The brand and product messages that drive preference are packaged and presented simply and clearly while still evoking many associations. Likeability is secondary: communication doesn’t have to appeal. Communication has to be effective.
Following this logic, specific test approaches were developed to map the conditions required for successful communication and to help better develop communicative measures.
Communication Audit
Storyboard & animatic – put the big idea to the test
The big idea is the guiding principle of every advertising designer. But is the big idea truly big? Does it change people’s mind-set and behaviour? The aim is to check the developed ideas and routes in good time before the shooting. Does the story generate involvement? Are the strategic values communicated well? And which of the various routes or ideas is the most promising?
This is where the Communication Audit comes in. It draws on a set of qualitative methods, techniques and analytical tools to test the approach and mechanics of the communication solution and reveal potential for action.
This is done either with in-depth psychological interviews to unlock the meaning of images and stories or with focus groups to check explicit and implicit contents as well as the fit to motivational drivers and brand strategy.
Visuals, ad designs, animatics and storyboards are tested with an eye to their strategic potential and their impact on the relationship between brand, product and consumer and its components:
Involvement: from the perceived benefits, to projective integration in the consumer’s own world to relevance of the main promise
Innovativeness and impact: from the uniqueness of the idea compared to the competitors’ communication, to novelty of the message to the anticipated benefit that could stimulate a change of behaviour
Acceptance: from believability, category and brand fit through to likeability of the perceived tonality and statements
Relevance: from the motivational power of the idea through to its ability to differentiate
Long-term validity: from the viability and campaign feasibility of the idea through to its fit with the long-term brand strategy
Ad Pre Check
Evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns
How effective is a digital or print campaign? How well does the advertising meet the communication objectives? And how well do the visual, headline and body copy work?
The differentiated evaluation of advertising and all its single elements is performed in a realistic setting using reaction time measurements, eye or mouse tracking.
The interviews focus on perceptive and apperceptive criteria. The analysis shows which design elements give rise to attention and involvement, how the communication performs as a whole, and identifies possibilities of improving the design.
Personal involvement, fit with the target group’s mind-set and behaviour
Perception and impact in the advertising and situational context
Recall, recognition as well as associative and interpretative meaning of key visuals and key words
Relevance and uniqueness of the message and triggered interest
Development of long-term markers consisting of USP, brand, key visuals and key words
Evaluation of the atmospheric and creative aspects as drivers / barriers
