What are the advantages of test marketing versus online tests or focus groups?
Test Marketing offers advertisers the opportunity to obtain consumer response on a variety of topics within a “live”or “natural” environment. Whether the aim is testing creative routes or the media mix - undertaking a test market campaign ensures that the messages are engaged with as normally as possible. Media is consumed differently and, therefore, results obtained through a test market campaign will provide a more accurate reflection of how a nationwide campaign may fare. Testing creative routes can be undertaken via other alternatives. Focus groups provide in-depth analysis but they do so within an artificial and forced environment. Online testing is both potentially faster and cheaper and can also work well in providing initial feedback. However, online advertising is consumed very differently to other media and relying upon one medium can skew the results.
How long should a test marketing campaign run for?
Consensus suggests 6 months for robust results to be obtained
However, business pressures often mean that 3 months is a more appropriate test
Anything shorter runs the risk of delivering misleading results. Strong sales at the beginning may not mean consumers will return and buy your product again. Seasonality & competitor activity will also play a part in affecting sales performance. Therefore, a substantial period of testing reduces the risk of outside influences affecting the results.Source: Jack Z. Sissors & Roger B. Baron
Deciding what to test?
Many advertisers focus on media and creative testing as they seek to ensure consumers will respond accordingly. However, a test marketing campaign allows an advertiser to obtain consumer feedback on a variety of topics including: creative routes, packaging options, pricing levels, branding awareness and the media mix. It is essential that only one objective is chosen at a time as otherwise the results will become confusing. For example, if sales increased over a given period and both media and creative were being tested, how would one know which had been the most effective?
Why advertisers decide to test copy / creative?
Advertisers will vary on their responses to this question but the main reasons for doing so are:
fine tuning (the offer / voice-over etc)
sense checking whether to proceed or not with the tested ad
deciding between numerous executions
obtaining predictions on sales (determining the effect of communicating an offer / coupon give-away / new product)
suitability for chosen media ( does the creative perform well within the selected media channel and delivers increasing sales / site-traffic and footfall)
What are the advantages of testing your media selection?
A test marketing campaign will help provide valuable information on which medium is more effective and efficient. This particularly relevant with new products or first time advertises where previous learnings are not available. Advertisers can test a single medium or test a TV and Print vs TV and Radio campaign (using Guernsey and Jersey as the two test markets). Commercial lengths and ad sizes can also be tested - for example, half page versus full page. One other example would be to test the flighting of a proposed media schedule - does a continuous burst perform better than a drip feed campaign? In a test market both options can be run and results obtained before rolling out nationally.
