What is advertising effectiveness? And how do you measure it? Keep reading to learn more about the 6 types of advertising effectiveness, explained using real world examples.
Advertising Effectiveness can be defined as how successfully an advertising campaign meets its intended goal(s). Advertising goals could include anything from increasing ROAS and enhancing brand recall to driving sales lift or boosting purchase intent. Defining advertising effectiveness can be challenging due to the multifaceted nature of advertising goals. They come in all shapes and sizes. Understanding your goals is a crucial step businesses must take in order to evaluate and improve their current strategies, ensuring that the time and money they invest yields the results they want.
Advertising effectiveness is a concept that is studied heavily, but poorly understood. After all, different campaigns aim for different results based on their specific needs, which can make advertising effectiveness a concept that is both hard to understand AND to measure.
We’re here to walk you through it, providing a clear framework for you to asses and measure your advertising success effectively… and locate areas in your business where there is room for improvement! Let’s first take a look at some recent findings…
Advertising Effectiveness: Creative Effectiveness Ladder
In 2019, James Hurman and Peter Field conducted a global study (*1) in which they examined nearly 5,000 award-entrant case studies from the years of 2011 to 2019. They concluded (correctly) that advertising lacked a ‘universal definition’ and ‘shared language’ of advertising effectiveness. Hurman and Field’s comprehensive analysis led them to develop a framework known as the Creative Effectiveness Ladder, which allowed them to categorize and get a deeper understanding of the different levels of advertising success.
In essence, this research defined 6 types of advertising effectiveness – with 1 being “entry-level” advertising effectiveness, and 6 being the “holy grail” of effectiveness.
The 6 Types of Advertising Effectiveness
- Influential Idea: Advertising which over-achieves on campaign metrics. It involves innovative concepts that capture attention and drive results beyond expectation. For example, the “Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola tapped into customization, replacing its iconic logo with popular names and allowing consumers to personalize the product. During that summer, Coca-Cola sold over 250 million personalized bottles and cans in a country with a population of just under 23 million. The campaign expanded globally, reaching more than 70 countries. Additionally, Coca-Cola teams in countries such as Great Britain, Turkey, China, and the United States have each adapted the “Share a Coke” campaign creatively while maintaining the core idea of inviting consumers to “Share a Coke with [insert name].”
- Behavioral Breakthrough: Advertising which changes consumer behavior. It influences the way consumers interact with a brand or product, leading to lasting behavioral shifts. An example of a behavioral breakthrough is Always’ “Like a Girl” campaign. What began as a modest social experiment rapidly transformed into a global social conversation, exceeding the brand’s expectations. The campaign created a significant shift in the way people viewed the phrase “like a girl,” turning it into a positive and inspiring statement. The campaign resonated deeply, with 81% of women aged 16-24 supporting the movement. The video achieved 76 million views on YouTube, reaching audiences in 150 countries. It also garnered 4.5 billion impressions globally, with substantial media coverage and over 290 million social impressions. This monumental success highlights the power of emotional connection and purpose in driving behavioral change
- Sales Spike: Advertising which delivers short-term, temporary sales growth. This type of advertising creates an immediate impact on sales, although this boost might be temporary and unable to sustain over time. For example, many companies promote “Black Friday” sales every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The wildly popular event has been long known to drive short-term sales growth for many companies every year. Sales spike campaigns usually generate significant revenue spikes during the holiday shopping season.
- Brand Builder: Advertising which improves brand health. This type of advertising enhances various aspects of brand perception, such as awareness, trust, and loyalty, contributing to long-term brand strength. For example, Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign focused heavily on real women and body positivity. Through advertisements, educational programs, and public events, Dove reached over 35 million girls and women in 140 countries. This initiative not only fostered positive body image but also drove a decade of consecutive sales growth, establishing Dove as Unilever’s largest brand. The campaign’s success underscores the power of aligning brand purpose with consumer values to build long-term brand health
- Commercial Triumph: Advertising which creates sustained sales success. It consistently drives sales over an extended period, demonstrating its ability to maintain consumer interest and engagement. Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign, featuring the characters “Mac” and “PC,” ran for several years, consistently boosting sales while reinforcing the brand’s image as “innovative” and “user-friendly.”
