Millward Brown

Pre-testing philosophy
Pre-testing is worth doing only if it helps you produce better ads. The task is to unlock the full creative potential of an idea. No matter how creative, an ad that fails to strike a chord with the target audience and link to the brand could prove to be a waste of money. Conversely, an effective ad campaign will pay for itself many times over.

We provide you with a full explanation of the factors that will make the ad perform in this way. From this comes clear direction for the development of the execution and of future campaigns for the brand.

We can research any message across any channel contribution. Link now gauges the emotions elicited, the degree of personal relevance and distinctiveness, and the potential for social currency – all things that contribute to a big in-market sales effect. We get involved earlier on in the creative development process and encourage a spirit of collaboration between creatives, researchers and advertisers in the journey towards great advertising.


Distinctive features
We are unique in that the structure of our approach is derived from empirical evidence, not from ‘theory’. As the world’s largest brand-tracking agency we have tracked and measured the sales of tens of thousands of campaigns, and know what works best. We have engineered our pre-test methods out of this – so that they are valid and forward-looking. Having now conducted over 50,000 tests around the world we are able to continually review and refine what we do.


Measures:
Measures vary depending on the medium. For some media (for example, TV) the task is to assess how well the ad will leave viewers with relevant memories in association with the brand. For others, such as print and direct mail, you need to understand their ability to stop the consumer and how that consumer subsequently processes the material.


Media tested

TV*
Press*
Radio*
Cinema*
Posters*
Direct mail*
Internet*
Sponsorship*
PR*
Packaging*
Point of sale*

(* indicates specialisation)