The practice of pre-testing advertising campaigns divides the industry. On one side are creatives who abhor the notion of their work being tested when hours and big bucks have already been sunk into production. On the other, advocates of the practice including companies that offer pre-testing services.
Professor Rachel Kennedy, Director, Product Development at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, knows first-hand how divisive pre-testing is. She recalls an uncomfortable car ride with a Cannes Lion-winning creative who had nothing further to say once it was revealed she had been working on pre-testing.
To settle the argument once...