- Enduring Icon: Advertising which creates long-term brand and sales growth. Enduring icon is the highest level of advertising effectiveness. It establishes a brand as an enduring icon in the market, ensuring continued relevance and success over time. Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, which launched in 1988, is widely considered one of the most successful campaigns of all time. Over the years, “Just Do It” has transcended fitness, becoming a personal mantra for millions and driving long-term brand and sales growth ever since. The success of “Just Do It” made Nike an enduring icon in the sportswear market.
Note: the time-based definitions of “sustained” or “long-term” are unclear. What is clear is that shorter-term and sales-based metrics are on the lower end, and long-term and brand-based value is the highest goal. This parallels research that establishes that long-term brand equity correlates with stronger sales performance over time, yet takes longer to achieve. [Brand Growth Case Study]
Now that we know more about what advertising effectiveness is and how to categorize it, let’s talk measurement.
How to Measure Advertising Effectiveness
Although there is no singular, concrete, way to measure effectiveness in marketing and advertising, there are a few things we can take a look at to get more insight and determine where a business is flourishing and where there might be room for improvement.
Media Budget
Media budget plays a vital role in determining advertising effectiveness. A well-allocated budget will significantly enhance the reach and impact of a campaign, ensuring that the message is delivered to a broad and relevant audience. By investing strategically, businesses can maximize their advertising ROI‘s(Return On Investment). The relationship between budget and advertising effectiveness can be more closely studied through Criterion Global’s work on Amazon Luxury Stores. When Amazon approached us with their bold luxury concept, we knew the launch required a very strategic media budget. By helping the client focus on high-impact placements across a diverse range of platforms and leverage extensive consumer data to target affluent consumers, Criterion Global guided Amazon to significantly boost its paid media spend, dominating the e-commerce advertising landscape. Their media budget increased by 30% year-over-year, leading to a 15% rise in market share and a 20% increase in ROAS. By aligning their spending with targeted audience insights and high-traffic periods, Amazon was able to boost advertising effectiveness significantly. For more information about how you can allocate your budget to maximize advertising effectiveness, check out our Budget Blueprint or contact us for personalized strategy and help.
Duration
Duration is another critical factor in measuring advertising effectiveness. The length of time a campaign runs for influences important measurements such as audience recall and engagement, with longer campaigns often leading to better brand recognition and deeper consumer connections. A strategic balance of short-term bursts and long-term presence is often recommended. For example, in our beauty brand launch case study, a 180-year-old French fragrance house successfully launched a new global product by emphasizing the importance of campaign duration. They utilized a prolonged media strategy, ensuring repeated exposure over several months, which helped establish brand desirability and urgency to purchase. With the guidance of Criterion Global, the consistent and extended duration of the campaign’s advertising efforts proved crucial in achieving their aggressive sales goals, which led to increased brand recognition and consumer engagement over time. For more information on how your business can utilize duration to drive advertising effectiveness, contact us.
Number of Media Channels Used
The number of media channels used can be referred to as creative commitment, and it significantly affects campaign outcomes. Utilizing a diverse mix of platforms, such as TV, social media, OOH, and print, and strategically choosing channels based on target audience increases the likelihood of campaign success by ensuring that the message reaches the right people through a multi-channel approach. Read more about how you can strategically select the right channels to drive brand awareness and increase advertising effectiveness here.
By evaluating these key elements—media budget, duration, and creative commitment—businesses can evaluate and optimize their advertising strategies. These factors provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and enhancing the impact of their advertising efforts, leading to more successful campaigns… and better overall performance! Contact Criterion Global today to learn how your business can increase advertising effectiveness.
Sources / Suggested References:
(*1) The study analyzed cases from the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions database (1,031 cases), WARC’s database (3,616) and the IPA databank (216).