文案测试
文案测试是广告研究中针对特定广告进行的市场调查。在广告播出前,根据受访者的反应、反馈和行为,预计广告的成效。文案测试有时称作广告前测,而且不局限于平面文案,亦包括其他媒体,例如电视、电台、户外、互联网和社交媒体。
自动化文案测试是数位行销中针对数位广告的市场调查。异于一般文案测试,自动化文案测试采用真实使用者和环境进行检测。获邀的使用者安装特定电脑软件后如常浏览互联网,其浏览的数位广告会被换为受测试的数位文案。自动化文案测试一般以统计学的 Z-test 决定数据是否存在显著性差异。如果受测广告的表现显著高于基准,则广告商可采用该特定广告。
特点
1982年,21家美国顶尖的广告公司推出共同声明,规划出优良文案测试应该具备的条件,这份声明称为 PACT (Positioning Advertising Copy Testing)。
这21家广告公司包括:爱尔 N. W. Ayer、D' Arcy、Grey、麦肯 McCann Erickson、Needham Harper & Steers、奥美 Ogilvy & Mather、J. Walter Thompson 和 Young & Rubicam。
- 提供与广告目标相关的指标
- 每一次测试前,为如何运用测试结果取得共识
- 提供多项指标,因为单一指标未必可以完全反映广告的表现
- 建基于人类对广告的反应 - 有否留意广告、理解内容、和作出反应
- 容许受测文案有否需要出现多于一次
- 明白受测文案越趋完成,评估越趋成熟。最起码,出现的其他文案应处于相约的完成程度。
- 提供对照组,避免因为实验环境导致的误差
- 对受访者特征作基本考虑
- 符合研究效度和信度
文案测试的指标
回忆 Recall
回忆是指受访者能否清楚记起看过受测文案。
1950年代最盛行的回忆指标是“次日广告回忆(Day-After-Recall, DAR”。广告在文案测试时出现,受访者会在次日接获访问并要求回答所有能记起的广告。这个指标旨在量度广告是否有效“突破”,被宝洁公司采用后一度成为研究的主要指标(Honomichl)。
1970-90年代,不同研究指出回忆指标与实际销量几乎没有关连(Adams & Blair; Blair; Blair & Kuse; Blair & Rabuck; Jones; Jones & Blair; MASB; Mondello; Stewart)。例如,宝洁公司分析十年剖开式电线的销量与 DAR 指标(共100组),并没有找出任何显著关系(Young, 3–30页)。此外,禾顿商学院的 Leonard Lodish 进行更深入的分析,没有找出任何回忆与销量之间的关系(Lodish 125–139页)。
1970年代重新审视“渗透力(Cut-through)”,并区分广告吸引注意的能力,和品牌连结度(Brand Linkage)(Young, 12页)。
说服力 Persuasion
说服力是指受访者观看广告后在消费行为上的差异,有时称作推动力 Motivation。
当次日回忆指标 DAR 被认定不能预测销量后,衍生出以消费行为为本的指标,以更准确预测广告为销量带来的影响。是次改革,某程度上,如 Horace Schwerin 指出:“十分明显,受访者清楚回忆广告,可能与其消费行为全不相关,比如受访者根本完全不需要广告内的商品”。(Honomichl)正如次日广告回忆指标 DAR,宝洁公司接受 ARS 说服力指标后(亦称品牌喜爱度)正为行业的主要指标。文案测试报告继续提供回忆指标,但说服力指标才是重心(Honomichl)。
Mapes & Ross 研究公司的 Harold Ross 指出 ARS 说服力指标更能预测销量(Ross),而且指标的效度亦刊登于不同刊物内。(Adams & Blair; Jones & Blair; MASB; Mondello)
诊断 Diagnostic
诊断的主要目的是改良广告。透过了解不同的诊断指标可以帮助广告商找出改良广告的方法(Young, 7页)。
非语言 Non-Verbal
非语言指标是指特定广告对受访者的影响,尤其非常困难以文字或评分作出判断的影响(例如情绪)。事实上,有人认为广告影响受访者的潜意识(Young, 7页)。根据杨格(Chuck Young):我们最喜爱的歌曲内往往有一些我们无法言明的弦外之音(Young, 22页)。
1970年代,研究员开始追踪受访者观看广告时脑波的变化,以非语言的方式量度广告(Krugman)。其他实验包括皮肤电阻感应、声调分析和眼动追踪(Young, 22页)。这些方法并未广泛采用,主因是技术上的限制,以及费用高昂,一般被视为学术研究而非可行的研究。
1980年代,研究员开始视广告为“一连串具结构的经验”,而非单一评分的个体,衍生出实时量度广告经验的工具。
参见
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- Lodish, L. M., M. Abraham, S. Kalmenson, J. Livelsberger, B. Lubetkin, B. Richardson, & M. E. Stevens. "How TV Advertising Works: A Meta-Analysis of 389 Real World Split Cable TV Advertising Experiments." Journal of Marketing Research, May 1995: 125-139.
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- Mondello, M. "Turning Research Into Return-on-Investment." Journal of Advertising Research, July/August 1996.
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- Understanding Copy Pretesting (1994). Published by Advertising Research Foundation, NY.
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- www.copymetrics.com.
- Young, C. E. The Advertising Research Handbook, Ideas in Flight, Seattle, WA, April 2005.
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