Selecciones - Webs

650
Part Six Monitoring, Evaluation, and Control
Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
VI. Monitoring, Evaluation,
and Control
19. Measuring the
Effectiveness of the
Promotional Program
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Procter & Gamble’s strategy for discontinuing the use of sales promotions, is also discussed
in the article. 40
Measuring the Effectiveness
of Nontraditional Media
In Chapter 13, we noted that one of the disadvantages of employing nontraditional
media is that it is usually difficult to measure the effectiveness of the programs. But
some progress has been made, as shown in these examples:
• The effects of shopping cart signage. Earlier we discussed sales increases that
occurred when shopping cart signage was used. We have also noted throughout this
chapter that while increasing sales is a critical goal, many other factors may contribute
to or detract from this measure. (It should be noted that these results are provided by
the companies that sell these promotional media.) At least one study has examined the
effectiveness of shopping cart signage on data besides sales. 41 This study used
personal interviews in grocery stores to measure awareness of, attention to, and influence
of this medium. Interestingly, it suggests shopping carts are much less effective
than the sign companies claim.
• The effectiveness of ski-resort-based media. In Chapter 13, we discussed advertising
on ski chair lifts and other areas to attempt to reach selective demographic groups.
Now the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB) is tracking the effectiveness of this form of
advertising to give advertisers more reliable criteria on which to base purchase
decisions. The TAB data verify ad placements, while the media vendors have
employed Simmons Market Research Bureau and Nielsen Media Research to collect
ad impressions and advertising recall information. 42 These measures are combined
with sales tracking data to evaluate the medium’s effectiveness.
• The effectiveness of other media. A number of companies provide effectiveness
measures to determine the impact of package designs, POP displays, trade show
exhibits, and the like. While it is not possible to list them all here, suffice it to say
that if one wants to measure the impact of various IMC elements, the resources are
available.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Sponsorships
In earlier chapters we discussed the growth in sponsorships and the reasons why organizations
have increased their investments in this area. Along with the increased
expenditures have come a number of methods for measuring the impact of sponsorships.
Essentially, measures of sponsorship effectiveness can be categorized as
exposure-based methods or tracking measures: 43
• Exposure methods. Exposure methods can be classified as those that monitor the
quantity and nature of the media coverage obtained for the sponsored event and those
that estimate direct and indirect audiences. While commonly employed by
corporations, scholars have heavily criticized these measures. For example, Pham
argues that media coverage is not the objective of sponsorships and should not be considered
as a measure of effectiveness. He argues that the measures provide no indication
of perceptions, attitude change, or behavioral change and should therefore not be
considered as measures of effectiveness. 44
• Tracking measures. These measures are designed to evaluate the awareness, familiarity,
and preferences engendered by sponsorship based on surveys. A number of
empirical studies have measured recall of sponsors’ ads, awareness of and attitudes
toward the sponsors and their products, and image effect including brand and
corporate images.
A number of companies now measure the effectiveness of sports sponsorships. For
example, Joyce Julius & Associates of Ann Arbor, Michigan, assigns a monetary value
to the amount of exposure the sponsor receives during the event. It reviews broadcasts
and adds up the number of seconds a sponsor’s product name or logo can be seen
clearly (for example, on signs or shirts). A total of 30 seconds is considered the equivalent
of a 30-second commercial. (Such measures are of questionable validity.)