Evaluating an Integrated Marketing Program

EVALUATING THE OVERALL IMC PROGRAM

• Peter Drucker identified goals that define overall well-being of a company: – Market Share

– Level of Innovation

– Productivity

– Physical and Financial Resources

– Profitability

– Manager performance and development

– Employee performance and attitudes

– Social Responsibility

• IF these goals are being reached, the IMC plan is likely in good order.

Evaluation Categories

• Message evaluations – Physical design

– Cognitive elements

– Affective elements

• Respondent behavior evaluations – Conative elements

– Measurable with numbers

– Customer actions

Evaluation and IMC Objectives

• Match objectives

• Pre- and post-tests

• Levels of analysis

– Short-term

– Long-term

– Product-specific

– Corporate level

– Affective, cognitive, & connative

Message Evaluation Techniques

• Concept testing

• Copytesting

• Recall tests

• Recognition tests

• Attitude and opinion tests

• Emotional reaction tests

• Physiological tests

• Persuasion analysis

• Prior to ad development

• Average cost of 30-second ad is $350,000

• Focus groups

• Concept testing instruments

– Comprehension tests

– Reaction tests

Concept Testing

Copytesting

• Finished or in final stages

• Methods Portfolio test

Theater test

Focus groups

Mall intercept

Copytesting

• Criticisms – Some agencies do not use

– Stifles creativity

– Focus groups not a good judge

• Support – Issue of accountability

–Majority support because clients want support for decision

• Day-after-recall (DAR)

• Unaided recall

• Aided recall

• Incorrect answers

• Used primarily after ads launched

Recall Tests

Items Tested for Recall

• Product name or brand

• Firm name

• Company location

• Theme music

• Spokesperson

• Tagline

• Incentive being offered

• Product attributes

• Marketing/advertising selling point

Factors That Influence Recall Test Scores

• Attitude towards advertising

• Prominence of brand name Brand used by respondent

Institutional ads

• Respondent’s age

Recognition Tests

• Respondents shown marketing piece

• Often used with recall tests

• Good for measuring Reaction

Comprehension

Likeability

Recognition Tests

• Expression of person’s interest

– Ad liked 75%

– Ad interesting 50%

– Brand used 50%

• Affected by ad size, color, length

• Scores do not decline over time

• Used in conjunction with other tests

– Recall tests

– Recognition tests

• Closed-ended questions

• Open-ended questions

Attitude and Opinion Tests

• Affective advertisements.

• Used for material designed to impact emotions.

• Difficult to measure emotions with questions.

• Warmth monitor

• Emotional reaction tests are self-reported instruments.

Emotional Reaction Tests

• Fluctuations in a person’s body.

• Psychogalvonmenter – sweat

• Pupillometric test – pupils of eyes

• Psychophysiology – brain waves

• Cannot be faked easily

Physiological Arousal Tests

• Appraise persuasiveness of a marketing item.

• Requires a pre- and post-test.

Persuasion Analysis

Behavioral Measures

• Sales

• Response rates

• Redemption rates

• Test markets

• Purchase simulation tests

Sales and Response Rates

• Scanner data

–Retailers

–Manufacturers

• Changes in sales

Difficulties in Evaluating Advertising

• Influence of other factors on behavior

• Delayed impact of advertising

• Consumers change their mind in the store

• Whether brand is in evoked set

• Goal of ad may be to build brand equity, not increase sales

Tracking Marketing Messages

• Changes in sales

• Telephone inquiries

• Response cards

• Internet inquiries

• Direct marketing inquiries

• Redemption rates of promotions

Online Metrics • Adknowledge

MarketMatch Planner • Campaign Manager • Administrative Campaign Manager

• Audience demographics MediaMetrix – basic demographics NetRatings – GRP and other rating instruments Psychographic information NetGuide – Web site ratings and descriptives Web traffic audit data

Test Markets • Used to assess

– Advertisements

– Consumer and trade promotions

– Pricing tactics

– New products

• Evaluation prior to launch

• Mimics reality

• Design to model full marketing plan

• Length of test market

• Competitive actions

Purchase Simulation Tests

• Bias in purchase intention questions

• Simulated purchase situation

• Does not rely on opinions or attitudes

Evaluating Public Relations

• Number of clippings

• Number of impressions

• Advertising equivalence

• Comparison to PR objectives

Evaluating the IMC Program

• Greater demand for accountability

• ROI of advertising and marketing

• Difficult to measure ROI

• Difficult to define ROI

Evaluating Overall Health of a Company

• Market share

• Level of innovation

• Productivity

• Physical and financial resources

• Profitability

• Manager performance and attitude

• Employee performance and attitude

• Social responsibility