My friend Benny mailed me this link a while ago...Have a dekko!
1. It proves yet again what I firmly believe, perhaps you might as well!!
That consumers can be mostly misleading when it comes to evaluating a half-cooked creative stimulus. They are clueless. But we can't entirely blame them!
2. Yet, clients(almost all) will hang on to every word of the 6-8 guys(who make the FGD group) who pop-analyse the creative thread-bare as if all of them were seasoned critics...Even though at the back of their mind they might know that the FGD guy is a 'frequent participant' from Amar Colony/ Lajpat Nagar(if you are doing the FGD in Delhi:-)
3. The often hurriedly assembled narrimatics, animatics or other aha-I-managed-to-kill-the-creative-matics are as different from the final creative as chalk and cheese. Yet, this fact is brazenly ignored by the research agency and the client.
4. With almost all the persuasiveness and memorability of the ad dependent on the final execution and the special effects of the finished product, I fail to understand what benefit do we gather by the rigorous analysis of the half-cooked creatives...
Finally, however unscientific it may sound, there is little substitute to creative judgement and trust between the client and the agency...
More than 20 years after this 1984 Apple TVC, the 'life of a creative campaign' around the globe is still hostage to the tyranny of the FGD - the pop-pontification of the 'career FGDist'!
Popular Posts
-
As I opened my mail in the morning, I find this news on agencyfaqs . The wise men of ASCI have decided that the 'Amul Macho advertisemen... -
I have been trying to collect, glean, comb, forage, rummage, scan, scout:-) stuff on celebrity endorsements and the Future of Bollywood ! In... -
My college friend Ram who runs a boutique travel agency - soulitudes , often helps me step out of my routine, regimented life/ comfort zone....
-
Meraj mailed me this link in the morning...My guess is by now everybody in the media/ advertising space might have seen this video/ TVC/ vir...
-
When Flash Brands/ branding is here, would flash promos be far behind. Flash promos are single day promotional(invariably price-off) offers... -
Like most of us, I have been privy to the out-of-work Bollywood actor Shilpi Shetty's bizarre turn-around in fortunes through the Britis... -
About six months back, at our small agency we started a learning program called SchoolOfDavid. We/I haven't been very regular but yeste... -
That's a pretty grandiose post title...But have been wondering about it for some time. And my Q list grows longer... What is the yield p... -
In the celebrity starved/ craving world of Indian brands, there was one refreshing endorsement that had stood the test of time. That of the ... -
By now, its highly probable that you would have read Santosh's Rant on agencyfaqs! In an industry already troubled by dropping intellect...
Monday, October 8
The Consumer Is Clueless
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Almost every thinking client-person (there are lots!) uses the exploratory qualitative process to make for richer & relevant creative.
Having been a researcher in the not-too-distant past, it's easy to see different viewpoints on this - for that matter; Why do we test concepts? Arguably, a rather difficult way to gauge real consumer intent.
Perhaps we're not doing enough to assuage client-person's fears. Someone (i suspect it was balki) who once said - In the end, it's the client who's bearing all the risk - so the onus is on us as planners to take the higher ground of the lighthouse.
There is another viewpoint, and perhaps that might constitute the fodder for another post. That of client-people needing, and yes, often seeking out allies at the agency. Why? Purely because they have little cross-category learnings to leverage from. One of the greatest gifts the agency business gives us.
Nice video. Its crazy how clients put all their money on the debrief and what comes of it. We know consumers control stuff, but then there has to be a line drawn somewhere. In my little time working on a real account, I have seen quite a few good spots killed by research.
I think its about how much you believe in the research, and also its about how much you believe in the creative. From what I know, Nike doesn't test any of its spots. They just listen to it, take a gut reaction and decide to go ahead or no. Maybe that's why they make iconic advertising? :) Research needs to be used as a sounding board, not as an end in itself. The clients have to develop a spine when it comes to research, seriously.
Satish
A lot of this research game is very us vs them...
Client vs the agency
ad agency vs the research agency
creative vs servicing
creative vs planning
And much of the time, there is total suspension of common sense when reading or evaluating the research!
Post a Comment