Advertising effectiveness

measurement

By – Akriti Bhattarai
Copy Testing and Advertising Effectiveness
Measurement

Advertising effectiveness refers to an evaluation of the extent to which a specific

advertisement or advertising campaign meets the objectives specified by the client.
As firms spend huge amount of money on advertising and other forms of communications the
need to test their effectiveness has become very important. Marketing firms as well as
advertising agencies are concerned as whether their advertising is working, and if it is working
how well is it working.
Advertising effectiveness is concerned with how well the advertising goals have been
achieved. Ad effectiveness evaluation can be done in three phases
i) Pre – test: From the stage of idea generation to the stage of copy and message
development
ii) Tracking study: During the advertisement planning being implementing
iii) Post test: After message is shown through media
Why is effectiveness of advertisement is measured?
 How the advertisement is performing?
 Is it reaching the targets?
 Is the goal of advertising achieved?
 Is it reaching the right audience?
 Is the ad memorable?
 Is it moving consumers to take the desired action?
Importance of Advertising effectiveness measurement

1. Helps in identifying ineffective advertisements and campaigns

2. Appropriate duration
3. Frequency of slogan repetition
4. Consistent positioning of the product
5. Simplicity of message content
6. Unique selling points
Effectiveness testing
Why is effectiveness measurement necessary for an organization?
 To avoid costly mistakes
 To evaluate alternative strategies ( choices among appeal, framework, media, message)
 To increase efficiency of advertising (Pre test and post test helps in increasing efficiency)
 To improve advertising program

Why some organization argue against effectiveness measurement?

 It consume time and money costs
 Research problems (vague and requires experts)
 Areas to be tested are unknown
 Creatives’ arguments
Testing areas
A. Message
It is tested in terms of the effectiveness of meaning of message received by the target audience, recall
of message by them and belief in the message.
 Has the message reached the target customer?
 Whether the message is correctly understood by the target audience?
 Are the audience recalling and remembering our message?
 DO the audience believe in message?
B. Media
It is highly dependent on the media circulation, exposure, reach and consumer ratings.
 Has the timing of the release of the advertisement been right?
 Did the advertising agency select the right media space, timing and programs?
 Was the size of the advertisement adequate to attract attention?
 Has the repetition of advertising been adequate enough to make desired impact?
 Was the media scheduling method right?
C. Market
Market is tested for communication effectiveness. In terms of increase in brand awareness, attitudinal and
behavioral changes in customers.
 Has the advertisement contributed to an overall increase in brand awareness and knowledge?
 How many customers have tried the product at least once?
 How many customers have bought the product for the second time?
 How many consumers have adopted the product?
 How do consumers evaluate the image of the firm?
D. Models:
Celebrities, common people and so on.
 Does the image projected by the spokesperson match the image of the brand?
 Do the audiences feel the model used is appropriate?
 Has spokesperson contributed to development of brand personality?
E. Mission:
Objectives of ad campaign.
 Inform and educate the potential buyers and stimulate their interest
 Persuade, Remind and Reassure buyers about the merit of the product
 Counter competitor’s advertising and unfavorable rumors
 Build brand value image and corporate image
Elements of the advertising campaign

1. Research – Product research, consumer research, target market analysis, competitor

analysis
2. Advertising objective - Cognitive goals, affective goals
3. Target market
4. Advertising appropriation
5. Creative strategy
6. Pre testing
7. Media planning
8. Campaign impact assessment
Copy testing methods: pretesting and post-testing

