11.05.21 reflections v5 (aim to win in 2012)

Aim to Win in 2012Prepare Properly to Effectively Communicate your Brand during the London Summer Olympic Games and Euro 2012Diego Pagura, Copy Testing Product Manager, Ipsos ASI Lys Hugessen, Vice President, Ipsos ASI

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Aim to Win in 2012

Ipsos ASI – The Advertising Research Specialists

It is true that the emotional engagement with major sporting events, like the Olympics, can create a halo effect that can drive positive perceptions and motivations for sponsor brands and organizations. Why? The large, global attentive audiences are excited about their teams’ prospects. And, for potential sponsors, Summer 2012 will be noteworthy, with Euro 2012 and the London Summer Olympic Games spanning much of the season.

If 2010 is the barometer to understand the potential to engage audiences, 2012 should be a significant opportunity for savvy marketers.

And not just with TV. 2010 was also the year where both media silos and content merged, with fans actively following their favorite teams or athletes online, or on their tablets or smart phones.

But major sporting events, for those who host, participate, and advertise, come with a considerable cost. The invest-ment is sizeable. While the media cost for a 30 second ad during the annual US Super Bowl alone is held up as the extreme, marketers are guaranteed high levels of exposure, as watching the ads is as much a part of the big event as scoring the final touchdown.

But the media costs for major sporting events other than the Super Bowl are still well above average, and cannot guarantee the same exposure, or even a benefit to the brand. And, with ~150 hours of advertising in the US alone during the 2012 Summer Olympics, it could be tough for ads to be guaranteed a return.

78

68

65

63

62

58

58

55

52

43

Likelihood to Switch Channels While Watching a Television Show

Percentage of Viewers who did not switch away from their primary show

Source: Ipsos ASI

Soaps

Reality TV

News

Investigative

Comedy

MovieTV Magazine/

EntertainmentSports

History/Documentary

Music

34

23

62

52

Viewer Attention to Commercials while watching TV% Total

Watched commercials

Switched channels duringthe commercial breaks

Stayed in the room in whichthe TV was located, but did

something else while thecommercials were on

Left the room in which the TV was located for any

period of time while the commercials were on

Source: Ipsos ASI

With a short advertising window, when audience attentions are focused on who is winning or losing, marketers need to invest wisely to ensure positive returns for their brands. When faced with the decision to spend heavily on media, or on developing the best creative possible, we strongly recommend the latter.

Because whichever way we look at the data, developing powerful creative is the best strategy: we observe that ‘creative’ explains 75+% of the variance in campaign success. And it is an investment that marketers can completely control.

To ensure a better chance at winning gold, here are a few strategies to consider.

1. Discover your gold winning Big Idea

2. Choose your ad approach wisely

3. Know your viewing audience

4. Don’t forget your brand

5. Choose your media mix well

As with any campaign, start first by discovering your gold winning Big Idea.As Ogilvy coined, “it takes a Big Idea to attract the attention of consumers…,” even during a sporting event. For an every-day campaign, getting this Big Idea ‘right’ is challenging. Add in the complexity of sponsoring an event like the Sum-mer Olympics or Euro, where audiences cross geographies, and getting the Big Idea right feels like mission impossible.

But it can be mission possible – if the starting point is big. Essential human motivations and values that we all share, regardless of culture, should ultimately be ‘big.’ And many cultures value major sporting events in a similar way. Explore and discover the essential human truth that works for your brand.

To guarantee you have the right Big Idea, you need to talk to consumers. Contrary to popular belief, you can successfully complete Big Idea research. Doing so will ensure you know just how to connect your brand to the sporting event at hand, so that consumers will do so too.

Doing so will also ensure your advertising has a better chance of crossing geographies – one global unifying theme may not be enough, because it may not consider what is most relevant to the audience.

Aim to Win in 2012


Impact of Country Morale (Success of Athletes) on Advertising Performance

116123

130

101110

140

78 7582

Visibility Brand Link Positive Feelings towards the brand

� Low Morale � Neutral Morale � High Morale

Source: Ipsos World Cup 2010 Study

Aver

age

Inde

x

Celebrities continue to benefit and hinder breakthrough. To be effective, the celebrity needs to be relevant to the event as well as to the brand. During the 2010 World Cup, ads that featured well-known football /soccer celebrities broke through and were associated to the advertised brand: there was seamless integration of the celebrity with the brand together with a relevant football /soccer scenario.

World Cup ads

Brazil – Samsung

Spain – Cruzcampo

Germany – Nutella

During the 2011 Super Bowl, where many different types of celebrities were showcased, the opposite held true. Many celebrity ads failed to break-through in the same way that ads that featured less expen-

sive talent did (like dogs and babies). But many of the celeb-rities used were neither relevant to (American) football, nor were they showcased in a scenario that was relevant to the game, meaning consumers had to work too hard to under-stand what was going on.

