10.2.4 Methods for evaluating the results of an advertising campaign

Determining the effectiveness of an advertising campaign as an important controlling element of advertising activity is an actual problem. At the same time, neither in our country nor abroad has an exact relationship been found between the amounts spent on specific advertising campaigns and the results due to the presence of many side factors. For example, it is difficult to distinguish between the effect of promotional activities and the result of personal sales, the activities of commercial agents, unexpected specific sales conditions (seasonality, price increases, etc.).

Efficiency should be considered from the point of view of implementing advertiser’s target programs. Advertising is engaged not so much in order to create a favorable attitude towards the advertised product, work, service, but rather in order to contribute to the achievement of the advertiser’s entrepreneurial goal.

Advertising is just one of the tools that have an impact on the sale of goods. When advertising does not help sales, the advertiser responds to the situation: it activates the sellers, seeks to raise prices, organizes the sale of goods, etc. Therefore, the effectiveness of the advertising campaign should be assessed taking into account the full range of implementation conditions, coverage of all factors affecting the achievement of advertiser’s goals.

Performance evaluation should reflect the position of the product, work, service in the market, i.e cover all factors contributing to or hindering product sales.

To carry out this assessment, American experts recommend to reserve about 5% of the amount allocated for advertising purposes. These funds are spent on the analysis of the current results of the advertising campaign.

In the field of advertising, it is difficult to obtain an accuracy of efficiency measurement, such as, for example, in determining returns as a result of equipping production with new equipment.

However, there are methods that allow you to calculate the necessary additional allocations for the advertising campaign, as well as adjust its focus:

1. Systemic accumulation and use in work of letters and remarks on the course of the sale of goods from commercial agents, as well as consumers, containing a positive or negative reaction to an advertising campaign and revealing its advantages and disadvantages,

2. Purposeful accounting of requests for the supply of goods or additional information about him received after the advertising campaign. As a result, the number of requests, the reasons for their occurrence (advertisements, exhibitions, verbal messages, etc.) and such an important factor for analyzing effectiveness as expenses for one request are established (this way makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of subsequent advertising campaigns using direct marketing, through the formation of address lists, covering segments of consumers directly interested in the advertised product).

3. Analysis of the positive public opinion or exhibition events that emerged during the campaign, publications containing information about the attitude of consumers to the advertiser, to the product, as well as the market reaction to the actions taken.

4. The use of research, which is carried out in order to stimulate the interests of readers, viewers, listeners and attract advertisers, some means of disseminating advertising.

5. Establishing the number of potential consumers familiar with a particular advertisement, the degree of its memorability and understanding of the information contained in it.

Measuring the effectiveness of advertising should be considered as a continuous process. It cannot be limited only to the assessment of the final result, the measurement of effectiveness must be carried out at all stages of promotional activities, i.e. when choosing a goal, planning an advertising campaign, choosing the optimal version of the plan, in the production of advertising funds, as well as their distribution and transfer to storage. The overall effectiveness, which is determined at the final stage, also consists of the effectiveness of individual advertising elements.

The whole process of evaluating the effectiveness of advertising can be divided into the following stages:

1. The formulation of the advertising task, the preparation of its implementation plan are based on market research data. At this stage, an indicative assessment of the effectiveness of the advertising campaign is carried out.

2. Preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of the advertising campaign on the design options for advertising funds, their content and form.

3. A preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of advertising tools should also be carried out in the process of their production, distribution and directly with the impact on the consumer.

4. Subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of the advertising campaign is almost the final stage of the advertising campaign. It provides an opportunity to conduct a general assessment of the entire advertising campaign and allows you to identify the shortcomings made at the previous stages of measuring the effectiveness of advertising.