DATAMINE.03 NEW MODELS OF MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS

From Integration to Orchestration

Authors : Cox, Crowther, Hubbard, Turner
Publisher : WARC 2011

Some of the books in the Meerkats library are drier than others, and this publication would probably win the prize for being the driest.  Even our nerdiest Strategy Planners have struggled through it.  Fortunately, we’ve saved you the trouble, and here are the key learning’s in this book review!

The background to this book is that the authors have reviewed 10 years of entries into the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK (IPA) effectiveness awards to determine the most effective style of campaign at driving brand growth.  So it’s worth the effort for our Planners to read.

The theme of the report is to question traditional models of integration in advertising campaigns to see if they have been eclipsed by more modern approaches like the loose, conceptual ‘orchestration’ of campaigns.  Think ANZ’s Simon Baker campaign vs NAB’s break up with your bank campaign.

The definitions used to describe campaign approaches are worth considering, as the report tries to flush out which is the most effective;

1. No integration – appears in just one media channel, or utilises unconnected executions
2. Advertising led integration – the “matching luggage” concept of having advertising look and feel the same regardless of the medium
3. Brand idea-led orchestration – the campaign has a central theme, but it can look and feel different in mediums
4. Participation led orchestration – the consumers participates in an experience that evolves over the campaign (the best example is the ‘vote a new flavour of chips/beverage/snackfood that eventually is launched down the track’ strategy.)

What we liked about the report was the distinction and clarity around brand performance measures.  These are;

Hard business measures, like sales growth, new customer acquisition, profit growth, market share defence or growth, customer loyalty and reduction in price sensitivity.

Soft measures, like brand awareness, loyalty, trust, differentiation, esteem, fame and values.

Below are some simple conclusions that the report makes.  By all means contact Meerkats Planning team if you’d like some more detail, or the conditions behind these findings;

• Multi-channel campaigns are more effective than single-channel ones
• TV is still the most effective medium at driving hard and soft brand measures
• Three is the most effective number of advertising media to drive hard business measures
• Advertising coupled with a DM component or sales promotion is the most effective combination to drive hard business success
• Less participatory campaign models still seem to be the most effective on harder sales measures, whereas participatory campaigns excel mainly in a defensive role – rewarding existing customers
• A brand icon or persona (think Finn from the iiNet campaigns) is “an extremely effective integration device and delivers both hard-nosed business gains and softer brand fame success.”

As you might expect, the conclusion is that the right solution for a brand at a given point in time is highly dependent on the campaign objectives.  The authors suggest that clear goals, small, tight teams operating in a collaborative approach will lead to the development of the right campaign strategy.  We agree.