The document discusses research in communication from a planner's perspective. It makes three key points: 1) Good research helps grow ideas, raises more questions, and should be part of every process, as research is an essential part of a planner's job. 2) Current research focuses too much on pre-testing executions, which has low predictive value. Research should instead focus more on developing concepts and strategies. 3) Post-testing can help fine-tune concepts and strategies but has limited ability to improve executions, as campaigns are either big successes or failures with little in between.

1. RESEARCH IN
COMMUNICATION
from a planners perspective
TBWABRUSSELS – NOVEMBER 15th 2011

2. Who is who?

9. Who believes that
research…

10. … should be
avoided in the
creative process?

11. …kills good ideas?

12. … is the
responsibility of the
client and the
research company?

13. … is the best way
to avoid failure?

14. I personally don’t
agree with any of
these statements

15. Good research
 Helps to grow ideas
 Raises more questions than it gives
answers
 Should be part of every process (but
on the right moment)
 Is an essential part of the job of a
planner

16. But what is
good research?
Getting as close to
reality as you can.

17. People don’t do
what they say,
and don’t say what
they do.

18. Respondents react
as rationally, not as
an audience.

19. You only get
answers to the
questions you ask

20. CURRENT INVESTMENTS
data & concepts pre-test post-test data &
insights insights
LEARN PREDICT EXPLAIN

21. SHOULD BECOME:
data & concepts pre-test post-test data &
insights insights
LEARN PREDICT EXPLAIN

22. 1. DATA &
INSIGHTS

23. Data & insights
DATA
 Nielsen/GFK/market evolution
 Monitoring
 Benchmarking
 Desk research
 …

24. Data & insights
INSIGHTS
 Qualitative research
 Interviews
 Social networks
 …
 Essential part job of every planner!

25. 2. CONCEPTS

26. Concepts
 Testing the strategy and the idea, not the
execution!
STRATEGY
IDEA EXECUTION

30. Concepts
 Testing the strategy and the idea, not the
execution!
LONDON CLOSER
THAN EVER
AROUND THE EXECUTION
CORNER

31. Concepts
 With integrated campaigns, concepts are
far more important than executions
BUT:
 From a methodological point of view, this
is difficult to test.
 Challenge the way research companies
test this!

32. 3. PRETESTING

33. Pretesting
 Is about executions
 Most used type of communication
research… but why?

36. Pretesting
 Has a very low predictive value
 Is becoming increasingly difficult with the
new types of campaigns
 Very difficult for respondents to judge

37. Difficult to judge
 Artificial context
• Meeting room vs living room
 Artificial creative execution
• Mock-up
• Animatic
• Script
 Artificial reaction
• Ratio vs emotional

38. But sometimes, it works

39. 4. POSTTEST

40. Posttest
 Qualitative and qualitative
 Make sure what you test:
STRATEGY
IDEA EXECUTION

41. Posttests
 Posttests can really help fine-tune the
strategy and the idea.
 But can it make executions better?
• If it is a big success, you know it.
• If it is a big failure, you know it.
• If it is neither, you made average work, so
why invest in research?

42. Inconsistency between pre- and
posttests
Especially with qualitative
 Inconsistent baseline feedback
 Inconsistent copy feedback
 Inconsistent execution feedback

43. Thank you!