ADV-284 Combined Notes PDF
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This document provides an overview of consumer insight, outlining the key concepts, developing insights, and the role of facts, observations, and insights. It also introduces the idea of understanding consumer needs and behaviors in marketing.
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Tuesday, August 27th Course Overview Consumer Insightis a comprehension that results innew interpretations, solutions, and innovations. - It creates or facilitates better connections for business impact. - It must be actionable! - ...
Tuesday, August 27th Course Overview Consumer Insightis a comprehension that results innew interpretations, solutions, and innovations. - It creates or facilitates better connections for business impact. - It must be actionable! - Fixated on consumers but also focused on products and brands. Impossible Meat relied on rebranding to attract the attention of meat eaters. - Changed green packaging to red, similar to packages sold in grocery stores that contain meat properties. - A majority of meat eaters continued to indulge in this evolving food item. - It is described as a healthier alternative to meat products. Victoria's Secret strayed away from the unrealistic portrayal of lingerie models. - Marketing was changed in regards to the models used in-store and online. - Clothing and lingerie became more inclusive. - Less feminine spokeswomen became increasingly normalized. - The once-popular Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has been canceled but is expected to return this year or the next. Week 2: Tuesday, September 3rd Chapter 7: Developing Insights An insight can be defined as a comprehension that results in a new interpretation, solution, The ability to see and understand clearly the inner nature of things. The clear understanding of a specific thing or the awareness of one’s own mental attitudes and behaviors. Determining how someone feels and understanding their psychological process. Intuition can be defined as acute observation, deduction, penetration, and discernment. (emotional, actionable). Facts vs. Observations vs. Insight Facts can be defined as truthful information. Observations are thoughts about those facts, a brand, people, etc. An insight is a need, a want, or a motivation that is unclear initially. It is often hidden and leads to reframing the problem or reaching a goal. What is not an insight? - Fact: Air Force Ones are one of the top-selling Nike shoes of all time (Nike stat) - Possible Insight: Tuesdays are busy, I have class, meetings, lunch plans, and time dedicated to spending with friends. I need a comfy yet stylish shoe that makes me look and feel my best. - Possible Insight: When I think about my outfit, the first thing that comes to mind is my shirt. From there, I pick out my pants and shoes. Where to find insights? Brand (reasons for existing) - What is the problem that the brand solves? How do consumers feel about it? - Example: Target is responsible for “democratizing style and design”, they can’t compare to Walmart but they showcased how they are different. - Focuses on consumers and history. Consumer (ask the customer!) - See themselves - Product Use (usage rituals) - Moment of truth for a loan. - Eating popcorn. - Spraying Febreze. - Eating an Oreo. - Beliefs (untapped or compelling beliefs) 1. Listerine - anxiety over visiting the dentist. 2. Tide - every laundry detergent wears out clothes at the same rate. 3. Subway - fast food diet and lost weight. - Barriers (reasons that people believe they shouldn't be selling a product) 1. Value doesn’t equate to product cost. 2. Logic doesn’t equate to attitude change. - Consumer equation: brands they use = square root of what they like to do + how they see themselves Category (what can you learn about your competitors/overall industry?) - Category advertising 1. Category Advertising can be defined as finding deficiencies in the category not currently being addressed. 2. “Bahamavention”-why?rather thanwhere? 3. Dove Beauty - personalization pitch misaligned ads. - Category conventions 1. Why do automakers release their new models in September? 2. Why do real estate agents work on commission? 3. Why do bachelor's degrees take four years to complete? That is just the way we do it… - Quality of Life 1. How does insight make the target audience's life better? 2. The right insight will… Tide, Bahamas, Impossible Foods, etc,. Kleenex: X- Soft tissues, more tissues in a pack, box design Y- Comfort when not feeling well Chapter 13: What’s a Big Idea? A Big Idea is a series of ideas that emerge from consumer insights. Big Idea is not equivalent to a campaign idea. The Big Idea is more abstract. Campaign executions emerge from Big Ideas. Example: Dockers Dockers was too casual yet too formal in the sixties. Goodby, Silverstein, and Partner's big idea was named “Casual Friday”. It was developed by researching consumers and observing trends in Silicon Valley. Examples: One Line Big Ideas Google provides access to the world's information in one click. Starbucks creates a third place between work and home. Microsoft puts a PC on every desk in every office or home. Example of the process: Glidden 1. The insight: Consumers are overwhelmed by painting, and can’t even start. 