Communication Research

1
Communication Research

• Chapter 22

2
Communication Research

• Advertising agency use communication research to
  
• identify the strengths and weaknesses of
  each
• alternative.
• determine whether advertising should be altered
  
• before it is either taken into production
  or at a more
• finished stage of development.

3
Learning Objectives

• Explain why advertising agencies conduct
  communication research.
• Plan and conduct a communication test of the
  advertising creative.
• Identify the areas addressed in a communication
  test questionnaire and the types of questions
  commonly used to probe these areas.
• Analyze and present communication test data.

4
Reasons for Communication Research

• To examine proposed advertising from the
  consumers perspective and make appropriate
  changes before production.
• The research should help individuals at the
  agency understand how consumers are reacting to
  the advertising and why these reactions are
  taking place.

5
Preparing for Communication Research
Test advertisement
Respondent characteristics
Research methodology
The communication test questionnaire
6
Create Test Advertisements

• Advertisements are tested in rough stages of
  development.
• Print ad actual size, drawing/photographs, use
  simple type styles.
• Radio ads scratch tracks.
• Television ads storyboards/ animatics /
  photomatics.

7
Create Test Advertisements

• The written or verbal copy in all tests ads
  should be identical to the copy that is proposed
  for the finished ad.

8
Specify Respondent Characteristics

• Research must be conducted among those
  individuals who comprise the advertisings target
  audience.

9
Select Research Methodology

• Both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Qualitative approach - focus group.
• Quantitative intercept interviews (50-75 target
  consumers)

10
Generate Questionnaire

• Set of questions that collects information on
  brand usage, respondent demographics, etc.
• A core set of questions that are asked on almost
  all communication tests.
• Set of questions that probe consumer response to
  execution-specific issues and concerns.

11
Generate Questionnaire

• See example of questionnaire on p. 540-543.
• Introduction
• Spontaneous Initial Reactions
• Essential Message and Brand-Name Communication.
• Specific Reactions to the Message and Execution.
• Spontaneous Like and Dislikes
• Execution and Message Diagnostics

12
Analysis and Presentation

• Two tasks associated with the analysis of
  communication test data.
• 1. summarization of the findings
• 2. uncovering of underlying relationships among
• measures.

13
Analysis and Presentation

• The presentation should be organized by topic
  area rather than strictly adhering to the
  sequence of questions as presented on the
  questionnaire.

14
Analysis and Presentation

• Background
• Reactions to the Execution
• Communication and Reactions to the Message
• (See p. 547 551)

15
Summary, Conclusions, and Next Steps

• Reactions to the execution were very positive /
  negative
• Recommend maintaining the overall approach of the
  execution.?
• Any modification?
• Communication playback?
• Main message communication?
• Other executional element - tag line, logo