Marketing Communications

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Marketing Communications

191

Advertising Research

INQUIRY TESTS

Inquiry tests measure the effectiveness of an advertisement on the basis of either measured sales or
consumer inquiries that result directly from the advertisement. They may be measured by levels of
coupon returns of a contest or orders received for a direct – action advertisement.

The consumer response is a directly measurable sale. Different creative approaches can be compared in
three ways:

1. By placing the advertisement in successive issues of the same magazine or newspaper


2. By placing them simultaneously in different media vehicles


3. By placing different versions in split runs of the publication – half the copies of the vehicle
   contain one advertisement and the other half another advertisement.

Inquiring test provides a direct measure of response with no interview being required, reducing costs
and artificial reactions due to the interviewing process.

Limitation: the presence of a coupon may attract attention and obscure creative difference among
advertisements. Some people may perceive and be attitudinally influenced by the advertisement but not
return of the coupons. Also, the inquiry may not translate into buying action.

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