2. The big idea: Pop Culture and Brand Fame International Practioners of Advertising (IPA) show that “brand fame” is the best correlation for brand success. Example of Brand Fame: 1. The insight: Coke Zero tasted very much like the original Coke. Internal brands of Coke were ultimately competing against one another. 2. The big idea: Final Thoughts Intuition, Emotional, and Actionable. Brand, Consumer, and Category. Big ideas are not always new. Consumer Insight —> big idea —> campaign idea. - Vivid display and metaphors, as well as popular culture. Week 3: Tuesday, September 10th Brand Equity Awareness Loyalty Recognition Association Image and Identity Other Proprietary Assets Brand Positioning Unique value a brand presents to its consumers. Brand attributes, personality, and essence. The cornerstone of all marketing and communications efforts. Brand Positioning Statement: To __________ (target market), __________ (brand) is the brand of ___________ (competitive framework) that ____________(benefit) because ______________ (reason why). The brand personality is (____________). Account Planning History and Practice It can be a job or task in a department within an agency or marketing group. - Campaign planner - Advertising planner/analyst - Consumer insight analyst/associate - Strategist (brand, marketing, audience, etc.) - User Experience researcher - Information Architect - Consultant Task of Account Planning Build Strategy + Marketing Communication Brand position Brand equity Doing so is both art and science BMP Approach Research —> Account Manager = Flaw Lack of expertise, closeness to the client, and tension to satisfy. JWT Approach Marketing + Media + Research = Account Planning Broad Strategic role influencing - Target segmentation - Media strategy - Brand positioning - Creative strategy and development - Campaign measurement Both defined the roles in terms of strategy and measurement. Revised Agency Structure Account management, creative, and media. Account planner is now the fourth pillar. Elevates research past quantitative. Give and take control. Formal Job Duties of Account Planner Varies on agency, process, and role. Broad - understand consumer point of view and mindset. Narrow - advertising creative process and brief. Advertising has always been planned. Campaigns have always been measured Response to Account Planner Critiques: Mature marketplace. Emotional rather than unique product attributes. Guide marketers through the emotional maze, one of the hallmarks. How the consumer engages with media and the brand. Three Types of Orchestration Models Advertising Led Orchestration Brand Idea Orchestration Participation Orchestration - Common focus on central idea/theme The Role that Account Planning Plays in a Campaign What is IMC? Referred to as an integrated marketing campaign or strategic communication campaign or campaign. IMC Role and Synergy Relationship marketing and outside in perspective. Integration —> Efficiency —> Synergy. Synergy is defined as the sum of the parts is greater than the individual. Perceptions influenced by all brand communication: - Advertising, packaging, sponsored events, news reports, word of mouth, gossip, experts' opinions, financial reports, and even the CEO’s personality. IMC Brand Messages Four Sources of Brand Messages: Planned Messages - Traditional marketing messages. - Includes advertising, sales, promotion, publicity, and personal selling. - Self-serving and lowest impact. Product Messages - Messages communicated by a product, its packaging, price, or distribution elements. - Have a great impact. Service Messages - Messages resulting from employee interactions with customers. - Typically have a greater impact than planned messages. Unplanned Messages - Gossip, unsought news stories, rumors, or major disasters. - Companies have little control. - Message can dramatically adjust customer’s attitudes. Campaign - Contents Put the plan into context for the reader (executive summary). 1. Establish the situation. 2. Define the target market. 3. Identify issue. 4. Identify insight to build a strategy to solve the issue. 5. Discuss how insight is executed creatively. 6. Discuss how insight is executed in communication channels. 7. Discuss results or plan to measure results. Campaign - Situation Establish the situation (4 C’s) 1. Company- History, size, scope, and brand elements. 2. Competition- Market and market conditions. 3. Communication- Industry narrative and norms. 4. Consumer- Demographic and psychographic perspective. Campaign - Target Market Define the Target Market 1. Quantification of target audience. 2. Demographic, psychographic, or behavioral goals. 3. Communication influence. Week 4: Tuesday, September 17th Campaign- Measurement of Results Business performance (ROI or ROMI, CPL, Website, Churn, etc). Communication performance (awareness, perception, etc). Market and mind metrics. Client and agency. Situation Analysis What comes before insight? Business Analysis - Where? - How? - Past. - Present. Account planners must move up consumer perceptions to match and align with business reality. Broad - 4C’s Analysis. 