Techniques and methodology of research in advertising and design

January 4

Development and innovation are two fundamental concepts in the evolution of advertising, both at a creative and strategic level. To be able to analyze the results caused by a certain campaign or action, it will be necessary to detect which elements have worked as we expected and which have not, both positively and negatively. But this does not come alone. A good analysis of results requires good prior research, just as the implementation of an advertising strategy requires. In this article we give you the keys to reliable and effective research.

Is research possible in the field of advertising and design?

Not only is it possible, it is incredibly necessary. Without good background research, the advertising impact would be impossible to measure and, therefore, the quality of a certain idea or action could not be measured. Broadly speaking, this research will provide us with data on the response of the target group to our communication proposal.

Research is a very important pillar when advertising, since it will depend on the success or failure of the campaign. To do this, we must analyze what advertising techniques to use, knowing how to combine them with our budget and objectives.

What is advertising research

Through advertising research we can guide the path of our work, since it gives us information about the environment and the public that we would not otherwise be able to obtain. Both the study prior to the launch of a campaign and the subsequent analysis of the results obtained are essential to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of our actions, something that has always been one of the fundamental points for companies and brands.

Furthermore, this research will later serve to optimize the marketing strategy and improve communication and the choice of channels in which it will take place. And last, but of course not least: it will determine the ROI (Return On Investments).

Broadly speaking, we could determine that there are four factors that limit advertising research, which we will develop later: Strategy, Ideas, Media and Evaluation. All these phases of research are intrinsic to it, so we must go through them all if we want our Research to provide real information and valuable data.

Why it is important to promote research in marketing companies

Researching at an advertising level means being in contact with consumers, their lifestyles and interests. As a result of the situation in which the consumer currently finds himself, in a context full of advertising stimuli and the rapid globalization of communication strategies, companies increasingly need to get closer to their customers to be able to generate a communication proposal. that fits with them.

In fact, advertising research should never stop at analyzing the results, but rather should be a cycle in which the company continually dialogues with its consumers and adapts to the media and messages that they expect to receive.

Today's consumer considers reality and has evolved compared to past decades, making him more demanding and less gullible. Therefore, we must provide valuable content that enriches or satisfies the concerns of our audience. And for this, we have to know it. And to know it, we need to investigate.

Research techniques applicable in advertising and marketing agencies

Differences with scientific research

Although they have many common characteristics, we cannot say that scientific and commercial research follow the same processes. Both seek to obtain data, but based on the intention of the research, we consider it necessary to point out the differences between both types:

Scientific research: search for solutions to scientific problems. Through the scientific method, the investigation will take a certain path through which it must be investigated, as well as the techniques through which to carry it out.
Advertising research: consists of obtaining information in order to carry out a commercial decision-making process.

In conclusion, although both use a systematic method for research, we find the differentiation in the way the products result. In the case of advertising research, the result is a salable product, while scientific research focuses on obtaining more technical results.
It should be added that both types of research are not exclusive. If a situation arises in which both investigations can be combined, the result would be optimized.

Methodologies typical of advertising research

Returning to the types of advertising research that we have discussed in previous sections, it is worth highlighting certain characteristics of each of them:

1. Strategy: there are different types of strategy that we can carry out. To know which strategy we will choose, there are four types of study:

Corporate Reputation: helps determine whether the image that the company believes it projects matches the image that the public actually has.
Brand Health: the health of the brand determines the ability to generate profits at the time of the study, regardless of the capacity it has to do the same in the future. This parameter can be measured through Brand Equity, which we will develop below.
Positioning: consists of an analysis of the competitive advantages and disadvantages that our brand presents, so that we are able to find a place in the market in which we can position ourselves and through which we are recognizable to our target.
Brand Equity Research: consists of comparing the value of the brand with its actual recognition. Brand equity is studied through four elements: brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty.

2. Ideas: in the stage of developing the ideas of our campaign, we can apply different types of studies to ensure that our insights coincide with those of the public:

Test and Concept: consists of clearly identifying market opportunities and differentiation opportunities with respect to other brands.
Packaging, Name and Logo Test: consists of an approach to the consumer to assess whether the mentioned elements will have a positive impact on our target, if the different elements that make up our product are understood and accepted.
Advertising Concept Test: approach to the consumer to assess whether the concept we have chosen for our campaigns or actions is clearly understood, and if it will lead the company to achieve the strategic objectives set out in the first phase.
Advertising Pretest: once our communications are finished, they are tested with potential consumers to analyze the impact and their ability to achieve the objectives.

3. Media: to analyze which channels and media we should carry out our communications, we can take three studies into account:

Media Research: with this study we aim to identify the ideal channels to carry out our communication, taking into account different parameters collected in the previous phases, along with the tone and content of our communication.
Audience Study: aims to determine which media the people who make up our target audience are most exposed to, as well as provide information about the audience of each of the media, which will provide us with very valuable information for the implementation of our campaign.
Brand Experience Analysis.

4. Evaluation Process: In this phase we will check if all the previous steps have had the result we expected, or if something has failed in our process. The results can be studied from three points of view:

Advertising Effectiveness: analyzes whether the advertisement, action or campaign has met the set objectives. Campaigns are evaluated at three levels: ability to generate brand recognition, to modify attitudes towards the brand or to generate purchasing behaviors.
Brand Tracking: impact that the campaign has had on the consumer's mind regarding our company.
Advertising Tracking: the visibility that our campaign has had and the impact it has had on the audience is measured, identifying whether the people to whom it was directed positively remember the communication in question.

Qualitative and quantitative research techniques

These two forms of research are the most traditionally used, and have been applied over the years to optimize business management and provide solutions to different types of setbacks and challenges.

Differences in quantitative and qualitative data analysis

Quantitative analysis focuses on the use of numerical data for the evaluation of information. Typically, this type of technique is used to test hypotheses at a statistical level or to track the impact and direction of communication efforts.

On the other hand, qualitative analysis takes into account cultural aspects, perception, social relations and attitudes of the target audience.

Although at first quantitative techniques were the most valued, with the passage of time, globalization and the creation of the current social context, the qualitative study has emerged as the most valuable for audience analysis and decision making.

At the end of the day, advertising research is essential, and at Miami Ad School we know it. That is why we have been training for years the best professionals in Strategic Planning, contributing our creative DNA at each point of the process, so that our planners are everything companies need (and what they still don't know they need).