Abstract:

One of the constants in the long and illustrious history of market research has been vigorous and impassioned debate about how (and if) advertising works and what this means for researchers trying to predict and measure impact and ROI (return on investment). Never has this been more true than today. The factors shaping debate in 2008 are numerous: online advertising is beginning to take its seat at the table; consumers spend more of their time out of home and so emphasis shifts to outdoor and in store measurement; in some markets, mobile web is almost as prevalent as office or home PC internet connections. Where the factors shaping the debate may be changing, the fundamental questions being debated remain the same. How do we measure the reach of a particular medium or campaign and how do people interact with advertising? Where online is concerned, the issue of reach is a subject of major disagreement, with various measurement tools providing wildly differing answers.