1. Consumers 2. Company (brand) 3. Category (competition) 4. Communication Specific - SWOT Analysis Strengths = internal Weaknesses = internal Opportunities = external Threats = internal or external Internal Assessment - Strengths and Weaknesses Factual and perceptual Finance, pricing, operations, and even management tendencies of the company? Implications and insight Examples of Strengths Pricing - The brand is able to increase prices without losing customers. Brand Equity - Consumers believe the brand is unique. Management - Management has invested in brand growth. Advertising - Consumers like your advertising. Weakness Weakness is not the opposite of strengths. Barriers - resources and perceptions. Think: Why? What can you do? Examples of Weakness Production issues (Advertising cannot solve). Management is not invested (Advertising cannot solve). Consumers believe the brand is of no value. Consumers don’t recall advertising. Consumers don’t like the brand’s advertising. External Assessment - Opportunities and Threats Present and Future Culture - Shared behavior and characteristics (can be at a large or small level) Trends - A general tendency or course of events; a general direction of something. - Trend types include Microtrends (short-term) and Macrotrends (large societal shifts). Competition Where to look for opportunities? Obvious Opportunities: Short-term micro trends. Competition. Long Term: much more powerful! Macro trends. New products and segmenting. Outside firms or primary research. - Observation and ethnographic. Sentiment Analysis. Threats Competitors. Product design, defects, or source. Consumer trends. - Fad diets/Societal shift to healthier food. Organizational Storytelling Left brain vs. Right brain. Extension of SWOT as a story. Specific events. Dramatize and humanize. What’s the point? Build brand equity, build brand value. Actionable. Purchase funnel. - Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Purchase again, Loyalty. Management. Benchmarking - Awareness Brand awareness - Unaided and top of mind. - Aided and familiar. Benchmarking - Attitude How a customer perceives a brand. - Favorable or unfavorable. - Based on beliefs, and feelings. Benchmarking - Usage Who and how often? Consideration, purchase, repeat purchases, and loyalty. Loyalty to advocacy. How likely would you be to recommend to a friend or colleague? Crosstab Analysis Data that presents results from a full group of survey respondents + subgroups. Need sufficient samples, consult with the market researcher. Week Five: Tuesday, September 24th Chapter 9: Defining the Audience Determining the right audience (segmentation) for the communication. Goal - Growth Purchase, service use, or societal change or behavior. Increase the amount that current users purchase Increase the number of users of the brand Persuade users to switch from a competing brand Increase the number of users in a category. Current Users Do it one more time Loyalty Masks issues/problems New Users Consumer milestones (buying a car for the first time, feelings of nostalgia) Attract before they “fall in love” Penetration of underrepresented groups Additional sales to the same consumer Competing Users & Category Users Mature categories Compelling benefit Discount and price war Category leader Segmentation Identifying a group of homogenous (the same in more than one way) groups that respond in consistent/predictable ways Primary and Secondary research Who + What they do + How many do it? Who are the consumers buying your brand? Demographics to start: Is the audience made up of men or women? College-educated or high school graduates? Affluent or low-income? Significant ethnic mix or age group? Target vs Base vs Index Target is the group of people who you are studying (people who use Apple products) The base is the subgroup of that target (men who use Apple products) An index is a baseline average Index over 100 - The group is more likely to meet the specification Index below 100 - The group is less likely to meet the specification How do they use your brand? A number that they use it? (Daily, weekly, yearly) Usage pattern? When do they use it? Where do they use it? How often do they use your brand? Non-category user Category user, but not brand user Light user Medium user Heavy user Why are they buying? What need are they filling? Satisfaction, Gratification Variations of products Linking to the purchase funnel Blockage Segment on aware vs. unaware Additional analysis to understand why Special attention to the context of their life journey. Segmentation Side Note Existence doesn’t equal association, meaning, or validity. Segmentation & Aggregation Differences and commonalities Values and truth to build messages to a segment Utilizing authenticity Week Seven: Tuesday, October 8th Account Planning History and Function Campaign Plan Contents - Situation, target market, problem - Identify insight to build strategy to solve problem - Identify the target market - Discuss how insight is executed 1. Creatively and 2. In communication channels - Specify how you plan to measure results