Abstract:

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.