Communications Effects

Pyramid
5% Use

20% Trial

25% Preference

40% Liking

70% Knowledge/Comprehension

90% Awareness
 The DAGMAR Approach

Define Awareness

Advertising
Goals for Comprehension

Measuring Conviction

Advertising
Results Action
 AD Effectiveness
• Advertising is of no use if the defined objectives of
communication is not achieved.

• So, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of advertisement

at different level, starting from creation of ad-copy to running of
ad on media, and also after execution of ad to know to what
extent the objectives are achieved.

Types of tests to measure effectiveness

Following are the types of test applied in advertisement evaluation:
• Pre-Testing
• Concurrent Testing
• Post Testing
Developing an Advertising Campaign (cont’d)

• Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness

Evaluation Assessment
Pretest Evaluation of ads performed before a campaign begins
Consumer Jury A panel of a product’s actual or potential buyers who
pretest ads
Posttest Evaluation of advertising effectiveness after the
campaign
Recognition Test A posttest in which individuals are shown the actual ad
and asked if they recognize it
Unaided Recall Test A posttest in which respondents identify ads they have
recently seen but are given no recall clues
Aided Recall Test A posttest that asks respondents to identify recent ads
and provides clues to jog their memories
1.Pre-Testing

• Pre-Testing follows the universal law "Prevention is

better than cure". Advertising can be pretested at
several points in the creative development process.
• Pre-Testing helps the advertiser to make a final go or
no go decision about finished or nearly finished
advertisement. Pre-Testing method refer to testing the
potentiality of a communication message or ad-copy
before printing, broadcasting, or telecasting
Qualitative Methods of Pre-Testing

• Focus Group: Focus group involve exposing the ad to a group of

8 to 12 respondents. Focus groups are used with surprising
frequency for making final go or no go decision. A moderator
facilitates the discussion and walk s the group through a series
of issues that are outlined in discussion guide.
• In-depth Interview: In-depth interview involve one on one
discussion with respondents. Interviews are very effective
when a researcher has a good idea of critical issues but does
not have a sense of the kind of responses one will get. This
method can be effectively used to generate new ad concepts
and ideas.
• Projective Techniques: In this technique the respondent is
instructed to project himself into the situation and verbalize
the thoughts. projective technique can be very effective for
evaluating ad concepts and for generating new ad concepts.
But, it cannot be used for making final decisions.
 Quantitative Methods of Pre-Testing
• Checklist Method: Checklist method is used to test the effectiveness of ad-
copy. The purpose of this method is to ensure that all elements of the ad-copy
are included with due importance in the advertisement. As it is a pre-test
method any omitted element of ad can be included in the copy before release
of the advertisement.
• Consumer Jury Method: This method involves the exposure of alternative
advertisements to a sample of jury or prospects. This test is designed to learn
from a typical group of prospective customers. Advertisements which are
unpublished are presented before the consumer jury either in personal
interviews or group interviews and their reactions are observed and responses
are recorded.
• Sales Area Test: Under this method advertising campaign is run in the markets
selected for testing purposes. The impact of the campaign is evaluated by
actual sales in the selected markets. The market with high sales is considered
the best market for effective sales campaign. In other markets suitable changes
are made in the advertising campaign.
• Questionnaire Method: It is a list of questions related to an experiment. The
draft of an advertisement along with some relevant questions is to be sent to a
group of target consumers or advertising experts. Their opinions are collected
and analyzed to find out whether the proposed advertisement is satisfactory or
not.
Contd…

• Recall Test: Under this method, advertising copies are shown to

a group of prospects. After few minutes they are asked to recall
and reproduce them. This method is used to find out how far
the advertisements are impressive.
• Reaction Test: The potential effect of an advertisement is judged
with the help of certain instruments, which measure heartbeats,
blood pressure, pupil dilution etc. Their reactions reveal the
psychological or nervous effects of advertising.
• Readability Test: All the listeners of advertisements cannot read
it equally. So respondents are drawn from different socio
economic and geographical backgrounds. This method is used to
find out the level of effectiveness when and advertisement is
read.
• Eye Movement Test: The movements of eyes of the respondents
are recorded by using eye observation camera when
advertisements are shown to them in a screen. This helps to find
out the attention value of advertisement.
2.Concurrent Testing
• Concurrent testing is evaluated throughout the whole
advertisement execution process. Tests are conducted while
audience is exposed to different type of media. Following are the
types of concurrent testing methods:
• Consumer Diaries: Diaries are provided to a selected customers.
They are also informed to record the details of advertisements
they watch, listen or read. The diaries are collected periodically.
The result obtained from such a survey reveals the effectiveness
of advertisement.
• Co-incidental Surveys: This method is also called as co-incidental
telephone method. Under this method, samples of customers
are selected and calls are made at the time of broadcast of the
advertisement programme. The data obtained and analyzed will
give a picture about the effectiveness of an advertisement.
• Electronic Devices: Now day’s electronic devices are widely used
to measure the effectiveness of an advertisement. They are
mainly used in broadcast media. These are auto meters, track
electronic units etc.
3. Post Testing