How to identify insights? Research - Secondary (leads to primary research) —> Primary (you do the research) What is Applied Research? Applied Research - Practical, real-world problems - Specific and actionable solutions Academic or Basic Research - Expand theory - Methodology - General - Exploration and discovery Ethics Moral principles and guidelines researchers must follow when conducting studies. - How does your work affect participants? - Does what you are doing make them feel uncomfortable? Institutional Review Board - Oversees ethical and moral behaviors - Review proposals for research No review or look over your shoulder in the real world (besides manager) Ethics Research Obligations You need to know what is right What is right vs. level of the law Need to ask yourself: ○ Is there a business benefit, public good, or scientific value? Nothing is universally “right” ○ But there are key ethical principles Why Do Ethics Matter? Authority and power when conducting primary and secondary research Can cause psychological harm (example: Milgram experiment) Cost, harm, worth, and does it matter? ○ Client ○ Participants ○ Research team ○ Yourself Academic Research IRB that reviews “human subject research” ○ Human subject research is research where data is collected through interaction, intervention, or analysis of private information. CITI program released the Belmont Report (1979) ○ Respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Ethical Principles for Researchers Respect for persons ○ Self-determination of risk, benefits, and procedure Beneficence ○ Maximize benefits and minimize risks Justice ○ Fairness in distribution, treating respondents equally Applied Research Principles Insights Association (IA0 1. Respect data subjects and their rights to specific laws 2. Be transparent and let people know if they will have confidentiality or not 3. Act with integrity, professionalism, and transparency 4. Comply with applicable laws and regulations concerning data results IA Ethics Code When using secondary data researchers must: 1. Ensure data was not collected in violation of rules or regulations 2. Ensure the use of data is not incompatible with the original purpose 3. Ensure use of data will not harm research subjects 4. Ensure transparency Gaining Consent All research codes mandate this: 1. Purpose and procedures 2. Potential benefits/risks 3. Confidentiality/privacy 4. Future research 5. Compensation (if applicable) 6. Reminder of voluntary participation 7. Information on audio/video recording Anonymity vs. Confidentiality Anonymity is practically impossible with qualitative research Confidentiality If neither can be assured, tell participants before the study ○ Gain consent Treat data with respect and care ○ Respect people’s privacy Reputation of Ideas and Plagiarism Used to accumulate knowledge Cite any information, any ideas, or any facts that did not come from you. ○ Even your own work later in your career (cite it!) Handbook Chapter 3: Secondary Research & Analysis Work that exists outside and independent of your research project Sources of Secondary Research Governmental bodies Nongovernmental organizations ○ Businesses, media, nonprofits Databases ○ Often subscription based Peer-reviewed journals White papers Conducting Secondary Research How many sources? ○ Until you arrive at a sufficient amount of knowledge ○ NOT 15-20 SOURCES (WILL BE ON EXAM 2) Research Objectives and Questions Research Objective - The research-specific component is intended to address the overarching business goals driving a research project. - Example: understand factors that contribute to consumers staying in hotels Research questions - The big-picture questions that provide a framework for your research project On Exam 2: Do research questions inform a research objective? Structuring Your Research 1. Keywords, relevant concepts, terms. 2. List potential competitors to learn more about 3. Review competitor's media presence 4. Identify business sectors and geographical markets of import Sources of Secondary Research Nonpublic vs public sources Carefully vet the secondary sources you are using 1. Not every source is equal 2. Bad data/wrong information 3. Seek out and use credible sources Nonpublic Sources Internal client materials Academic resources (often have to pay, not user-friendly) Proprietary resources - Mintel, MRI-Simmons (ON EXAM 2) Week Eight: Tuesday, October 15th Handbook Chapters 5 & 6: Applied Research Ethics Qual vs. Quant ○ Quantitative is what (numbers and stats) ○ Qualitative is why (words and non-numerical) Which is better? ○ Neither ○ What is the purpose and aim? Specify this first ○ Depth and nuance are qualitative research (1st) ○ Quantity and measurement are quantitative research (2nd) ○ Focus on your budget, time, and/or client preferences Why Qualitative Research? What are its limitations? Whyandhow: probe thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs ○ All methods have limitations, not unique to qualitative or quantitative - Limited scope - Questions of rigor - Research influence (reactivity and bias) - Time-consuming Qualitative Methods - Interviews Neutral context - space doesn't matter and