When an agency is hired to develop an ad campaign, the first objective they must achieve is to develop a creative brief that will serve as the foundation for the entire campaign, whether specific ads are executed in video, TV, radio, print, or other. But the question is “on what basis is the creative brief designed?” Just like many large organizations do before leadership decides to allocate large amounts of budget to, say, designing new products and services, market research is conducted among members of a target population to guide and inform decisions about whether new products are ready for market rollout, or need to be revised, or need to be scrapped. This way, research is used as an insurance policy against large budget expenditures that will not pan out in driving revenue for the organization. Ad campaigns also are large expenditures. As such, they should be market tested before their communications are made public. Surely, research studies like storyboard copy testing are carried out, but these “test stimuli” are already based on what the ad agency has delivered as a creative brief. Unless the brief is also market tested, the agency, and its client will begin to develop and monitor executions that may well be based on incorrect messaging strategies, thus rendering any executions sub-optimal. Accelerant Research has designed a quantitative study that directly informs the development of a creative brief by integrating “tried and true” survey construction and multivariate analytic techniques as follows: Informed Ballot and Multiple Regression This technique is borrowed from political opinion polling surveys where the first question is “if the elections were held today, for whom would you vote?” Following this question is a set of intervening questions based on key political issues about which the candidate may be pro or con, e.g., “If you knew that Candidate X was tough on crime, would that make you more or less likely to vote for him/her?” Finally, the first question about for whom the respondent would vote is asked again. With these data in hand, important measurements may be performed. First, a pre-post assessment may be made on comparing the % likelihood of voting for Candidate X. This analysis will show whether the array of intervening survey questions can effectively create more positive consideration toward the candidate, overall. Second, the intervening questions can be used as independent variables in a multiple regression analysis, with pre-post change in consideration as the dependent variable. By examining the relative beta weights of each intervening question, those with the strongest association with positive change in candidate consideration may be identified and cherry-picked to serve as the foundation for the candidates’ foundational political campaign. Adapting Consideration Driver Research to a Creative Brief for Advertising Applying the above outlined techniques to inform advertising campaigns is relatively simple and straightforward. Taking the “who will you vote for” question, it is modified to be something like “how likely are you to consider Brand X when you want to purchase Product/Service Y?” This single question, in this form, will serve as the pre- and post- measures of the amount of change in positive consideration. Regarding the intervening survey items, these are made up of a set of functional and emotional attributes about the brand and its products or services under study. Again, multiple regression analysis can be performed to isolate which functional and which emotional attributes drive the most positive change in consideration. Additionally, regression can also reveal the optimal mix of specific emotional and functional attributes that should be used to inform the foundational creative brief and associated ad campaign, i.e., what to say in an ad. The figure below shows a standard visualization of a Consideration Driver study, based on mock data: Consideration Driver research is uniquely designed to inform creative briefs. Organizations and advertising agencies both can embrace this methodology to ensure that brand messaging will have the benefit of being tested to inform the overarching strategies that become the foundation of subsequent ad executions. Feel free to contact Accelerant Research (info@accelerantresearch.com) for a more in-depth discussion of the ins and outs of this sort of work.
With the economic downturn since COVID-19, private brands have experienced a remarkable surge in popularity within the US marketplace. Once seen as generic alternatives, private brands have transformed into trusted and desirable options for consumers seeking quality, value, and innovation. Let’s explore the impressive growth of private brands over the past year, delve into consumer shopping preferences, identify the most popular private brand product categories, and highlight the pivotal role market research plays in empowering private brands to thrive.
