Seven Key Insights from Holistic Campaign Testing
Author: Frank L. Findley, VP of basic research for ARSgroup
Abstract from article published April 2008 issue of Quirk's Marketing Research Review
Dynamic digital signage, mobile devices, public event ads and in-store advertising are just a few examples of the emerging media vehicles available to marketers. ARS outlines how marketers can evaluate the synergistic impact of applying these alternative contact points within their marketing plans. The full article is available here: ARSgroup
Below is a sneak peak of the seven insights from ARSgroup's research initiatives:
1. All touchpoints can be effective ' television is often the strongest single element of a multi-media campaign, but the data show that other touchpoints can be just as strong.
2. Strong synergies result from leveraging emotional and rational content across brand encounters ' one example is pharmaceutical companies' use of television ads to convey key product information coupled with emotional benefits and print ads to convey further in-depth clinical information.
3. Campaigns often move messages from 'lower' to 'higher' levels of communication ' as consumers see multiple ads, a high-level message (corporate branding campaign) can be relayed through several lower-level messages.
4. Interactions vary among respondent groups, and these group differences must be taken into account in test design ' demographics and media consumption patterns need to be considered; podcast ads need to be evaluated among consumers with iPods and similar devices, for example.
5. Negative interactions sometimes occur and usually result from executional issues ' the unexpected effect of an executional detail such as wording or graphics may detract from the intended message.
6. Single-minded or multiple messages can create effective campaigns ' brands that have a straight-forward, differentiating message should focus on it in their campaign; if not, multiple campaign messages are advisable.
7. Campaign synergies can impact the bottom line ' experience shows that sizable sales gains can be realized by allocating media dollars across multiple ads based on their respective contributions to the campaign.