can be virtual 3 types of interviews: ○ In-depth - Full deep dive ○ Expert interviews - Opinion leaders ○ Clarifying interview - Very short - You pause observation to ask a clarifying question Qualitative Methods - Focus Group Group of people sharing thoughts and perspective Benefits of a focus group include multiplicity, bounty of quotes, and visual data Recommendations ○ 6-8 people (flexible, this number allows everyone to participate) - Participants should not know each other - Interactions need to be organic ○ Family or dyad expectations as appropriate to the research aim - The reason as to why these individuals are related Qualitative Methods - Ethnographies Study of individuals “in situ” ○ Store, restaurant, home, etc. ○ More detailed, and deeper than an interview. No recall. ○ Watch, listen, and ask questions ○ This may include participation in an activity Best face-to-face, but possible virtually (live stream shopping) Observation - component of ethnography Naturalistic Observation Observation of consumer behavior in a natural setting without their awareness ○ No manipulation or intervention Participant Observation Observation of consumer behavior in a natural setting while participating ○ Allows participants to behave naturally ○ Emphasizes that they are being watched ○ Involves asking questions Structured Observation Observation of consumer behavior in a controlled setting (like a laboratory) What to Observe? It Depends... Possibilities include ○ Date, Time, Place ○ Specific facts, numbers, and details of what happens ○ Sensory impressions ○ Summaries of conversations (topics, what are they talking about) Ensuring Rigor Rigor is the commitment to best practices and high standards when conducting research Broad indicators of rigor: ○ Validity, Reliability, Accuracy, Meticulousness, transparency What you produce will lead to consumer insight, which forms your big idea, which then forms a campaign idea. Critical in research ○ You need to deliver the best possible insight and recommendations to your client Ways to Ensure Rigor 1. Record everything 2. Take detailed notes (time, place) 3. Triangulate your methods (use multiple methods - for example: ethnography + interview) 4. Have multiple moderators/interviewers (ensure difference in perspective) 5. Use bracketing to mitigate potential bias: whatyouthinkwill be learned andwhy 6. Keep business objectives on top of your mind 7. Use a research team 8. No shortcuts!! Data Collection A tool used to collect and measure data is a research instrument ○ Used interchangeably with guide/protocol ○ The text uses the phrase “guide” In qualitative research, all components can be iterative Include your client, RQ, flow timeline, and overall topics in your guide. Qualitative Guide Structure Use a funnel ○ Broad and then specific ○ Avoid priming to get their unfiltered perceptions of their experiences and opinions Start with soft, easy questions ○ Ease into specific questions Use a clearinghouse question ○ Allow ten minutes for this eek Nine: Tuesday, October 22nd W Handbook Chapter 9 & 10 Applied Research Ethics Quantitative Research Disclaimers Not as intuitive or instinctual as qualitative for some Don’t have to be a math person Data experts in an organization (statistician or researcher) You should be able to understand the limitations of quantitative research Satisfying to discover patterns/stories in data Qualitative Research Overview It seeks to quantify and precisely measure something (awareness, purchase history) Most often used to track appeal Typically be dealing with survey research, occasionally field or A/B experiments Basic Methods of Quantitative Research E xperimental method: altering stimulus received by test group, comparing results to control group ○ Used for new products and campaigns ○ A test market is an isolated geographic area used to test the effectiveness of a product/campaign before a national roll-out Survey: get people’s opinions by mail, in-person conversation, phone, or internet Sentiment analysis: Computational method that leans to be more quantitative ○ Observing what naturally exists to get statistical and numerical outputs ○ Categorizes various opinions Why Quantitative Research? What do people think? What do people want? Benefits include: 1. Standardization 2. Extrapolation to population 3. Sizing audience (how many, where they are, what they want) 4. Finding measurable relationships/drawing comparisons 5. Faster and more efficient than qualitative Limitations No flexibility (there can be no mistakes) No space for personalization (must ask the same question to everyone) Need large sample Extensive knowledge and preparation Results can be overstated (cannot confidently say your results apply to the real world) Operationalization, Concepts, and Variables Operationalization is established and articulated definitions for key concepts/variables ○ Concepts: brand loyalty ○ Variables: Monetary value and frequency of past purchases, the likelihood of future purchases Correlation is not Causation Survey research only states if things are statistically related An experiment is the only thing that can prove causality Hypothesis vs. Research Questions