Copy testing: practice and best practice - a review of UK ad research procedures

One of the key purposes of copy testing is to help inform the decision of whether or not an advertising campaign looks likely to be a success.

Copy testing: practice and best practice

Tim AmblerLondon Business School

Scott GoldsteinNextel Communications

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Copy testing, otherwise known as pre-testing, is intended to improve advertising performance by providing diagnostic information for the agency to improve the ad, and information for the client to decide whether to run the campaign. This paper addresses the second purpose, namely the extent to which copy testing provides reliable support for the campaign decision. Copy testing is a contentious area that has attracted an unceasing flow of both criticism and support. This is not a definitive guide to copy testing as a...

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