This paper describes the new methods of analysis which were developed to isolate this relationship in such a way that it is not contaminated by spurious variables. Nine of the product fields covered by the diary have been studied: washing powders, cereals, tea, tinned soup, margarine, wrapped bread, shampoo, toothpaste and hot milk drinks.
We have used in our agency two methods particularly for investigating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These are area tests and media questions on product surveys. The main object of this paper is to describe a case history in which both these methods were used - this is given in Section K. In the following two sections we outline our recent experience with each of these methods when used on their own.
The purpose of this study was to explore and demonstrate our ideas about a different approach to media research. In Sweden we had since many years sufficient comparative media data on the exposure level. Several individual media have also published reading and noting data for their own media. But nothing was yet available to enable our business to compare media beyond exposure. The basic idea in this project was to approximate the normal everyday procedures in planning and production. We started with a fixed budget and a communication frame.
Under the cover of terms such as evaluation of advertising policies, marketing plans, motivation studies designed to improve advertising impact or brand image evaluation, business firms often ask consultants to plan and foresee their advertising action with a view to improving its impact on the public. Nowadays, even large well established firms who enjoy a secure if not monopolistic market, come to us because they have doubts as to the effectiveness of their advertising. They want to know what the purpose of advertising is; whether it has a purpose; whether their advertising "works"; whether it brings results.
Consumer Panels are well situated to play an important part in the problems of evaluating advertising and promotional expenditures for consumer products, by measuring the effect they have on purchasing behaviour: A) They measure consumer purchasing behaviour accurately and sensitively; B) They measure this behaviour on a continuous basis, and this is important because the effect of advertising and promotion needs to be observed over time preferably in the same consumer sample; C) They also measure some of the principal ingredients in the advertising/promotional mix; they can measure exposure on the part of the consumers to press and TV advertising (and to radio and cinema also) and they can determine when purchases are made involving promotions (most types of promotions, at any rate) Despite all these advantages, however, the resulting measurement of the relationship between advertising/promotion and consumer purchases can be elusive and even when successfully measured is often difficult to interpret as an indicator of future action. Why this should be, and the type of measurements available from Consumer Panels are discussed in the next sections.
The task of the panel study was to measure changes in consumer attitudes towards various brands and to check in how far positive changes, conceptual and behavioural, may be ascribed to the influence of advertising. The advantage of the panel technique, as opposed to several surveys with different samples, is obvious. The question of how many consumers have changed their conception and attitude towards a given product between two or more dates can only precisely be answered by multi-stage interviewing of one and the same circle of consumers.
The task of the panel study was to measure changes in consumer attitudes towards various brands and to check in how far positive changes, conceptual and behavioural, may be ascribed to the influence of advertising. The advantage of the panel technique, as opposed to several surveys with different samples, is obvious. The question of how many consumers have changed their conception and attitude towards a given product between two or more dates can only precisely be answered by multi-stage interviewing of one and the same circle of consumers.