Research questions ○ Open to any possible outcome ○ Applied research Hypotheses ○ Specific relationship ○ Academic research ○ Theory/previous research Guides the formation of methods selection and subsequent analyses Population vs. Sample Population is a group from which info is being gathered/analyzed Instead of a census, use a sample (represented subset) ○ Probability Sample - includes simple randomization Probability Sampling Everyone has an equal probability of being included in the study Gold standard, removing any potential bias Simple random sampling based on sample frame ○ If the sample frame is broad, the general population is fine. A stratified random sample is segments created based on homogenous characteristics Cluster samples randomly choose clusters of groups with heterogenous groups ○ Heterogenous groups are people who have different individual characteristics but are in the same group due to geographic location/school Nonprobability Sampling #1 reason to select this method: time and money (even effort) are not unlimited Triangulate your methods (use more than one method to study the concept) ○ Pair up different sources ○ Determine whether or not they say the same thing, and provide the same data or insights. ○ Results can give you increased confidence if they are the same across the board Convenience Sample (potential bias that extrapolates what you can project on population) Volunteer Sample (volunteer to be a part of a study, not very common) ○ Respondents likely have a motive, introducing bias Snowball Sample (rely on referrals) ○ Only getting people in a limited social sphere Types of Error Random error: cannot be controlled ○ no ability to influence ○ need to be aware of it, even though you can’t do anything about it Measurement error: inconsistencies that arise from research procedures ○ The order of questions can introduce a bias that cannot account for Sampling error: what you observe in your sample is different from what you observe in the population ○ Take into account your margin of error and confidence intervals Margin of Error & Confidence Interval The margin of error: the amount of potential error around a statistic ○ Often listed as a percentage ○ In a confidence level of 95% and 99%, the margin of error would be 5% and 1% Larger sample size = higher confidence level The more people you sample, the closer you get to the true population ○ Conclude what is LIKELY to happen (cannot tell what will happen) Best Practices of Data Collection Surveys ○ list out all possible topics, and why you want to cover these topics Define population ○ refer to segmentation notes Type of statistical analyses ○ example: crosstab Operationalize Think of question flow/human behavior ○ meaningful, important research ○ Don’t bore respondents Pilot ○ small-scale version or test of your particular study Communicate with client ○ Get their thoughts and perspective ○ Keep clients informed but don’t overwhelm them Structuring Your Survey 1. Screeners (determine who is qualified) Avoid priming by masking client or key focus Priming means that people are influenced by a variable or outside noise (unwanted) 2. Screeners —> softball questions —> values, perceptions, behaviors —> Category —> competitor (in relation to brand) —> brand specific —> demographics (only relevant) 3. Aim for 15 mins, avoid attrition uesday, October 29th T Rules for Writing Questions Be concise and clear Avoid jargon and slang Avoid double-barreled questions (Ask one singular question) Avoid biased questions that bring political/cultural meaning Avoid leading questions Avoid detailed, personal, or embarrassing questions. Ask relevant questions only during a fixed timeline Types of Questions Open Ended ○ Allows for an open range of responses ○ Use sparingly in quantitative data Close Ended ○ Fixed amount of choices (yes/no, multiple choice, matrix) ○ Use sparingly in qualitative Likert scale ○ Shows how much you disagree/agree Rating ○ On a scale of 1 to 10 Semantic Differential ○ Opposing adjectives (awful or outstanding) Best Practices for Response Options Should be mutually exclusive Exhaustive to the population under study Consider arguments for even vs. odd number scales Allow for applicable or I don’t know responses. User Experience (UX) Research UX describes studying how users interact with a product or service to understand their needs, behaviors, and pain points. Can be quantitative or qualitative Card Sorting Ask people to group cards in a way that makes sense ○ Allows users to create and group information, captures the order in which they see things Generative method, used to discover and categorize content Start with qualitative, move to quantitative (card sorting and then tree testing) 1. Create cards (30-40) 2. Ask participants to organize cards into groups 3. Have participants label each group 4. Analyze the data you have collected Tree Testing Asking participants to look for resources via a hierarchical chart The task consists of participants clicking categories to reveal new subsections Evaluate how people respond from a numerical standpoint ccount Planning - Chapter 14 A What is a creative brief? A brief document (a page or two) that summarizes an agency’s strategic thinking for the creative team Acts as a bridge between research and insights Brings strategy into creative design and possibly other areas of campaign execution Requirements: Clarity ○ ○ Brevity ○ Practical implication Why is it Needed at a Basic Level? 