The Growth of Private Brands The growth of private brands in the US market has been nothing short of extraordinary. Over the past year, private brands have witnessed significant expansion, capturing a larger market share and earning a loyal customer base. According to recent industry reports, private brand sales have grown by 11% in the last year alone, outpacing the growth of national brands. This surge reflects a shift in consumer perception, as private brands are no longer viewed as inferior alternatives but rather as competitive, high-quality options. Consumer Shopping Preferences for Private Brands One of the driving forces behind the rise of private brands is the evolving shopping preferences of consumers. Today's consumers are more value-conscious, seeking affordable yet high-quality products. Private brands excel in meeting these demands by offering competitive pricing without compromising on quality. A growing number of consumers perceive private brands as trustworthy and reliable alternatives to national brands, often choosing them for everyday essentials and even premium products. Consumers appreciate the innovation and uniqueness that private brands bring to the table. They are drawn to private brands for their ability to introduce new and trendy products that cater to specific consumer needs and preferences. This adaptability and agility in product development and differentiation contribute to the growing appeal of private brands. Generational and Demographic Preferences Understanding consumer behavior across different generations is crucial for private brands to tailor their strategies effectively. Millennials appreciate the affordability, quality and innovation of private brands while Gen Z is attracted to the value proposition, authenticity, and customization possibilities they offer. Baby Boomers like the cost savings, familiarity and quality assurance. Alongside generational trends, demographic factors such as income levels, household size, and education also influence private brand purchases. Studies have shown that consumers with lower incomes are more likely to buy private brands due to their cost-effectiveness. Larger households with children tend to have higher private brand adoption rates, as these brands offer value and cost savings when buying in bulk. Educational attainment can also play a role, as more educated consumers may be inclined to compare options and make informed decisions, leading to a higher likelihood of purchasing private brands. Popular Private Brand Product Growth Categories Several product categories have experienced notable growth in private brand offerings such as:
Market Research Empowers Private Brands Market research plays a vital role in the success of private brands. By employing robust research methodologies, private brand companies gain invaluable insights into consumer preferences, market trends, and competitive landscapes. Here are a few ways research can help private brands:
The rise of private brands in the US marketplace is a testament to their increasing popularity and consumer trust. By understanding consumer shopping preferences, focusing on growth categories, and leveraging market research insights, private brands can continue to thrive and capture a larger share of the market. Research serves as a powerful tool, providing the necessary intelligence to develop targeted strategies, innovate product offerings, and build enduring relationships with consumers. Using our proprietary online insights community, Agora USA, Accelerant Research surveyed 300 American consumers about their gaming console brand awareness, usage, and perceptions. BRAND FUNNEL FLIPBOOK: NET PROMOTER SCORES: Marketers and Market Research Agencies have a lingo all their own, but some terms that are intuitive to us leave consumers scratching their heads during discussions. Brand Personality can be one such phrase. Consumers sometimes view their relationships to brands in rational terms, and when asked to describe the personality or persona of a brand, initial responses may be heavy on product traits, experience, and price. While that information is valuable, it doesn’t illustrate the consumer’s emotional view of the brand landscape, and sometimes, that’s where the real insights gold is buried. Time to go prospecting.
Discussions of brand persona are a nice opportunity to dust off what may be the most classic of projective techniques in the marketing research arsenal: describing brands as people. Asking participants to imagine the brands they use as fictional characters, what they look like, how they dress, and what types of personalities they have, frames brand persona in terms consumers can understand without the need for a detailed explanation that bites into valuable discussion time. In addition to being both fun and insightful, it also naturally lends itself to a host of probes if descriptions for different brands seem highly similar, widely different, or you have the desire to dig a bit deeper into what certain characteristics mean to a consumer. Since the exercise is so common, it’s sometimes tempting to cast around for a unique set up or one that fits neatly with the research topic at hand. There are dozens in use: brands as people in elevators, attending parties, dramatis personae of a play, or marooned on desert islands. Generally speaking, it is sometimes best to lean away from any setups that have any built-in cultural or demographic context. Though it seems counter-intuitive, a very generic set up can avoid inadvertently tapping into any preconceived notions your participants have about what type of people frequent certain environments. The goal of the projection is to offer a completely blank slate for participants to fill in as they will. If you’re doing research, for example, with coffee, it might seem natural to ask your participants to imagine brands as folks in a coffee shop; but you run the risk of precluding unrestrained creative thinking if a given participant imagines coffee shop goers to be younger and tech-savvy as a rule. Framing the task as describing brands as supermarket shoppers seems like a good fit for the grocery category, but for some of your participants, glamorous jet setters might then be off the table even if that perfectly describes how they would think of a certain line of upscale crackers. Likewise, castaways on a desert island may have some respondents trying to shoehorn their brands into the closest equitable Gilligan’s Island character, and you lose quite a bit of nuanced imagery as participants try to force-fit roles artificially. A brand will end up as Gilligan, fit or no. On the analysis end of the spectrum, the brand as person exercise provides rich descriptive imagery, both illuminating and worthy of summarizing. Here’s another place to use some caution though. Consumers are complicated and when interpreting their responses to the exercise, trained insights professionals and marketers know it’s best to avoid assigning personal judgments about whether certain persona characteristics are positive or negative. Take for example, a brand described as young. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? One consumer might tie youth to high energy, which they see as a positive; another may equate youth with inexperience, which they view as a negative. Any value judgments on dramatis personae should come from the consumer themselves in the way they frame and describe the context of their responses as they respond to follow-ups. The brands as people projective exercise has long been a moderator staple for good reason. It’s well worth the relatively short time investment and moves discussion along to deeper emotional insights more quickly than direct questioning. And it’s hard to argue the outputs. There is strong value in understanding the below surface emotional and aspirational lenses through which consumers view the brands with which they’ve built relationships. Context of the projective exercise task and interpretation of the descriptive responses, however, can be critical to successful use. If you’re looking for some skilled moderators for your next qualitative project, we invite you to give us a call (704-206-8500) or send us an email (info@accelerantresearch.com). With our support and guidance in participant recruiting, technology/logistics management, and moderating/full-service support, Accelerant Research can provide you with similarly successful and impactful insights. |
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