Focus pre-testing on outcomes to improve ad effectiveness
Spike Cramphorn
Clearly, the purpose of advertising is to change people's mindset; in particular, to enhance predisposition to 'purchase' the brand.
Until recently, most advertisers believed advertising was a rational process. They devoted effort and money to measuring the notional conscious steps in the process. Then this belief was overturned – it is largely our subconscious, emotional feelings that decide outcomes and what we say consciously about things is generally a rationalisation of unconsciously-formed feelings.
The debate about pre-testing ads is now stymied over how to measure subconscious message take-out. However, to...