1. Allows creatives to know who they are talking to and what matters to them 2. Ensures creative work meets objectives or goals 3. Provides inspiration and direction Account Planner & Creative Brief The creative brief is the most important tangible product The direction the campaign must take Creative strategy and execution Convergent thinking to develop brief Divergent thinking afterwards Navigates fragmentation with a clear creative strategy Overarching Questions of Briefs No universal format, generally answers three things if done properly 1. To whom are you directing the message (target market)? 2. What are you trying to convince them to do? or What is the problem? 3. Why should they believe you? Project Brief What are we advertising? Contemporary Brief More expensive Considering all the different roles that an account planner’s role would influence Mature market in the US (demand meets supply) Emotional rather than functional to separate Holds advertising accountable (can you show that you made an impact) Super Brief Creative brief is a contradiction to some creative directors (fairly black and white) More stimulus leads to more creativity, less is more Focuses on a single question and takes away nonessentials. What type of creative brief is the best? NONE! Account Planner’s Job Gives you a tangible account of what you need to be doing Holds you accountable, to quality control, measures impact (tracks, measures, quantifies) Chapter 17: Account Planning Business vs. Brand Goals Business goals focus on achieving measurable, financial objectives (increased revenue) ○ Not unique to marketing ○ Works towards brand and business goals Lagging/Leading Indicators Disagreement between whether focus (measuring success) should be business or brand goals The fallacy that generating sales and building brands are different tasks Brand success forecast business (a leading indicator) AAU Studies Brands conduct awareness, attitude, and usage studies. Falls into two overall groups 1. Pre and Post-Measure Study - Quarterly, semi-annually, or annually 2. Continuous Tracking - Ongoing measurement (weekly or daily) Mostly quantitative, helps you to observe if something is statistically significant ○ Is there a true cause or is it random noise? ○ Sample size and timing can sway Isolating the Communication Effect Market Mix Modeling ○ Multiple regression with multi-variables ○ Numerically evaluates the impact of different factors to display the impact of advertising Before You Launch a Campaign Run small scale version to see what people think of your concept Qualitative is more common ○ Lack of quantifiable impact is hard to sell to chief executive Tuesday, November 12th Goal and Purpose Competing Mindsets ○ Product developers (looking at the final report, corporate executives (how will it increase revenue), showrunners (what do they need to produce), copywriters, and brand managers. In your deliverables, be persuasive, make your presentation useful, and frame it in a way that the audience understands and resonates with. Deliverables should 1. Convey credibility - expertise and rigor 2. Proofread your work, be polished - errors, typos, appearance matters 3. Tell a story - people resonate with stories (people engage with info better) 4. Actionable and relevant recommendations 5. Keep your audience in mind (use fancy design/clever wordplay/focus only on research) Outline - Organizing Your Information Your outline is the star of your toolbox Test arguments and connections Begin with major bullets RQS and client Method, date, time, n (sample size) Refine arguments, connect your ideas Themes Think critically, decide what compelling pieces of data people need to know Signposting and Transitions Signposts (however, consequently) Transitions (also, next) ○ Orient the reader to the right direction and keep on track ○ Having issues? Go back to data analysis and retrace your steps. ○ Think of spurious correlations (random probability) When presenting your story… Clients and professionals are trusting that you have completed the proper research They are more interested in what you learned and how you learned it They want to make sure your research was done ethically and accurately Story Telling Tips Keep the story moving, but don’t shortcut data and clarity Focus on your flow, go point by point, and then summarize your outline as a whole Is it clear to an outsider? Stay focused ○ What is relevant? ○ What is necessary? ○ What are critical pieces of information that will help to make your point? Share data strategically ○ Color and credibility ○ Sparingly and effectively ○ Don’t overshare. Only share info that you need to. ○ Clear and transparent about the origin ○ Translate and interpret for the client ○ Illustrates themes and important points When Presenting Your Recommendations 1. Must be relevant to business objectives 2. Must be actionable (needs