Abstract:

Useful research can be achieved at various stages of the whole advertising process. First, motivation research about the pro duct and brand-image situation are a guide for the advertising policy (target-client, and effect aimed at). Concept and copy-testing, as well as media-planning, help in the preparation of the campaign. Efficiency control ex-post provides the announcer with conclusions about the new situation in order to re-orientate the next campaign, and, in some cases, to take decisions in other fields of marketing, product-design, or production. We were asked for this whole research assistance by a company, and this practical case is the principal theme of our paper, although we will broaden its experience content with some other actual pieces of research, in almost any of the various steps we mentioned above. The aim of this paper is to give a realistic picture of what advertising research can do, through actual cases. Of course, the experience basis implies that such a picture will be very far from exhaustive in such a large subject.