Measuring the lift in brand awareness from product placement in a television series.

Issue

The client needed to measure the lift in brand awareness from product placement in a primetime reality program that reached their target audience.

Action

A recruit-to-view methodology was used with control and test groups. The test group was recruited to view an episode of the program with the product placement and the control group was recruited to view an episode without the placement. Respondents in each group (test and control) received the same questionnaire. Lift in brand awareness perception was measured in the test vs. control group.

Result

With the ability to control the variables between the control and test groups, the client was able to effectively measure the impact from the placement among category users, current users, and purchase intenders. They discovered that recall of the brand and the category was significantly higher among those in the test group who viewed the program with the product placement. The product was also significantly more likely to be in the consideration set for viewers in the test group. Finally, heavy category users within the test group were significantly more likely to rate the product favorably.

Testing integrated campaigns for promotion of a cable network movie special.

Issue

A major cable client was looking to identify the most effective promotional materials for their first original two-night movie event.

Action

The following media assets were incorporated into an online survey and presented to a qualified sample from E-Poll's proprietary panel:

• 1 written concept description
• 2 video trailers
• 7 print ad concepts
• 10 taglines

Using E-Poll's MediaSafe(tm) technology, the client was able to evaluate these media assets in a secure environment. By incorporating all media within a single survey, the client was able to get faster, more consistent results. The most appealing elements from the tested materials were used to create an effective, unified marketing campaign.

Result

The program was the most watched basic cable TV event in 2006, and the second most watched cable movie in the past 5 years. It was also a Golden Globe Nominee

Examining top tennis pros for value and marketability

Issue

The client wanted to evaluate awareness, appeal and attributes of 20 professional tennis players, among adults 18-54 who currently reside in the United Kingdom, with the goal of proving that female tennis players have the same or higher market value than their male counterparts.

Action

Respondents were exposed to 20 athletes in random order to eliminate any first-position bias. The total number of respondents were equally divided between "name only" and "face only" awareness. Awareness was the qualifier for each athlete evaluated in the study. Following awareness, respondents evaluated the athlete's appeal, 10-20 personality attributes, and an open-ended question to collect valuable qualitative feedback.

Result

The All-England Club announced that for the first time in its 130-year history, it will be awarding equal prize money to the men and women starts with the 2007 Wimbledon Championships.

Creating a respondent community of women viewers of a specific cable network

Issue

E-Poll was asked to build an exclusive panel site for a women's cable network. They wanted to quantify and trend women's attitudes, preferences, and behaviors, tap into loyal, occasional and non-viewer bases, and identify high value viewer groups such as Gladwell's "Tipping Point" segments.

Action

E-Poll and the client established a coordinated marketing effort to recruit participants directly from the clients website. They were routed to a custom branded panel site and screened to weed out those outside the clients target demographic.

Result

The site and custom profile questionnaire were created and recruitment began just one month after project kickoff. The panel has enabled the client to conduct numerous low cost studies with their core audience to support strategic decisions, and serve internal stakeholders.

Issue

An agency looking for potential spokespersons wanted to sign a reasonably fresh face for the client's latest campaign. They had specific characteristics in mind for the type of person they wanted. However, they had no unbiased way to select possible names to supply to the client, or information about how consumers would react to different suggested choices.

Action

Using the online interface, the agency was able to search for celebrities using the following attributes: Trustworthy Greater than 20% Classy Greater than 20% Distinctive Voice Greater than 30% Unique Greater than 20% Overexposed Less than 8%

Result

The search yielded 30 individuals that matched the client's specific criteria. The agency was able to find the leader for each major attribute, and choose with confidence five celebrities based on availability, age range, and appearance that met their client's needs. The client got a short list for negotiations and final selection. The agency delivered the information in less than a day.

Identifying preferred automotive features among Gen Y owners.

Issue

A major auto manufacturer wanted to find out what kinds of audio and navigational options/features/accessories/components Gen Y compact vehicle owners would like to have in the next vehicle they purchase. It was a tight deadline as the marketing group was meeting soon to set campaign dates.