Average E�ectiveness of World Cup 2010Global Campaigns in 5 CountriesReach Response


Reac

h (B

rand

ed R

ecog

nitio

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Resp

onse

(Pos

itive

Fee

lings

)

Market1

Market2

Market3

Market4

Market5

Market1

Market2

Market3

Market4

Market5

When deciding upon what type of ad approach to use, Choose WiselyYour Big Idea is just one ingredient in the development of great creative. Given the media expenditure, and the amount of clutter, it is also critical to find the right executional approach – one that will have impact rather than fade into the background. Various tactics like event-themed adver-tising, leveraging “Ring Rights” if you have them, (official Olympic Sponsor status) national pride, or the use of celeb-rities, might make sense at the starting line. But each one comes with its own potential pitfalls.

Speaking the same language, and developing an event-themed ad can help drive higher sponsorship awareness. But ensure that your brand benefits. In an environment where all advertising could be event-themed, it will be difficult to stand out as unique. Furthermore, it is challenging to communicate both a sponsorship and a branded message. Consumers may remember your ad, but not what you said.

Performance of Event Themed Ads versus Others during the 2010 World Cup

113126

83 79

107 100

Visibility Brand Link Positive Feelings towards the brand

� Not Event themed � Event themedSource: Ipsos World Cup 2010 Study

Aver

age

Inde

x

Also, our data shows, “Ring Rights” are not a guarantee of higher ad recall. Remember, great creative is.

The use of patriotism and national pride to engage audiences can also be a double-edged sword. While it can positively impact overall ad performance, you must pay close atten-tion to the morale or spirit of the countries you are adver-tising in during the event: ask yourself, are their athletes winning or losing? Advertising effectiveness is clearly affected by the overall morale of the viewing country, and there is only ever one winner.

Super Bowl 2011 – Snickers

Aim to Win in 2012


Our 2010 World Cup study demonstrated that male viewers were more positive towards World Cup ads than female viewers, suggesting that within that context, ads were equally relevant to each of the two genders.

Average Advertising E�ectiveness of World Cup Ads by Gender

117 124109

118

82 77

Visibility Brand Link Increase in Positive Feelings

� Females � Males


Aver

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Inde

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Gen

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In contrast, our most recent Super Bowl study conducted shortly after the 2011 game demonstrated significant differ-ences, on average, between male and female viewers – only one or two worked for both.

App

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g to

Mal

es

Appealing to Females

Appealed more to MalesSnickers/Loggers

Male CEI: 130Female CEI: 46

Appealed to BothSnickers/Betty White (2010)


Appealed more to FemalesDoritos/Pug


In our 2010 study the Betty White Snickers ad was a great example of creative that worked for both male and female viewers, as it com-bined a universal and relevant consumer insight (you are not

yourself when you are hungry) with a relevant scenario (touch football) and celebrity (Betty White).

In 2011, the Snickers ad, set in a logging camp, featuring the celebrities Richard Lewis and Roseanne, did not repeat that broadly appealing success. It was, in fact, one of the few ads that appealed more to males than to females, who must have appreciated the slap stick comedy more, because they found it more humorous and less irritating.

And the Doritos ad that tied for first on the US Today Ad Meter? It was seen as hum-orous by both males and females, but only females appreciated it fully: perhaps males didn’t want to be seen

as the guy trapped under the door.

Regardless of what you decide, our experience shows that when you spend time and effort in testing a variety of approaches at the earliest stages of development, to under-stand what is going to work best, you are more likely to find a gold winning creative idea quickly. You can easily take risks that consumers will reward you for, and learn before investing in finished film.

Impact of Early Stage Testing on Air-able Copy Rates

Likelihood of ads to be aired when originally tested at the earliest stages of development

Non Screened Screened in EarlyStage test

Screened andScored Average

or Strong in Early Stage testSource: Ipsos ASI Global Database

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%(n=2116)

52%

76%84%

(n=152) (n=62)

Really Know Your Viewing AudienceBeyond the Big Idea it is also important to know who is watching what, and where.

Events that were once the domain of young males, like the Super Bowl and World Cup, are now attracting a greater pro portion of female viewers. And females continue to dominate Olympic viewership. So, while both genders can respond similarly to advertising, they often don’t, and sometimes that makes perfect sense.

Proportion of Viewers of Super Bowl and Olympics by Gender

Source: The Nielsen Company

Females46%

Males54%

Males44%

Females56%

Super Bowl Viewers by Gender Olympic Viewers by Gender

Super Bowl 2010 – Snickers

Super Bowl 2011 – Doritos

Aim to Win in 2012


And Choose Your Media Mix WellGreat creative is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle, but it is only the first step. Getting the media mix right is critical too. Consumers will continue to merge their use of media to be fully informed whenever, wherever. It stands to reason that good multimedia campaigns will drive the highest recall and response.

But don’t forget, TV presence is the key driver of campaign recall: don’t underestimate it when faced with emerging media hype. TV continues to be the best medium to get mass reach in a short timeframe – important during events like the Olympics or Euro. You just don’t have the same amount of time to build reach for your campaign. And, the best media package will not generate ad recall for a weak ad...even if it is Olympic or Euro themed.

