Good, bad, ugly in ads, adverts, advertising

interesting role! B2B can be a bit of a minefield for analysis, due to long purchase decision making cycles;
See an ad--> take it to someone senior --> take it to some random committee--> get finance sign off--> purchase

Can be hard to keep track through the whole process when we look at it aggregate, individual data tracking obviously helps.

Agreed - also doesn't help that spend is more sporadic and changeable than something like FMCG or single service consumer brands.

Still - always like a challenge. I've spent the last 12 years in B2B roles so no different really.

Does it take into consideration things like the lockdown driving people to order more takeout as a replacement for restaurants? I've always wondered how precise it can go when measuring impact of ads (I'm a freelance creative that that often works in ad land, hence the interest). Not trying to knock the efficacy of your analysis, just curious as to how that side of it works.

Yep, econometrics only works as well as the data that goes into it ( and the person running the analysis), and Covid is certainly leading to some interesting debates as to the impact, thankfully there are lots of data streams available which does help, we have a lot of success of using Google trends data on a basket of key terms to understand the shape of the consumer response. The main complicating factor is that most brands responded to Covid happening, normally in a way that has not been seen before, so it’s hard to know what is the effect of Covid is and what the effect of the changes in response to Covid, if that makes sense? Good example is we have a client who did a 2 week free trial, when Covid hit they got a massive rush in sign ups, so they changed their offer to 50% off, which changed sales, but it’s difficult to unpick what is caused by Covid and what is caused by the change in offer.

I do the analysis for Just Eat ads

"I confess" >>>>>>>>

Detailed answer, thanks.

I guess this can only be better than focus group pre-testing. No better way to kill a good advert than ask a room full of people what they think of it.

God yes.
Only thing we have found testing useful for is setting the adstock length (better creative = longer adstock = stays in memory longer) in a model, which is a pretty fundamental thing to know, with a longer adstock you have to deploy less ratings to get the same effect, and there tends to be a correlation (albeit weak) between testing and adstock length.

By far and away not my worst.

I was heavily involved in the launch of Autoglass TV and Radio adverts. I pushed to keep the jingle against many who wanted to drop it, slightly regret that now.

You mean all of this is your doing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EwQepDqru8

Interesting about the adstock, never heard that term before. It'd be impossible to do objectively, but I'd love to run modern day analysis on some 'classic' ads (Guinness Surfers, Nike Write the Future etc) and see how they fare. Nowadays there's a constant tension between creative and client: client wants something new and innovative but also wants to know exactly what it will look like and be sure that it will 'work'. Not always the best process for creativity, but there's enough brave clients to make some interesting stuff happen still.

Yep, I take some of the credit that!

Yes, there is a tension constantly between short termism and the fact that people are bonused on what happens this year and actually thinking long term. Econometrics only picks up short term effects (anyone who says they build in long term effects is selling snake oil), and in most cases adverts do not pay back in the short term even in revenue terms let alone profit, so people intrinsically buy into the fact it is having a long term effect, even if it is not being measured. The issues comes from knowing how the long term effect differs by media, there is a long held assumption that TV has a bigger long term effect that other channels (plenty out there on this, see Len Lodish for early examples), but it is very hard to prove.
I have worked on a number of highly creative campaigns, and they have all had varying results, off the top of my head

Cadburys gorilla: little to no impact on sales (despite what the award entries say...)
Honda Live ads: Clear uplift in some key metrics
Hovis 120 anniversary spot: worked OK

so good creative can certainly move the needle, I'm a big fan of ehrenberg principles, so often point people towards "How brands grow" by Byron Sharp, to try and get people to really think about how advertising really works, and not just base things on gut feel or even worse what they did last year...

remember when jeeps were used to kill fascists, not compromise with them? pepperidge farm remembers.

bruce fucking springsteen... what happened?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2XYH-IEvhI

nice to see the 4 horsemen by aphrodites child being used in an ad for electric vehicle that's saving the planet. love that track. i hope more people discover that whole lp from the ad though even if its not quite the right fit thematically

Yeah. Found that a bit odd considering the subject of the song.

Banger though and 666 is a cracker.

Yeah that whole lp is good.
Also soulful strut/ am I the same girl being used for insurance with a cartoon mole made me smile. What great track. Proper summer smiles

How brands grow

I finally picked this up earlier this year. I am enjoying it so far, thanks

Cazoo YEAH you can

Doesn't make sense to me

https://youtu.be/1yUA-Ov1s-M

Does anyone remember Wonky the Tesco trolley?
https://youtu.be/-Q7pMMvx5ds

Life imitating art? Well this trolley, on my dog walk, is behind the tree that appears in the advert when the joggers run by. CSB.

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Could have sworn I just heard Ogmios on a 'Think!' road safety advert before a Youtube video just now but didn't react quick enough to be able to follow it through anywhere. Said something along the lines of 'We've got to watch out for our scooter riding brothers' or similar. Was I just hallucinating or can someone confirm they've seen it too? Could be 'Think!' immitating Ogmios' style as well maybe.

Pretty sure it's him. Also did a TFL advert and has a few BBC3 episodes upcoming.

It's the man himself.

He's gone and got himself a BBC 3 series and doing the Think / TFL ads. Pleased for him.

Who signed off this shite? It's on constantly on channel 4 streamed ad breaks.

https://youtu.be/6hHLdjbalGg

McDonald's ad with loads of cunts fake laughing.
Wat?

Dear consumer,

The only way to derive any enjoyment from your sad fucking lives is to eat shit food until you die.

Lots of love,
Big M

Mega creepy