Copy Testing is a specialized field of market research that determines advertisement’s effectiveness
based on customer response, feedback and behavior.
A. Pretesting methods: Measures taken before the advertising campaign is implemented. May
involve testing the advertisement concepts or during development phase.
 Adcept testing- These are rough copies that are yet to have its final shape. The major objective of
adcept testing is focused on finding whether the target audiences understand the message
communicated in the advertisement. Tested through intercept interviews and focus group discussions.
 Copy tests- The copy test is executed through the following methods:
1. Consumer jury - attractiveness, communicability of the message, entertainment value are checked by jury
members (at least of 4 members)
2. Rating scales – used by advertisers to rate alternative advertisement copies. Target audiences are shown the ad
copies one at a time and asked to rate them on five or seven scale point. It gives answers to the following
question:
• Is the message clear?
• How far the copies are entertaining?
• Relevancy, brand enforcement, empathy, familiarity, alienation
3. Portfolio test (dummy magazine test)- Group of advertisement in which copies
are mixed. Based on the experimental research design and is useful to evaluate
the recall value of the copies.
4. Psychological test-Analyzed in terms of emotional responses as pleasure, self
pity, fear, nostalgia
5. Physiological test- Measured in terms of the level and frequency of heart-beat,
blood pressure levels, perspiration and eye movement
6. Simulated sales test: Process of simulating sales test after showing
advertisement and customer are requested to purchase from particular store.
7. On air or day after recall test
B. Post test methods
Measurement of ad effectiveness-
1. Inquiry test: Based on the reaction of consumers in terms of inquiries about the product
after being exposed to advertisement.
2. Recognition test: Conducted to test effectiveness of print advertisements. Customer are
asked to locate a particular advertisement in the medium
3. Recall test: Measure on the amount of ad related information recalled by consumer
4. Sales test: Measured directly over sales of the product
Measurement of total effectiveness of
advertising campaign
I. PACT(Positioning advertising copy testing)-effect on the eyes, on the mind and in the
heart (Sensory organ).
 On the eye, on the ear: It must me received = RECEPTION
 On the mind: It must be understood = Comprehension
 On the heart: It must make an impression = Response

2. DAGMAR(Defining advertising goals for measured advertising results)

This approach tries to establish a direct link between the advertisement objectives and the results.
It is a communication task of advertisement to gain brand awareness, comprehension, conviction,
image and action.
Example:
Make at least 100 customers actually purchase the product.
Make consumer fully understand the attributes and benefits.
Leveraging other components of promotion
mix in advertising
A. Sales promotions:
Concept-Sales promotion consists of a diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short term,
designed to stimulate quicker and/or greater purchase of particular products/services by a
consumer or the trade.
Importance:
o Sales promotion includes incentive tools
o Short term
o Targeted at quicker sales
o Directed at consumers or at the channel members
Objectives

1. To attract new buyers

2. To attract a new product
3. To encourage more use of a product
4. To educate customers on product improvements
5. To draw buyers to the retail store
6. To stabilize fluctuating sales
7. To increase resellers’ inventories
8. To counter competitors’ incentives
9. To obtain better product displays in retail stores
Methods-
A. Consumer promotion method
 New product sales promotion
 Demonstration
 Free samples
 Coupons or trading stamps
 Money refunds or rebates
 Trade fair and exhibition
 Point of purchase displays

 Established product sales promotions

• Price offs
• Consumer contests
• Premiums
A. Trade (Dealer) promotion
• Buy back allowances
• Free merchandise
• Buying allowances
• Merchandise allowances
• Cooperative advertising
• Sales contests
• Dealer loader
Marketing public relations

Activities targeted at maintaining good relations with the publics.

Objectives-
• Build market place excitement before product launch
• Build and maintain customer loyalty
• Build direct relationships with consumers
• Build relationships with opinion leaders
Methods:
 Media relations or publicity
 Group relations
 Lobbying
Direct marketing

Form of non store retailing in which the marketer uses non personal media to introduce
products to consumers and consumers purchase the product without visiting a store.
Methods of traditional direct marketing method:
 In home retailing
 Mail order marketing
 Catalog marketing
 Telemarketing
 Television marketing
 Social media sites
 Mobile (SMS, MMS
Modern direct marketing method

It is also known as database marketing.

Database marketing is a systematic approach to the gathering, and processing of customer data
(both for current and potential customer) that is maintained by company’s databases.
Database marketing is the process of building, maintaining and using customer databases and
other databases(products, suppliers, resellers) for the purpose of contacting, transacting and
building relationships.