Copy Research

Copy testing and/or advertising research is a general class of tests that evaluate and diagnose the communication power of an advertisement – either broadcast (television, radio), print (newspapers, magazines), or more recently, the Internet. and/or advertising research is a general class of tests that evaluate and diagnose the communication power of an advertisement – either broadcast (television, radio), print (newspapers, magazines), or more recently, the Internet.

When Used

Copy tests are an integral part of the creative development process, and (of necessity) always follow the development of one or more advertising alternatives. These alternatives attempt to embody an advertising strategy that has been identified through previous phases of research. Copy tests are usually conducted (1) after a strategic/positioning study indicated an opportunity for the brand that, in turn, feed copy development; (2) after qualitative research (focus groups, in-depths) has been used in the creative development process; or (3) after tracking research has indicated that the current campaign is no longer building awareness or image. Practically speaking, copy tests can be conducted at any time there is new advertising that needs to be evaluated.

Stimuli

The single biggest category of copy testing is for TV, where the stimuli are usually 30- or 60- second spots. In diagnostic tests, the state-of-finish can be "animatic" (hand-drawn, still animation with voiceovers), "photomatic" (with still, stock photos), "steal-o-matic" (live sound and motion, but stock footage), or "rough cuts" (agency footage before editing or cleanup). For final on-air testing, only finished (ready-to-air) executions are used. Similar, but fewer, alterantives are used in radio or print.

Copy Test Designs

There are two basic copy testing approaches for TV – off-air, and on-air. Off-air tests focus on whether the copy effectively communicated its intended strategy, and provides more diagnostic information on specific copy elements than on-air tests. Off-air approaches are "forced exposure" tests (usually in a mall or theater environment), in which respondents view a clutter reel of competitive ads, with the test ad in the middle. Because a lower state-of-finish is acceptable, off-air stimuli are less costly, and these tests are more often used at an earlier stage of the copy development process.

On-air tests are executed on an unused cable TV channel among people who have been recruited to view a fictitious ½-hour pilot TV show. Respondents see ads for other categories, but see only one test ad. On-air tests excel at evaluating copy performance in a real-world setting, and whether the advertisement "broke through" (i.e., was recalled).

Similar off-air approaches are used for radio testing (no "on-air" versions exist). Print testing usually involves placement of the test ad in a mocked-up version of a national magazine, or can also involve eye-tracking to determine which elements were seen while reading the ad.

Many companies have specialized systems for copy testing. The advantage of using specialized companies is their normative databases, often spanning years of tests in many categories.

Measures typically include:

• Recall of ad ('day after recall' or DAR)
• Main point communication
• Proven recall (correct playback of copy elements)
• Total copy and situational/visual playback
• Purchase intent, or a pre-post persuasion score
• Brand likes, dislikes
• Imagery/personality ratings
• Attribute/brand performance ratings
• Classification and demographics

Sample Frame

Copy tests are generally comprised of targeted samples of 150-200 respondents per cell, with boosts to read diagnostic subgroups of interest as needed.

Pros & Cons

Pros: Critical consumer feedback on whether the copy is "in sync" with intended overall marketing strategy; availability of normative database; expertise of copy testing companies.

Cons: Use of norms requires a rigid survey instrument; norms can overshadow other factors (i.e., a below-norm ad that may increase use-up); in some categories, rough testing may not capture the full tonality/mood of the execution; one cannot assess the cumulative impact of an entire campaign with a single test.

Timing

Cycle time from field start to results is typically 4-6 weeks, varying with screening requirements.

Subsequent Steps

Tracking studies to monitor in-market performance of brand on both product performance and brand image, and/or qualitative research (e.g., focus groups) to assess problems in the marketplace after a campaign has launched (e.g., among trier-rejecters).

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