Ad Concept Testing
Related Categories:
Advertising Agencies, Advertising Effectiveness, Advertising Research
What is "Advertising Research"?
- Research Topics:
- Advertising Effectiveness | Advertising Research | Advertising Tracking
- Industry/Market Focus:
- Advertising Agencies
- Content Type:
- Glossary
Advertising Research Definition
The category of research involving advertising and including research on ad concepts, design, exposure, recall, communication, persuasion and sales response.
| What is Advertising Marketing Research? | Advertising marketing research is the systematic process of studying how ads perform – from early creative concepts to post-campaign evaluation. It zeroes in on the effectiveness of ad messages, visuals, and media choices to ensure campaigns resonate with target audiences, reinforce brand identity, and drive outcomes like awareness, consideration, or purchase. Unlike broader market research, this work focuses specifically on how advertising communicates and influences consumer behavior. |
| What are key aspects of Advertising Marketing Research? | • Message clarity and recall – testing whether audiences understand and remember the ad’s message. • Emotional and rational appeal – exploring whether humor, storytelling or functional benefits drive stronger connections. • Media channel effectiveness – comparing TV, social, digital, print or out-of-home ads to see where impact is greatest. • Brand impact – measuring awareness, preference or loyalty shifts. • Linking creative to behavior – showing how advertising influences clicks, shares or purchases. |
| Why is Advertising Marketing Research important? | Advertising budgets are often a brand’s largest marketing investment. Research ensures those dollars are well spent. It minimizes risk by testing creative before launch, guides mid-campaign optimization through real-time data and delivers evidence of impact afterward. Done well, it helps marketers maximize ROI, uncover which audiences are most receptive and refine strategies for future campaigns. Without it, brands risk spending heavily on messages that fail to connect. |
| Who relies on Advertising Marketing Research? | • Advertisers/Brands – to prove their messages land and drive results. • Agencies – to validate creative strategies and media planning. • Media companies – to showcase the effectiveness of their platforms. • Researchers and consultants – to provide actionable insights into campaign performance. • Academics – to study advertising’s influence on consumer psychology. |
| How do market researchers use Advertising Marketing Research? | Researchers use it at every stage of the campaign cycle. Pre-tests guide creative development, identifying winning concepts before production. In-market studies track real-time reactions through A/B testing, digital metrics or neuroscience tools. Post-campaign evaluations measure brand lift, recall and ROI. For example, a researcher might test whether humor in a beverage ad outperforms a health-benefit message in driving purchase intent or whether TikTok placements outperform YouTube in boosting awareness among Gen Z. |
| Can you give usage examples? | • Before launch: A retail brand pre-tests three digital ad concepts; results show lifestyle imagery performs 40% better in recall than product-only visuals. • During campaign: A streaming service A/B tests headlines, finding “Watch Anytime” drives higher click-through rates than “Unlimited Entertainment.” • After campaign: A financial services firm measures brand lift and learns sponsorship ads increased unaided awareness by 12% among Gen Z viewers. |