Using Ad Tracking to the maximum Sue Burden Managing Director Diagnostic Research UK February 2004 aka Ad Tracking Keep Fit Plan

Is your Ad Tracking a lumbering giant or a nimble gazelle?

Ad Tracking Keep Fit Plan Set goals Demand more Measure progress Constantly challenge Slim down Meet new people!

Set goals The ad tracking study will: –make xx significant and measurable contributions to improve the brand’s communications value –contribute consumer insight to all parts of consumer activity –be an indispensable tool for the creative team –be an indispensable tool for the media team Show these at the start of every ad tracking meeting!

Demand more …and you will get more

Demand more way beyondAd Tracking should be able to contribute way beyond creative and media decisions action-oriented presentationsAsk the research agency to provide action-oriented presentations answering specific questions relevant to the brand rather than standard reports

Demand more Briefings for new campaignsBriefings for new campaigns – what are the 6 key learnings from the last campaign? Strategic decisionsStrategic decisions – who are our main competitors in terms of consumer share of mind? competition’s ad strategyWhat is the competition’s ad strategy and what would be their next move?

Demand more optimise the target audience definitionHow could we optimise the target audience definition? Should we go broader or narrower? segmentation studyHow do our consumers segment? Many ad trackers have sufficient variables to be used as the base for a segmentation study. brand omnibusKeep a flexible “brand omnibus” section to ask last-minute key questions.

Demand more PRWhat does it tell us about our PR? consumers express themselves about the brandHow do our consumers express themselves about the brand? What kind of language do they use? re-contact questionAlways have a re-contact question so ad tracking respondents could be recruited / diverted to other / follow-up studies

Demand more out of its box!! …all this and more…..get Ad Tracking out of its box!! Your research agency will relish the challenge! Include these expectations in your next brief for a new ad tracking study / review with your current supplier.

Measure progress calculate the money savedRegularly calculate the money saved by decisions taken based on tracking findings. Publish the results. incentiviseCompare savings to the cost of the study….incentivise the research agency

Measure progress previous usesCommunicate previous uses of your study at the beginning of presentations. perceived usefulness.Survey ad tracking users on its perceived usefulness.

Constantly challenge MINIMISEIf it’s not used, chop it off! Regularly review the questionnaire and MINIMISE earn its placeEvery question needs to earn its place rotate and save money!Not every question is needed all the time – rotate and save money!

Slim down Insist on one-page summaries

Meet new people Ad Agency creatives should be a key audience for creatives – how their ads performed. Sadly, this is often not the case – Creative teams’ views on ad research –Interviews with 6 ad agency creatives who are frequently involved in advertising research; September 2002, London

Ad Tracking – terra incognita for creative teams “I’m not involved in tracking research – I don’t hear about it unless it’s very good news” “I only occasionally attend a tracking debrief” “Tracking is ‘box-ticking’ – the worst side of research” “The tracking people always comment on the level of branding – client-pleasing trick!”

Ad Tracking – terra incognita for creative teams  In other industries, quantitative consumer feedback is carefully studied by the designers, who search for ways to improve their design  Are creatives invited to tracking debriefs? (I know from first-hand experience that this can work well!)  Tracking companies should also reach out specifically to creatives (as they do for media) ­run training in how to interpret results ­create special results summaries for them

Meet new people Financial DirectorsFinancial Directors should be interested in the results of one of their company’s biggest investments. Ask them to comment on the findings – are they presented in a way relevant to them – is every aspect covered?

Meet new people other KPIsRelate Ad Tracking to other KPIs – eg brand sales, share and growth – put them all on the same chart other researchersEnsure other researchers working on the brand see the ad tracking results. modellingDo some modelling!

Ad Tracking Keep Fit Plan Set goals Demand more Measure progress Constantly challenge Slim down Meet new people! Your research agency will relish the challenge!