Dice are good, effect is better
Advertisers think first about maximizing revenue and then about the creativity of the ad
Advertisers think first about optimizing sales and then about advertising creativityBy Werner Reimann and Christina Isele*
Is creative advertising more successful on the market than non-creative advertising? And what can awards contribute to quality improvement and market success? Answers to these questions were found in a telephone survey of decision-makers in BSW agencies and advertising-intensive companies with a view to the award distribution of the Art Directors Club Switzerland (ADC). It was conducted by the survey institute IHA.GfM.
Creativity is increasingly being recommended as a remedy in the industry. This is because the flooding of the public with advertising stimuli in recent years has led to messages being paid less and less attention. Now creativity is supposed to do the trick and ensure that consumers pay the necessary attention to advertising. At least
This message has now been received. Not only the agency managers surveyed are almost without exception convinced that creative quality is important in advertising, but also almost all exponents of the advertising industry.
Logically, good advertising for advertisers is therefore characterized above all by the fact that it is original or funny - and therefore creative - that
it "conveys the message in a creative way". The clients naturally see things a little differently. For them, the focus is still on the tangible. Although they also like to talk about originality most often, they emphasize much more often than their contacts in the advertising agencies that advertising should simply pass on information, be geared towards the target group, be profitable and create a memorable value.
After all, both target groups - advertising clients and
The majority of creative advertisers - and almost all of those who use them - believe that creative advertising is usually or even almost always more successful in the market than others. They believe this, because it cannot be proven. How can different campaigns, which are aimed at different target audiences for different products on different channels, be objectively compared and uniformly measured in terms of their impact?
An ADC award really does promise success on the market
The ADC has taken up the cause of recognizing good - i.e. creative - advertising every year and thus doing something for the quality of advertising in the country. Does this make sense? Paid and paid advertisers are of the same opinion by a ratio of two to one: yes, it makes sense to evaluate and award advertising. This was already the case in the last survey in 1996.
And there are even more parallels in the results of the two groups surveyed: three quarters of agency heads and decision-makers at advertising-intensive companies who are familiar with the ADC consider it competent to assess advertising. Finally, exactly half of the advertisers surveyed and only a slightly smaller proportion of company representatives are convinced that ADC-awarded advertising is also more successful in the market than non-award-winning advertising.
After almost all of the respondents had previously stated that creative advertising was more successful in the market than non-creative advertising, it can therefore be concluded: Not all creative advertising is - and cannot be - honored by the ADC. However, this does not mean that the illustrious club of art directors also awards prizes to non-creative advertising.
Incidentally, five years ago, only 13% of respondents in both survey groups were convinced that an ADC award also meant success in the market. The award ceremony has therefore clearly gained in acceptance and significance since then.
The "raison d'être" of the ADC is no longer controversial
This is also reflected in the fact that no less than 84% of the BSW experts surveyed and 74% of the representatives of the top 500 companies are convinced that an institution like the ADC is needed. Five years ago, its raison d'être was much more controversial, especially among clients.
Enough of the agreement between advertising agencies and their clients. Awarding good advertising should not be an end in itself, but should lead to better advertising. But this is precisely where clients no longer want to follow the experts in the agencies: Just under two thirds of advertisers, but only one third of clients in advertising-intensive companies, believe that awarding prizes for advertising promotes its quality. Five years ago, less than half of the respondents in both groups were of this opinion. Since then, this gap has widened.
Now the awarding of prizes for advertising is a not insignificant concern of the Art Directors Club. This is why the navel-gazing of the advertisers is different from that of the clients. But it is noticeable that in both groups a significantly higher proportion is more sympathetic to the ADC awards than to awards in general.
Last but not least, the crucial question with regard to the annual ADC event: Is it worthwhile for your company to win an ADC award? A good half of the representatives of the BSW agencies surveyed said yes. But only one in four from advertising-intensive companies. This shows once again in all clarity: the clients do not really believe in the effect of the "award".
The survey showed that the ADC and its activities generally enjoy a good reputation in the industry and that its acceptance has also improved over the last five years. However, it can do no harm if its concerns are heard even more than before among advertising clients. This can be achieved by talking directly to customers.
The survey also revealed that decision-makers in advertising agencies and advertising-intensive companies have something else in common: For both, WerbeWoche is the most widely read trade magazine in the marketing communications industry.
* The two authors are members of
of the communications research team at IHA.GfM in Dübendorf.
