stereotypic and evaluative levels of response, which some practitioners and users still dismiss as "dross in the responses of the group. In fact responses at this level can be key to effective creative development research because making it effective depends as much on understanding what to look for as on the interpretation of what is found. What to look for may often take us into areas of rationalisation, stock response, and subjectivity, particularly in respect of qualities and values specific to the advertising ideas whether or not they are also specific to the brand or the product field (though very often they will be). The importance of this area of advertising effects which embraces tone of voice, advertising differentiation, and (encompassing all these) consumer expectations and perceptions of the rides of advertising is implicit, it is argued, in changed perceptions of the advertising market place.
This paper deals with the effects these models and the metaphors they represent have had on research practice. We suggest a new set of models and fresh metaphors to produce research that satisfies the needs of creative people and which more accurately reflect the ways consumers deal with advertising.
My purpose is to look into the future and speculate on what sort of help we (the creatives) are going to need from you (the researchers). Will we want more from you? Will our needs be different?
What we have tried to do is to pull together some of the lessons we have learned, and to describe how we think research should be used to help create effective advertising.
Lego System A/S is pre-testing television commercials and print advertising in their major markets on a continuous basis. Lately, a validated standardised persuasion measure - the BUY(c)TEST - has been used in USA, France, Great Britain, Germany, and Denmark. More than 20 tests have been executed. Since also a traditional awareness measure was included in the studies, interesting findings showing differences in the evaluation/recommendation based on awareness and persuasion are presented.
In talking here about pre-testing we are not concerned with decisions about budget setting or about the choice of media, or about the various aspects of campaign scheduling. We are dealing exclusively with content, the design of the advertisements as such. The content of advertising is on the whole an under-investigated area. It has over the years generated considerable debate and argument and seen the promotion of many alternative testing systems; but in recent times it has produced relatively little comparative research and objective analysis, still less attempts to validate our methods.
This paper discusses some factors involved in a communication gap between clients and creatives in the development of advertising. It is almost a truism to say that communicating even within the communication industry is more complex these days. One factor in the gap between the client and the creator of advertisements is inadequate briefing. We shall argue that it is the researcher's responsibility to provide a meaningful frame of reference, provide only enough detail to support his points, and to establish his credibility as a researcher.