PART 7: RESEARCH…FOR A CREATIVE EDGE
Chris Hayes EVP, Brand Strategy
Marketers and their creative partners know there is no sure thing when it comes to marketing. They spend resources creating assets; producing images and messages hoping to drive success for their brands. No matter the category, competition is always fierce and consumers have become increasingly fickle when it comes to their brand preferences.
The pandemic has presented new challenges for marketers. With non-essential stores closed or closing, many retail brands have had to play catch up by creating or significantly increasing their digital presence as customers’ traditional shopping patterns adapt to this “new normal.”
Brands and creative agencies are constantly looking for ways to improve their odds of success in today’s evolving marketplace. Research can certainly play an important role in this quest. Successful campaigns start with the answers to three critical questions:
- What do your customers really want and need?
- Do your customers believe your product meets those wants and needs?
- What do your customers need to see/hear to convince them that your product is the right choice?
The words and phrases customers use to express their thoughts and opinions can be invaluable when developing concepts and copy.
Insights derived from the answers to these questions help agencies understand not just what customers’ think but how they think and how they speak. Because breakthrough creative is about establishing a dialog with the customer, the words and phrases customers use to express their thoughts and opinions can be invaluable when developing concepts and copy.
Once concepts have been developed, research can also play an important role in answering another key question:
- Are the message and presentation effectively producing the desired customer response?
Today’s digital environment allows agencies to quickly and cost-effectively gain insights into whether a creative concept will resonate with the target audience.
Research design is also important when testing creative. Agencies need to be sure they’re asking the right questions. Creative testing should never be about opinions (do you like this ad?). Rather, it should help the agency determine if the positioning on target and how consumers react to one execution versus another. Are the correct messages being communicated? And, will the work “move the needle?”
Creative testing allows agencies to make critical adjustments if needed before releasing a campaign.
Done right, creative testing allows agencies to make critical adjustments if needed before releasing a campaign. This customer feedback “loop” can provide invaluable insights into customers’ responses that significantly improve the potential for success.
There may have been a time when creative agencies felt research potentially stifled their creativity. Smart brands and agencies now embrace the insights that they get from involving the customer at key points throughout the creative process. From insights to testing, customer research has become a valuable creative tool.
The stakes have never been higher for brands as they struggle to stand out from the competition. Every marketing dollar must deliver a significant return on the investment. When a share point can equal millions of dollars and be the difference between success or failure, make sure your message is spot on.
If you’re looking for ways to better understand what your customers think and want, we can help. Send me a message at chrish@jschmid.com and let’s talk.
Tags: #breakthroughcreative, campaign planning, campaigns, chris hayes, creative research, creative testing, customer research, marketing campaigns