Effectiveness and efficiency: no need for confrontation
Colin McDonald
In March 1990, Charles Channon pointed out among other things that measurements of advertising 'efficiency' - such as quantified pretesting - can actually undermine its effectiveness (the tail wagging the dog). He contrasted the 'efficiency' and 'effectiveness' mind sets. While accepting the general premise, Colin McDonald's searching review below claims there are some hazardous inferences and fallacies in the argument, and deplores the 'artificial confrontation' between the different approaches which arose recently in Boston.
He examines the research measures that are possible, the meaning of fluctuations from a brand's...