When simple is super
December 12, 2001 | 12:00am
Nowadays, everyone’s mental switchboard is on overload. People everywhere talk about being distracted, being out of a job, being unable to complete requirements, being unable to sit still even for a brief moment. Anxiety and concentration cannot co-exist. Being nervous–being jittery–means being unfocused.
In an increasingly complex world, we are all yearning for simplicity. We go back to simple values–spirituality, the love and comfort of family and friends, the desire to stay home and cocoon. We go back to simple pleasures–convenience food instead of gourmet menus, a trip to ukay-ukay land Baguio City instead of snowy Baltimore this Christmas, shopping at Tutuban Center Mall or the neighborhood tiangge instead of the flashy arcades. Maybe much of what people bragged about a few months back now feels tasteless. Trendy hot spots go empty, while the ambulant tusok-tusok vendors enjoy brisk business.
What is the implication of all this to advertising? We, too, need to get back to basics. We need simple ideas, not simplistic ideas, since ideas must continue to be big, and more than ever, ideas that are clear, relevant, interesting and focused.
Evelyn Generoso’s presentation during the last ad congress matches the call for simplicity in the way we do advertising. Generoso, research director of NFO Trends, said that "while there are many theories about what makes great advertising, few would argue about the four key attributes that make an ad effective." First is the wow factor or the ability of the ad to gain and hold the attention of the target market, measured by the "specialness" of the ad. Second is the message, simple enough to get across to the target market, and be picked up accurately. Third is bonding or empathy, which allows people to move closer to the brand due to the relevance of the message. It also differentiates the brand from competition, and persuades buyers to want to buy it. Fourth is branding or the need to make the product the hero of any ad, the acid test of which is to see whether or not the brand name forms an integral part of the spontaneous response to the ad. As Generoso shares, "unless your brand is identified with the ad, you will simply end up advertising for someone else."
The presence or absence of all these key attributes in any advertising can be measured via pre-testing. "Pre-testing is like insurance. We spend millions flighting our ads so we need to ensure consumers are relating to them in the way we desire," Generoso states. The key information we need from a pre-test is to find out all the thoughts and feelings the target market has after viewing an ad. These responses, Generoso continues, "must be given some context so we can determine whether the reactions are positive or negative, whether they will build on the equity of the brand."
In the ’80s, Trends began using a copy-testing procedure known a s the Viewer Response Profile (VRP). The technique, developed by Leo Burnett, requires that respondents rate a commercial on a standard set of over 50 scales. It differs from recall, attitude change, or sales measurement of effectiveness in that it describes the viewer’s experience of a commercial on several dimensions of response to the brand and the ad execution. VRP provides information relevant to such questions as: Do viewers empathize with the characters or situation shown in the commercial? Can they relate the message to their own needs and interests? Do they see the commercial as confusing? Entertaining? Unusual?
A big step forward for the VRP occurred in 1985 when research guru David Olson published the work he had done to explore its predictive capabilities. Olson was able to demonstrate that advertising which evoked certain characteristic responses from the target market would be far more likely to generate new product trial than advertising that was lacking in the ability to evoke these responses.
Olson’s findings indeed added a new dimension to VRP. They extended a valuable diagnostic tool and endowed it with predictive capability. The statements collected from the VRP were summarized by carrying out factor analysis, a technique which allows researchers to identify which statements can be grouped together based on the similarity of ratings or responses. The factor analysis, Generoso relates, yields four distinct clusters of viewers. First is the committed, who has given the ad being watched a generalized positive response; accepting the ad at all levels of communication. Second is the untouched, who rejects all aspects of the ad. There is nothing in the stimulus that excites the group either rationally or emotionally. Third is the entertained, who gives high attention to advertising, but is not drawn to the brand ideas being presented. Fourth are the potentials, who rated the ads poorly on creative interest, but high on brand benefits.
Each individual taking part in the research is assigned to one of the four response clusters based on their total response to the ad. "It is the proportion of people who fall into each group that is of interest. We compare the numerous responses made to the ad by each individual against the response pattern for effective ads," Generoso avers.