to be informative, useful) 3. Must be grounded in your data and insights 4. When you get to your recommendations, do not introduce new data In Summary - General Order 1. Cover slide or header with relevant info (project info) Most Common Report Formats 1. Executive summaries (1 page recap, short and concise) 2. Memos (professional document in more of a casual tone, longer than executive summary) White Papers Intended to be released to the public Used to promote the business through leadership and promotion Example: Statista Semester in Review 1. Defined insights and core components 2. Insights vs. facts vs. observation 3. Insights, big ideas, campaign ideas 4. Account planning function 5. IMC (process and synergy) 6. Brand equity and brand positioning 7. Purchase funnel - Top of the funnel = people become aware of the problem you can solve - Middle of the funnel = prospects want a solution and consider their options - Bottom of the funnel = prospects decide on a solution and become customers An observation is your thoughts about a particular insight Campaign idea = What can you draw from the insight to move the business forward? Semester in Review Part 2 1. Primary vs. Secondary, Academic vs. Applied Research 2. 4 Cs, SWOT analysis, organizational storytelling, and segmentation 3. Quantitative vs. Qualitative (benefits, limitations, mixture with creative exercises) 4. Sampling techniques and special cases (UX, sentiment) 5. Rigor, Triangulation, and Ethics (principles and recommendations) Semester in Review Part 3 Outputs ○ Data (textural or numerical) leads to insight, big ideas, to creative output ○ Creative brief definition, types of creative brief, different situations when one is preferred to another Measurement ○ Brand (mind) vs. business (market) metrics ○ Leading (brand and mind) vs Lagging (business and market) ○ Market mix modeling (an application of multiple regression analysis) - not testing on this Presentation Best Practices ○ Tell a clear, accurate, and engaging story of your work with actionable recommendations Guest Speakers Chelsea Guest ○ Echo research best practices ○ Financial costs to research ○ How to present findings Diane Lauridsen ○ Advertising top of funnel vs packaging bottom of the funnel ○ Generative AI in Consumer Insights ○ Changes in industry due to technology New Content - Fundamental Changes Shifts in account planning function around insights ○ Industry business structure shifts ○ Media landscape (AIDA or IADA) - The AIDA Model: Awareness, interest, desire, action - Very similar to the purchase funnel ○ Consumer information Results? Greater emphasis and greater need on research to understand the consumer ○ Consumer’s attention spans are quickly decreasing Free insights are all the consumer information available Costly survey insights allow you to design ideal scenarios, which allow you to interact and be involved with consumers. There is a great benefit to this. Budgets are not endless Challenges? Influence top line (all the revenue) and bottom line (revenue minus operating costs) Need to demonstrate that you made an impact ○ How do you know if your work made a business impact? Research, arrive at insight, provide recommendations, show impact Return on research investment or return on investment of market research (ROI) Return on Investment The ratio of money gained or lost relative to what is invested Fixed investments are things you are going to calculate the return on investments ○ No ROI for insurance or lower-cost office supplies ○ Was it meaningful? Did it make an impact on moving my business forward? SOSTAC is how we operate in consumer insights and marketing SOSTAC Paradigm S - Situation Analysis O - Objectives S - Strategies (long-term actions) T - Tactics (short-term) A - Action C - Controls (measurement to ensure what you are doing has an impact on business) Research in SOSTAC Front (situation) and end (control/measurement) ○ Hard to see the contribution of middle components Research cannot do strategy or tactics Almost impossible to separate the roles of others Additional Challenges No universal approach ○ Can vary between organizations ○ Can be context-specific Marketing effort (and research) has the best impact over time ○ Over 12 months Think about how long it takes you to become brand-aware. How is it Done? Clients and business partners still want to know the impact ○ ROI = financial gains from research-informed decisions ○ minus the cost of research ○ divided by the cost of research ○ times 100 Examples of Relatively Difficult General research objectives = more difficult ROI measurement ○ How can we create an advertisement that will go viral? ○ How does the nationwide inflation rate influence how much our brand-loyal consumers spend vs the rest of our consumers? Examples of Relatively Easy If we raised our prices by one dollar vs one dollar and fifty cents, would consumers be less willing to buy our product? Recommendations for ROI Quantifying RORI is never going to be easy if you are doing it correctly Involve others (marketing team, budget makers, statisticians, neutral colleagues) ○ Aim to show - Financial gain, modeled gain (projected impact), claimed gain
