Why is advertising research important?

Advertising is everywhere!

An average person is exposed to at least 5K ads in one single day. By the way, 9 in 10 Brits use their mobile phones while watching TV. Which makes a lot harder for your piece of advertising to be noticed, liked and memorable.

On top of that, developing and airing advertising is expensive. Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dolars from the creation of the idea up to impacting consumers. Just to give an idea, 1 single 30 seconds’ slot at Super Bowl costs 8 million dolars! Not to mention the cost to hire celebrities, and making the actual commercial.

And that is when Advertising Research comes in: to make sure your brand is spending money to gain more money.

Advertising research plays a vital role in understanding consumer behavior and preferences, enabling marketers to develop campaigns to persuade consumers. Persuasion is not only about making consumers buy, but also to get to know your company’s values and your brand.

This article outlines 5 ways in which Advertising Research can grow your businesses, brands and ads, by building stronger connections with consumers.

1. Identifying Your Target Audience

First and foremost, advertising research helps you identify your target audience.

By understanding who is most likely to buy your product or service, you can create advertisements that speak directly to their needs and desires.

This ensures that you’re not wasting time and money trying to appeal to people who aren’t interested.

2. Pinpointing Effective Messages

Once you know who you’re targeting, you need to determine what messages will resonate with them.

Advertising research can help you test different messages and see which ones generate more interest and persuasion. It also gives you a heads up when something in your campaign could be misunderstood, causing distress with your consumers.

Advertising Research not only helps streamlining content, but language and style as well, contributing to the complete understanding of the message. It shows if your message is clear and believable, if the language you are using is the same as people use and set the tone to make it through your audience. If your ad is not right, it provides guidance to fix the way you convey the message.

This way, you can fine-tune your messaging to make it as effective and persuasive as possible.

3. Choosing the Right Media Channels

Not all advertising channels are the same, not only because they attract different people, but also on the way they connect with consumers. The way Instagram get through with consumers is completely different from Open TV, for example.

Some platforms are better suited for certain types of advertisements, and others may not reach your target audience.

Advertising research can help you identify which media channels are the best fit for your campaign, ensuring that your ads reach the right people, at the right time, and with the right message format and content.

4. Measuring the Success of Your Campaign

Advertising research isn’t just about planning ahead; it’s also about measuring success and adjusting the track. It can help you changing the tire of the truck while still driving it! For example, if you launch a campaign to improve your brand’s perception, advertising research enables to monitor if you’ve succeeded.

By tracking the performance of your ads, you can determine which aspects are working well and which need improvement. It provides information to make adjustments to the message, media channels and improve targetting.

This allows you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns for maximum impact, while they are still running and make sure your brand’s objectives are fulfilled.

5. Saving Time and Money

By conducting advertising research before you launch your campaign, you can save both time and money. As I said earlier, advertising is expensive to make and to air – therefore, brands always expect high return on this investment.

Investing in research upfront can help you avoid costly mistakes, such as creating ads that don’t resonate with your target audience or running campaigns on ineffective media channels.

In the long run, advertising research can lead to a more efficient and cost-effective marketing strategy.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, advertising research is an essential tool for any business looking to create successful marketing campaigns.

They enable brands to unlock the full potential of marketing efforts and investment.

Don’t underestimate the power of advertising research, even if you are an experienced marketer. Think of it as an investment in your brand that will prove its worth in the long run.

For more detailed content on Advertising Research, its benefits, tools, pitfalls and tips, read the explainer “What is Advertising Testing?” in our blog.

And if you want deeper knowledge in advertising research, take the course Essentials of Advertising Research, coming shortly to the Insight Platforms Academy.