Action

E-Poll conducted a total of 6 focus groups among Gen Y compact vehicle owners across 3 markets, with 2 groups in each market. Groups were recruited from the E-Poll Panel to be 60% male, 40% female; the majority of respondents were between the ages of 18-26.

Result

The client learned that while there was significant interest in the latest audio and navigational electronics, there was far less willingness to pay for these extras. There was willingness, however, to pay a premium for manufacturer-installed equipment, as it would be designed specifically for the vehicle, and would be covered by the warranty.

Evaluating children's programming via our proprietary MediaSafe(tm) CD-ROM testing.

Issue

An evaluation was conducted to determine overall appeal and interest in a new children's program airing on a cable network. Specific areas of evaluation included characters, relationships, storylines and overall program concept.

Action

Through the E-Poll panel, adults with children 7-14 were contacted and asked if their child/children could have permission to participate in the project. Those who agreed would receive the program on a CD-ROM mailed to their home. Each respondent who viewed the program answered subsequent questions about the program. Specific areas of inquiry in the evaluation included:

• Overall feedback on characters
• Assessment of specific elements of the program General feedback on the show
• Rate segments of the show

Result

The client was able to identify specific elements, segments, characters, etc. that were most appealing as well as identify program elements kids say they would change. Using the CD-ROM methodology, the client was able to control the viewing experience and more importantly, measure the lift in appeal from initial presentation of the concept to post viewing.

2005 CTAM AWARD RECIPIENT

Recruit respondents to view DVD-ROM to evaluate the impact of product integrations in syndicated TV

Issue

The client wanted to evaluate the impact of digitally inserting a product into a syndicated television program such as Will and Grace to determine whether product placement affects recall. It will also assess the dynamics of product location in the program and measure the combined effectiveness of product placement and advertising to see whether product placement may be used as a supplement to, or replacement for commercials.

Action

An independent study was conducted on a sweetener brand among a total of 1,162 E-Poll panel members from April 8th-18th, 2005. Respondents were recruited by email to participate in an online survey. Each respondent was assigned to one of 5 cells and asked to watch an episode of Will & Grace on a DVD mailed to their residence. After viewing, each respondent was asked to complete a survey. The brand that was digitally inserted into the program was an artificial sweetener. The test included one control cell with no product placement or commercial for the brand to measure against each test scenario.

Result

Digital Brand Insertion (DBI) of products into existing television programming generated significant brand and product category recall among viewers. The combined placement of a DBI and a commercial for the brand produces unaided recall similar to that of two commercial placements among product category users.

Establishing PR hooks for launch of new product line

Issue

A famous chocolate maker was looking to launch a new product line. Their PR agency needed to create publicity hooks to generate awareness and interest.

Action

The survey targeted those who lived in the 20 states where the product would be sold. Respondents were asked about flavor preferences among category usage, favorite desert and other key data to generate content for PR.

Result

The survey provided the hooks needed to develop a full PR campaign, creating buzz across the country in anticipation of the product release.

Monitoring TV program appeal through character evaluations

Issue

A primetime series recently premiered on a broadcast network. A 2 hour pilot plus 3 episodes had been aired to date. The client wished to identify the most appealing characters in a primetime program among core viewers to drive future viewing.

Action

A sample of respondents were identified through E-Poll's FastTrack study. The study included relationship questions such as whether or not there were any relationships that they would have liked to see explored and why.

Result

They were able to determine which characters & relationships were the most compelling. As a result, the series continues to maintain a strong following throughout multiple seasons.

Selecting a new broadcast TV program title

Issue

Our client wanted to assess viewer attitude towards titles of a upcoming Broadcast Network comedy. The results of this study will used to determine the most appropriate and appealing name.

Action

A random sample of qualified respondents from E-Poll's nationwide panel were selected to participate in the online survey. The survey included four titles and a downloadable video clip promotion of the program. E-Poll fielded two separate questionnaires. The first half of the recipients was presented with title information followed by video clip and the second half viewed the video first and then were presented with the titles.

Result

The debut was seen by more than 15 million viewers and the show continues to be a ratings winner.