• Post testing is done to know- to what extent the advertising

objectives are achieved. Following are the types of post testing
methods:
• Recognition Test: Recognition test involves the ability of viewers to
correctly identify ad, brand, or message they previously exposed
to. The types of recognition test are:
• Starch Test - The Starch test is applied only to print ads that have
already run. The interviewer shows each respondent a magazine or
newspaper containing the ads being tested. For each ad the
interviewer asks the respondents to reply to ad related questions.
• Bruzzone Test - The Bruzzone test is conducted through mail
surveys. Questionnaires containing frames and audio scripts from
television commercials are sent to respondents and respondents
are asked whether they recognize the ad and brand.
• Recall or Impact Test: The recall test is
designed to measure the impression of
readers or viewers of the advertisement. If a
reader has a favorable impression of the
advertisement, he will certainly retain
something of the advertisement. The
measures of interest would be obtained by
interviewing the readers or viewers or
listeners, days after the advertisement or
commercial is appeared in the newspaper, or
on T.V. Interviewer asks the readers or
viewers to answer some ad
related questions, and in response to
the question asked, the reader reveals the
accuracy and depth of his impression.
Developing an Advertising Campaign (cont’d)

• Evaluating Advertising Effectiveness

Evaluation Assessment
Pretest Evaluation of ads performed before a campaign begins
Consumer Jury A panel of a product’s actual or potential buyers who
pretest ads
Posttest Evaluation of advertising effectiveness after the
campaign
Recognition Test A posttest in which individuals are shown the actual ad
and asked if they recognize it
Unaided Recall Test A posttest in which respondents identify ads they have
recently seen but are given no recall clues
Aided Recall Test A posttest that asks respondents to identify recent ads
and provides clues to jog their memories
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All
19 | 13
rights reserved.
The Testing Process
1.Concept Testing

2.Rough Testing
Occurs at Various
Stages
3.Finished Art or Commercial
Commercial
Testing

4.Market Testing (Post-testing)

 Pretesting Methods
Laboratory Field
Consumer Juries Dummy Ad Vehicles

Portfolio Tests On-air Tests

Physiological Measures

Theater Tests

Rough Tests

Concept Tests

Reliability Tests

Comprehension and Reaction

Tests
 Concept Testing

Explores
Explores consumers’ responses
responses to
to ad
ad concepts
conceptsexpressed
expressedinin
Objective words,
words, pictures, or symbols

Alternatives are exposed to consumers

consumers who
who match
matchthe
the target
target
audience profile.

Reactions and evaluations are sought through focus groups,

Method direct questioning, surveys, etc.

Samplesizes
Sample sizes depend
depend onnumber
on the the number of concepts
of concepts andand
being tested thethe
“consensus
consensuslevel” of initial responses.
of responses

Qualitative and/or quantitative data evaluating and

Output comparing alternative concepts
 Field Post testing Methods

Recall Tests

Association
Association
Tracking Studies
Measures
Measures

Methods

Single-Source
Single-Source
Recognition Tests
Systems
Systems

Inquiry Tests
 Positioning Advertising Copy Testing (PACT)

1. Provide measurements relevant to objectives of advertising

2. Require agreement on how results will be used before each test
3. Provide multiple measures (Single measures aren't adequate)
4. Be based on a model of human response to communications
5. Consider multiple versus single exposure to the stimulus
6. Require alternative executions to have the same degree of finish
7. Provide controls to avoid the biasing effects of exposure context
8. Take into account basic considerations of sample definition
9. Demonstrate reliability and validity
 Pretesting Finished Print Ads

A laboratory method

Portfolio Tests Includes test and control ads

problems:
Portfolio test have Halo Effects
problems

Based on #syllables
syllables per
per 100
100 words
words
Readability Tests
Measures comprehension
Other factors efficiency
also considered

Distributed to random sample of homes

Dummy Advertising
Vehicles
Product interest may still bias results
 Pre-testing Finished Broadcast Ads

Theater Tests On-Air Tests

Measures: • Insertion in TV programs in specific

•Interest in and reaction to the markets
commercial • Typically measure “Day After Recall”
•Changes in product preferences (DAR) as main variable of interest
•Emotional reactions and
engagement using an adjective • Split Broadcasts
checklist
•Recall of content, brand name,
information, etc.
•Interest in the brand presented
•Continuous (frame-by-frame)
reactions
Physiological Measures (Lab)

Galvanic skin
Pupil dilation
response

Testing

Brain waves (EEGs) &

Eye tracking
FMRI
 Post-Testing Broadcast Commercials

Day after recall tests Persuasive measures

Tracking studies Diagnostics

Testing

Comprehensivemeasures
Comprehensive
Single-source tracking measures

Test marketing
 Conclusion 1: All Commercials Are Not
Created Equal: Ad Copy Must Be Distinctive
• Commercials having strong selling propositions are
distinctive and tend to achieve higher ARS Persuasion
scores (e.g. Mentadent toothbrush with a strong USP
(flexible handle for gentle brushing) scored 11.2 on ARS
persuasion)

• Commercials for new brands tend to be most persuasive,

but commercials for established brands can be made
persuasive via brand differentiation.

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 Conclusion 2—More is Not Necessarily
Better: Weight Is Not Enough
• Ad weight means the number of gross rating points
(GRP) that support an advertising campaign.

• An ineffective ad (not distinctive or persuasive) has no

likelihood of increasing sales even if the ad weight is
doubled or tripled.

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 Conclusion 3—All Good Things Must End:
Advertising Eventually Wears Out
• Advertising ultimately wears out and must be refreshed
to maintain or increase brand sales.

• Familiar brands have been shown to wear out more

slowly than unfamiliar brands .

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 Conclusion 4—Don’t Be Stubborn:
Advertising Works Quickly or Not at
All
• Some advertisers tend to “hang in there” and wait
for an ad to increase sales.
• Most of the sales impact occurs in the first three
months of a new ad.
• “Sunk costs” are an issue to consider, but if an ad is
not working at first, it probably never will.

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