Promotion & Distribution

Management
Topic : Pre testing Techniques

REFERENCE: Advertising and Promotion

by Belch &Belch

Test of advertising effectiveness

Creative concept research:
Creative specialists prepare several tentative ad concepts
Researchers conduct focus group to find out the best concept.

Pre-testing: it is used to increase likelihood of creating

most effective ad message. Helpful in spotting flaws in the

ad message.
Post-testing: helpful in judging effectiveness of ad.
In-depth interviews
Focus group

 Evaluative research / pre-testing methods:

Variables tested- ability of ad to attract attention, message

comprehension by audience, recall of copy points,

probability of purchase by customers etc.
Pre-tests should be used as guides and not as final
indicators of success.
Generally direct questions are asked in pre testing. Eg:
have you liked the ad?, your purchase intention etc.
This technique is used for testing alternative ads during
early stages of development.

Methods for pre-testing advertising

Print advertising:
Direct questioning: respondents are asked about specific questions

about the ads.

Focus group: 8-10 people participate in discussion & interview. Role of

moderator is crucial.
Portfolio test: one group of respondents is exposed to a portfolio of test

ads interspersed among other ads & editorial matter. Another group sees
the portfolio without the test ads.
Order of merit test: respondents see two or more alternate ads &

arrange them in rank order.

Print advertising:
Paired comparison test: respondents compare each ad in a group.
Mock magazine test: ads to be tested are stripped into a magazine

which is left with respondents for a specified time.

Direct mail test: two or more ads are mailed to different potential

customers on a mailing list to test which ad attracts more orders.

Television and radio advertising:

Central location test: respondents see test commercial film in a

central location such as shopping centre.

Clutter test: test commercials along with non competing control

commercials are shown to respondents to determine their

effectiveness, measure comprehension & attitude shifts & detect
weak points.
Trailer test: respondents see or listen to commercials in trailers at

shopping centres & receive coupons for the advertised products.

Television and radio advertising:

Theatre test: respondents use electronic equipment to indicate what

they like or dislike as they view TV commercials shown in theatre

setting.
Live telecast test: test commercials are shown on closed circuit or

cable TV & subsequently respondents are interviewed by telephone.

Sales experiment: alternative radio or TV commercials run in two or

more markets.

 Physiological testing:
Pupillometeric device: dilation of respondents pupil is

measured presumably to indicate respondents interest.

Eye movement camera: the route the respondents eye

travelled is superimposed over an ad to show the areas that

attracted & held attention.
Galvanic skin response (electro dermal response): a mild

electrical current measures respondents sweat gland activity to

measure the tension an ad creates.

Physiological testing:
Voice pitch analysis: a customers voice response is taped & a

computer is used to measure changes in voice pitch caused by

emotional responses.
Brain pattern analysis: a scanner monitors the reaction of

respondents brain.
Hemispheric lateralization: this distinguishes between alpha

activity in left & right side of the brain.