Campaign Recall by Media53

2320

17 1711 9

TV Billboard Radio Newspaper Store POS Magazine OnlineSource: Ipsos ASI North America Ad*Graph Database

Reca

ll, %

Recognizing that TV creative is key, non-TV media can con-tribute to greater overall reach. When you add touchpoints to a campaign, you reach more consumers, reinforcing your branded message.

Impact of using Multiple Mediums on Campaign Reach Potential

5357

66 63 62 62

TV only @ 1000 TRPs

100 150 150 150 150 150APPROXCOST INDEX

+9 +6 +5 +5REACH GAIN OVER TV ONLY

TV only @ 1500 TRPs

TV @ 1000TRPs + Radio@ 1500 TRPs

TV @ 1000TRPs +

Magazine @300 TRPs

TV @ 1000TRPs +

Newspaper @ 850 TRPs

TV @ 1000TRPs +

Outdoor @2000 TRPs

Source: Ipsos ASI North America Ad*Graph Norms

It is not just gender that is important. While marketers continually target younger audiences, sporting events, espe-cially the Olympics, are more likely to be watched by older audiences – audiences that still hold considerable buying power. Executional devices need to be considered carefully.

Likelihood of Watching the Olympics and Super Bowl by Age Group

43

80 80

106

182

115

12 to 17 18 to 49 55+

� 2010 Olympics � Super Bowl XLIVSource: The Nielsen Company

Age

Gro

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ip In

dex

By knowing your audience intimately, you can ensure the message is relevant to who is watching, when (and how).

Don’t forget the brandMarketers that start the ad development journey with Big Idea testing understand intimately how to showcase their brand, in a way that is meaningful for viewers. For those that may not know, the investment to advertise during major sporting events could come at the expense of the brand, although it really shouldn’t. And, this is not good brand building practice.

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� Ipsos ASI AII Ad Norm � 2011 Super Bowl Average � 2010 Super Bowl Average

Source: Ipsos ASI Super Bowl Studies

Fits the way I feelabout the Brand

Makes me feel good about the brand

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Ability of Super Bowl ads to Impact Advertised Brand

Just keep it simple: know what your brand stands for in the context of the event, ensure you know how to showcase it in a broadly relevant way. And test early to be able to leverage the opportunity ahead.

Aim to Win in 2012


Putting it all togetherWhen advertising in and around major sporting events, just as with the athletes competing, proper preparation will help you win gold for your brand. Value your brand from the start: uncover your brand’s Big Idea that is truly grounded in essential human motivations. Then weigh the risks and rewards of your creative approach, in the context of your viewing audience, before you cross the starting line. Remember to start testing early and to never forget the brand. And, when finalizing your media plan, keep in mind that audiences will be merging their use of multiple mediums to stay connected. Choose the right message for each medium to guarantee a winning campaign.

It is best to use a consistent creative approach across media (grounded in your Big Idea) with synergistic messages. Other-wise you will clutter or confuse.

And, not only does a multimedia presence contribute to greater overall reach, it contributes to a greater branded response – better return on investment.

None 1 Medium 2 Media 3+ MediaSource: Ipsos ASI Database

5867

7378

Impact of using Multiple Mediums on Brand ResponseAverage Brand Imagery (T3B%)

And, we also recommend you consider the use synergistic TV ad pools. It not only improves your chances of break-through, it helps to prevent the wearout associated with this type of broadcast environment, where continuous viewing of one ad can result in high ad exposure and fatigue.

Finally, recent events have demonstrated that different events score more with different mediums. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, US viewers were most likely to watch skiing on TV.

Most Viewed Olympic Sports in the US through 2/15/2010

Source: The Nielsen Company

Rank Sport Average # of Viewers1 Freestyle Skiing 26,928,3462 Downhill Skiing 26,689,3443 Luge 26,157,4554 Snowboarding 25,469,0085 Figure Skating 25,448,8016 Speed Skating 22,557,801

But, it was hockey that dominated the online environment, creating the most buzz volume.

Most Buzzed About Olympic SportsProportion of Online Messages by Sport

30.6

17.6

10.0 8.6 8.25.4

Hockey Luge Figure Skating Curling Speedskating SnowboardSource: The Nielsen Company. February 9 –18, 2010

Buzz

Vol

ume,

%

Effective campaigns assign a strategic objective to each element in the media mix – so plan first and early, before you execute.

About Ipsos ASIIpsos ASI offers marketers state-of-the-art advertising research built on more than 40 years of experience using measures predictive of in-market performance. We offer a full-range of solutions across all media – at any stage in the creative process – from equity assessment to strategic development, advertising testing, and tracking. Our research is backed by a dedicated team of advertising research specialists whose mission is to deliver the answers that will add value to your business anywhere in the world.

About IpsosIpsos ASI is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based research company. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. With offices in 66 countries, the Paris-based company was founded in 1975.

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11.05.21 reflections v5 (aim to win in 2012)

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