Typically, viewers respond to ads in one of two ways–attention or bonding. Attention covers the initial reaction of people –was the ad entertaining or is it the same old thing?; ongoing involvement–was it enjoyable and interesting to watch?; and other diagnostics like casting, or people were just right for the ad, music, humor, audio-visual balance –were there too many scenes – and simplicity – did people have trouble following the ad?
Bonding covers areas like personal relevance –people imagined using the brand; brand news–the ad imparted new and helpful learnings about the brand; brand differentiation–the ad showed a meaningful difference between the brand and competition; persuasion–the ad made people want to try the brand; and other diagnostics like brand empathy–people felt they could have been in the ad – user identification–people who use this brand are people like me, brand fit –the style of the ad is suitable to the brand, and credibility–what they said about the brand is not believable.
To give a more concrete idea of what ads have been effective in terms of attention-getting and bonding factors among their respective target markets, NFO Trends analyzed 344 ads it tested from 1995 onwards and determined the following Top 10 SUPER ADS: 1) Kraft Cheez Whiz, J Walter Thompson; 2) Enervon C Syrup of Harrison Communication; 3) Aquafresh Toothpaste, Campaigns & Grey; 4), United American Tiki-Tiki, Basic Advertising; 5) Revicon, Basic Advertising and Myra 300 E, DY&R Alcantara; 6) Aquafresh Toothbrush, Campaigns & Grey, Del Monte Fruit Cocktail, Campaigns & Grey, and Coke, McCann Erickson; 7) J&J Baby Powder, McCann Erickson, and Tuseran, Harrison Communication; 8) Ucare, SPA: 9) Lactacyd, Campaigns & Grey; and 10) Lucky Me Pansit Canton, Basic Advertising.
We have seen from the NFO Trends research that advertising is effective when it is able to attract people’s attention and tell them things that are relevant to their current need states or expectations. "It is necessary that advertising research tools are able to identify individual responses in both dimensions, and not focus on one specific measure or indicator," Generoso concludes. In the end, the objective of advertising development is to understand how well the ad will be noticed, what ideas they will take out, and finally, what they will do as a result of those ideas.
Talking of super ads, here’s another one! The Philippine Joy Ultra recently won the "Best Sustained Brand Building" during Procter & Gamble’s bi-annual award ceremony held in Cincinnati, USA. One of only seven categories, the "Best Sustained Brand Building" award uniquely recognizes proven brand plans and results over a sustained period. There were over 400 entries this year, with three top nominations as finalists in each of the seven categories.
Joy Ultra was seen as "the best of the best" example of a brand that has proven effective, highly appealing plans based on profitable share, profit, growth, and equity wins versus major competition over a minimum two-year period. While the advertising was key, the award also recognized the excellent holistic program on the brand, and the partnerships it leveraged with its advertising agency, Campaigns & Grey, and with its global, regional and country teams.
Most importantly, the award recognized that Philippine Joy has made a difference, and helped improve the lives of consumers who have rewarded the brand with five years of record growth, capped by the achievement of both volume and value market leadership in the Philippines.
Ninoy Roco of P&G, and Rocky Tirona of Campaigns & Grey, accepted the award for Philippine Joy. Both Ninoy and Rocky said in their acceptance talks that "the award was a great recognition of the passionate ownership and leadership of many people over the years, not only in the marketing group and the ad agency, but all across the multifunctional team responsible for the brand."
For comments and suggestions e-mail bongo@vasia.com or bongo@campaignsandgrey.net.
In an increasingly complex world, we are all yearning for simplicity. We go back to simple values–spirituality, the love and comfort of family and friends, the desire to stay home and cocoon. We go back to simple pleasures–convenience food instead of gourmet menus, a trip to ukay-ukay land Baguio City instead of snowy Baltimore this Christmas, shopping at Tutuban Center Mall or the neighborhood tiangge instead of the flashy arcades. Maybe much of what people bragged about a few months back now feels tasteless. Trendy hot spots go empty, while the ambulant tusok-tusok vendors enjoy brisk business.
What is the implication of all this to advertising? We, too, need to get back to basics. We need simple ideas, not simplistic ideas, since ideas must continue to be big, and more than ever, ideas that are clear, relevant, interesting and focused.
