Measuring the True Impact of an Ad, Commercial or FSI Coupon

Abstract

A system for pre-testing advertisements commercials and coupons to determine their impact is on respondents. The system improves upon current existing forms of advertisement which are often inaccurate regarding users' true interests, and which do not make a respondent follow through with his or her answers, making it difficult to know if his or her answers are accurate. In the system, respondents are compelled to spend their free time reading further if they have real interest in the advertisement, and/or or to give information such as their email address or home address to get further information. This type of pre-testing allows a more accurate determination of whether respondents are truly interested in the goods or services in the advertisements that they are shown.

Claims

1. A method for testing the impact of promotional materials, comprising the steps of: a. placing a test commercial for a test product or service within media; b. providing the media for a respondent to view at a test site, with the ability to change channels at will; c. seating the respondent in front of a computer screen at the test site, and requesting that the respondent visit several Internet sites in order to rate the site's ability to provide them with information of interest, with the test product or service being among a number of listed products or services; d. monitoring the respondent with a computer to determine whether he or she attempts to access further information regarding the test product or service; and, e. monitoring the respondent with a computer to determine whether he or she requests that a discount offer be made available regarding the test product or service.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the media is television programming.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic in the form of a flow chart of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The present invention addresses these realities and overcomes the above disadvantages by fundamentally changing how information is gathered and marketing communications are pre-tested. The invention provides a solution for the problems and shortcomings of the current existing pre-testing technology.

[0013] In accordance with the invention, a system is provided where the respondent watches television with an ability to switch channels or read through a newspaper or magazine—each with numerous ads and without the respondent being told the true purpose of the test. This provides an environment most closely simulating the one in which the ads will be encountered in the real world.

[0014] Upon completion, each respondent is shown the names or pictures of the test product and competitors on a computer screen and asked if they would like to see more information. If they choose to click on a product picture, they will spend more of their free time now reading about it. These initial responses by the respondent provide some insight into their real level of interest.

[0015] The respondent is then shown the same names on a screen and asked if they would like information and/or a discount coupon to be sent to their homes or email address. If so, they then input their real home address and/or email address. This yet further provides insight into the respondent's true level of interest. In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the inventions, the extra information or coupons come from a second computer of the testing service (“in-house” computer”), and, therefore, does not require real websites or multiple brochures to be made for the test, especially if the test product has yet to come to market.

[0016] The advantage of the present invention is that this method of pre-testing is far more accurate in measuring the persuasive power of an ad than mere representations by a respondent. As the common saying goes, “talk is cheap.” It is easy to have a respondent agree that they think a given advertisement is persuasive and/or meaningful. However, “time is money.” A respondent who spends more of his or her free time to voluntarily read more about the product shows true interest. Likewise, “actions speak louder than words.” For a respondent to request that material be sent to his or her personal address means that the advertisement had real impact.

[0017] Thus, the present invention is able to assess respondents' true interest in advertisements and allows advertisers to use this information to come up with the best possible strategies to catch consumers' attention.

[0018] The method and system of the present inventions is a significant advantage over what currently exists to measure the true impact of a commercial. Simply asking respondents about the effectiveness of an ad after exposure to a commercial or ad has been found to be highly unpredictable of real world performance. As described for example, in FIG. 1, the present invention is able to more accurately measure whether people are interested in a given advertisement.

[0019] In accordance with the inventions, an example of the systems of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. As indicated therein, in a first step, a testing agency or service, places one or more test commercials within TV programs or other media (whether internet or otherwise), the commercials preferably placed in a way to not call unusual attention to themselves.

[0020] In a second step, respondents view the prepared TV shows (with test and filler commercials) at home or in the test site, with the ability to change channels at will—supposedly for their review of the TV show of their choice. The computers of the present invention make sure the test commercial appears in the show of their selection.

[0021] Afterwards, in a third step, respondents are seated in front of a computer screen, and told to visit a few Internet sites in order to rate the site's ability to provide them with information of interest. On each of the sites, the test product is among a number of listed products.

[0022] In a fourth step, monitoring is conducted to answer the key question of whether exposure to the TV commercial increased the consumer's true desire for more information. In particular, the respondent is monitored to determined whether they clicked for more information.

[0023] As a final measure of stimulated interest, discount offers and/or promotional materials (such as giveaways, etc.) are listed for a number of products, including the test item. In a fifth step, the respondent is then monitored to determine whether he or she will request the discount offer. In an alternative or additional embodiment of the fourth step, the respondent is asked to give further information such as their email address or home address to get further information or to get offers such as discounts, and giveaways, and so forth.

[0024] The fourth and fifth steps can, of course, be conducted in either order. Likewise, either one, or both of, those steps can be conducted as part of a method and system consistent with the inventions.

[0025] In the fourth step, clicking for further information, and in the fifth step, requesting the discount offer or promotional materials, the consumer/test subject/respondent's actions provide valuable information regarding his or her true interest in a given advertisement. As opposed to traditional methods, the present inventions provide a more highly accurate means of testing the interest of consumers in promotional materials, such as advertisements, commercials, coupons, and other marketing.

[0026] The above description is considered that of certain embodiments of the present invention only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.