Advertisers on this side and the other
Is creative advertising more successful on the market than non-creative advertising? And what can awards contribute to quality improvement and market success? Answers to these questions were found in a telephone survey of decision-makers in BSW agencies and advertising-intensive companies with a view to the award distribution of the Art Directors Club Switzerland (ADC). It was conducted by the survey institute IHA.GfM.
Creativity is increasingly being recommended as a remedy in the industry. This is because the flooding of the public with advertising stimuli in recent years has led to messages being paid less and less attention. Now creativity is supposed to do the trick and ensure that consumers pay the necessary attention to advertising. At least
This message has now been received. Not only the agency managers surveyed are almost without exception convinced that creative quality is important in advertising, but also almost all exponents of the advertising industry.
Logically, good advertising for advertisers is therefore characterized above all by the fact that it is original or funny - and therefore creative - that
it "conveys the message in a creative way". The clients naturally see things a little differently. For them, the focus is still on the tangible. Although they also like to talk about originality most often, they emphasize much more often than their contacts in the advertising agencies that advertising should simply pass on information, be geared towards the target group, be profitable and create a memorable value.
After all, both target groups - advertising clients and
The majority of creative advertisers - and almost all of those who use them - believe that creative advertising is usually or even almost always more successful in the market than others. They believe this, because it cannot be proven. How can different campaigns, which are aimed at different target audiences for different products on different channels, be objectively compared and uniformly measured in terms of their impact?
An ADC award really does promise success on the market
The ADC has taken up the cause of recognizing good - i.e. creative - advertising every year and thus doing something for the quality of advertising in the country. Does this make sense? Paid and paid advertisers are of the same opinion by a ratio of two to one: yes, it makes sense to evaluate and award advertising. This was already the case in the last survey in 1996.
And there are even more parallels in the results of the two groups surveyed: three quarters of agency heads and decision-makers at advertising-intensive companies who are familiar with the ADC consider it competent to assess advertising. Finally, exactly half of the advertisers surveyed and only a slightly smaller proportion of company representatives are convinced that ADC-awarded advertising is also more successful in the market than non-award-winning advertising.
After almost all of the respondents had previously stated that creative advertising was more successful in the market than non-creative advertising, it can therefore be concluded: Not all creative advertising is - and cannot be - honored by the ADC. However, this does not mean that the illustrious club of art directors also awards prizes to non-creative advertising.
Incidentally, five years ago, only 13% of respondents in both survey groups were convinced that an ADC award also meant success in the market. The award ceremony has therefore clearly gained in acceptance and significance since then.
The "raison d'être" of the ADC is no longer controversial
This is also reflected in the fact that no less than 84% of the BSW experts surveyed and 74% of the representatives of the top 500 companies are convinced that an institution like the ADC is needed. Five years ago, its raison d'être was much more controversial, especially among clients.
Enough of the agreement between advertising agencies and their clients. Awarding good advertising should not be an end in itself, but should lead to better advertising. But this is precisely where clients no longer want to follow the experts in the agencies: Just under two thirds of advertisers, but only one third of clients in advertising-intensive companies, believe that awarding prizes for advertising promotes its quality. Five years ago, less than half of the respondents in both groups were of this opinion. Since then, this gap has widened.
Now the awarding of prizes for advertising is a not insignificant concern of the Art Directors Club. This is why the navel-gazing of the advertisers is different from that of the clients. But it is noticeable that in both groups a significantly higher proportion is more sympathetic to the ADC awards than to awards in general.
Last but not least, the crucial question with regard to the annual ADC event: Is it worthwhile for your company to win an ADC award? A good half of the representatives of the BSW agencies surveyed said yes. But only one in four from advertising-intensive companies. This shows once again in all clarity: the clients do not really believe in the effect of the "award".
The survey showed that the ADC and its activities generally enjoy a good reputation in the industry and that its acceptance has also improved over the last five years. However, it can do no harm if its concerns are heard even more than before among advertising clients. This can be achieved by talking directly to customers.
The survey also revealed that decision-makers in advertising agencies and advertising-intensive companies have something else in common: For both, WerbeWoche is the most widely read trade magazine in the marketing communications industry.
* The two authors are members of
of the communications research team at IHA.GfM in Dübendorf.
Advertisers on this side and the other
On behalf of the Art Directors Club (Switzerland) and WerbeWoche, IHA.GfM conducted a telephone survey between January 9 and 19, 2001 of a total of 200 people responsible for marketing or communication at advertising-intensive companies (the so-called Top 500 according to Media Focus) and 50 owners or senior members of BSW agencies. Some of the questions had already been put to both target groups in a similar survey in 1996.
