I’m not a die-hard speed freak, but you can be sure I’ll be the first in line for a drive in your new Ferrari F140, and when it comes to web surfing, you can sign me up for the fastest connection you’ve got. (Comcast, we really need to talk.) But, is speed a relevant selling point when it comes to media research? Adcentricity’s Rob Gorrie seems to be betting on it as he launches “Research Lite”; what he calls a “quick- hit” research solution for the DOOH industry.
For those of you who know me, I’m the “creative guy.” I’m passionate about big ideas and bringing them to life in the digital out of home space. My view on research is that it’s good if you want a temperature test, but don’t bet the whole creative shop on the results you get back. I spoke to Rob last week on this subject and he presented a compelling case that even the “creative guy” could get his head around.
We’ve all experienced the brand pushback when it comes to DOOH; what’s my ROI? What sales lift can I expect? Can I see some case studies? Questions I’d was happy to let the sales guys at a meeting answer before I jumped in with the fun creative stuff. But as I see our industry mature, I’m of the view that creative and research need to work hand in hand if we’re going to provide our clients with meaningful creative executions that actually have impact in the digital out of home space. You can read the press release here at: http://www.dailydooh.com/archives/13843
For years, I was part of yearly Nielsen viewership studies where creative was optimized for the test period. The results were impressive, especially for brand recall, but I could never shake the feeling that we needed to provide our clients more than eyeball numbers and confirmation that customers knew their brands. That’s why I think Adcentricity’s approach makes a lot of sense. Here’s a pre-packaged solution that’s cost effective and seems to help advertisers get a clear sense of what’s working or not and swap out creative or tweak frequencies and placement very quickly.
I’m encouraged to see so much activity in this area, but I see it as the tip of a very large iceberg. As more interactive screens are deployed, we should use this type of research to figure out exactly what interactive experiences customers want, how sophisticated the user-interface needs to be, and what’s that one key creative element that’s going to persuade consumers to touch the screen and interact.
Is “Research Lite” a game changer? Probably not, but it’s a big step forward in accountability for our industry and as a creative agency, it offers us the ability to test creative executions quickly and in a cost-effective way. It should also help us develop creative guidelines for specific DOOH venues, which means we have a more compelling story to tell advertisers, media buyers and creatives. From where I stand, if ‘Research Lite” can get us towards that end goal, they should have a hit on their hands.
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