Evelyn Generoso’s presentation during the last ad congress matches the call for simplicity in the way we do advertising. Generoso, research director of NFO Trends, said that "while there are many theories about what makes great advertising, few would argue about the four key attributes that make an ad effective." First is the wow factor or the ability of the ad to gain and hold the attention of the target market, measured by the "specialness" of the ad. Second is the message, simple enough to get across to the target market, and be picked up accurately. Third is bonding or empathy, which allows people to move closer to the brand due to the relevance of the message. It also differentiates the brand from competition, and persuades buyers to want to buy it. Fourth is branding or the need to make the product the hero of any ad, the acid test of which is to see whether or not the brand name forms an integral part of the spontaneous response to the ad. As Generoso shares, "unless your brand is identified with the ad, you will simply end up advertising for someone else."
In the ’80s, Trends began using a copy-testing procedure known a s the Viewer Response Profile (VRP). The technique, developed by Leo Burnett, requires that respondents rate a commercial on a standard set of over 50 scales. It differs from recall, attitude change, or sales measurement of effectiveness in that it describes the viewer’s experience of a commercial on several dimensions of response to the brand and the ad execution. VRP provides information relevant to such questions as: Do viewers empathize with the characters or situation shown in the commercial? Can they relate the message to their own needs and interests? Do they see the commercial as confusing? Entertaining? Unusual?
A big step forward for the VRP occurred in 1985 when research guru David Olson published the work he had done to explore its predictive capabilities. Olson was able to demonstrate that advertising which evoked certain characteristic responses from the target market would be far more likely to generate new product trial than advertising that was lacking in the ability to evoke these responses.
Each individual taking part in the research is assigned to one of the four response clusters based on their total response to the ad. "It is the proportion of people who fall into each group that is of interest. We compare the numerous responses made to the ad by each individual against the response pattern for effective ads," Generoso avers.
Typically, viewers respond to ads in one of two ways–attention or bonding. Attention covers the initial reaction of people –was the ad entertaining or is it the same old thing?; ongoing involvement–was it enjoyable and interesting to watch?; and other diagnostics like casting, or people were just right for the ad, music, humor, audio-visual balance –were there too many scenes – and simplicity – did people have trouble following the ad?
Bonding covers areas like personal relevance –people imagined using the brand; brand news–the ad imparted new and helpful learnings about the brand; brand differentiation–the ad showed a meaningful difference between the brand and competition; persuasion–the ad made people want to try the brand; and other diagnostics like brand empathy–people felt they could have been in the ad – user identification–people who use this brand are people like me, brand fit –the style of the ad is suitable to the brand, and credibility–what they said about the brand is not believable.
We have seen from the NFO Trends research that advertising is effective when it is able to attract people’s attention and tell them things that are relevant to their current need states or expectations. "It is necessary that advertising research tools are able to identify individual responses in both dimensions, and not focus on one specific measure or indicator," Generoso concludes. In the end, the objective of advertising development is to understand how well the ad will be noticed, what ideas they will take out, and finally, what they will do as a result of those ideas.
Talking of super ads, here’s another one! The Philippine Joy Ultra recently won the "Best Sustained Brand Building" during Procter & Gamble’s bi-annual award ceremony held in Cincinnati, USA. One of only seven categories, the "Best Sustained Brand Building" award uniquely recognizes proven brand plans and results over a sustained period. There were over 400 entries this year, with three top nominations as finalists in each of the seven categories.
Joy Ultra was seen as "the best of the best" example of a brand that has proven effective, highly appealing plans based on profitable share, profit, growth, and equity wins versus major competition over a minimum two-year period. While the advertising was key, the award also recognized the excellent holistic program on the brand, and the partnerships it leveraged with its advertising agency, Campaigns & Grey, and with its global, regional and country teams.
Most importantly, the award recognized that Philippine Joy has made a difference, and helped improve the lives of consumers who have rewarded the brand with five years of record growth, capped by the achievement of both volume and value market leadership in the Philippines.
Ninoy Roco of P&G, and Rocky Tirona of Campaigns & Grey, accepted the award for Philippine Joy. Both Ninoy and Rocky said in their acceptance talks that "the award was a great recognition of the passionate ownership and leadership of many people over the years, not only in the marketing group and the ad agency, but all across the multifunctional team responsible for the brand."
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