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Advertising Research
RECOGNITION TESTS: the readership of print advertisement is primarily measured with recognition
procedures. In the recognition method, personal interviews are conducted with a sample of 100-150
adults of each sex for each issue of a magazine. For example, if the magazine or newspaper has a youthful
audience, a younger sample is recruited. The respondent is asked whether or not the specific periodical
has been read. For those who answer positively, the issue is opened at a page specified in advance to
prevent order bias and then three measures of recognition are taken as follows:
- Noted: the percentage of readers who remember seeing the advertisement.
- Seen Associated: the percentage of readers who saw or read a part of the advertisement that
indicated the brand or advertiser. - Read Most: the percentage of readers who read half or more of the written material in the
advertisement.
Additionally, these scores are ranked for all the advertisements in the periodical, and cost ratios are
given which relate readers to the money spent on the advertisement. Standard scores for types of product
classes and periodicals are also available. The limitation of recognition procedures is the possibility
of respondents confusing advertisements with other similar ones, forgetting, and false claiming. Also
product interest may distort memory of advertisement.
RECALL TESTS: copies of test magazines are delivered to sample of about 150 – 300 respondents and
telephone interviews are arranged for the next day. Respondents are spread through 10 major geographic
areas. They are asked to read the magazines in a normal pattern. In the follow–up, a list of advertisements
appearing in the magazine is read; while respondents identify those they remember.
Result scores should prove name recognition, idea communication and favourable attitude. Measurement
goes beyond recognition to recall of specifics of the advertisements and its impact.
Recall tests may understate the advertisement impact as cues given to simulative respondent memory
are not storing. Recall does not necessarily relate to the respondent undertaking the desired buying
behaviour or the advertising reaching its objectives.
SALES TESTS: sales tests measure the impact of the sales of the product. Care should be taken when
using this method, since sales are influenced by so many factors. Evaluating advertisements using this
method can be done with the involvement or application of the experimental and quasi-experimental
procedures, plus the mechanics of test marketing or other panel procedures. (Shimp, 2000; Kotler, and
Keller, 2013)