We are now well into phase three of the Sugarshots open-source marketing initiative and are pitting a new ad concept, past political figures expounding the “honest” facts about liquid sugar, against the winning control from the previous weeks’ ad test, a straightforward product ad.

The results are in, and the Rasputin ad was the winner in driving traffic to the site. That same execution provided the highest average pages viewed per visit and was sufficiently high (nearly equal) in purchase intent. This indicates that Rasputin could be considered the winning execution in this round.

Test the concept, not the execution

In this part of the Sugarshots campaign, we are testing one proven control concept against a new concept. The second concept, however, features two specific variables: Lincoln vs. Rasputin.

The general graphic execution is consistent; the tone of the copy is consistent, and the subject’s genre (excusing disparate political leanings) is consistent. So, why is it necessary to try the two variables?

The point of running the second concept with two variables is that you need to understand whether the result of the ad is an effect of the concept or simply the execution of the concept. In other words, the concept of a controversial political figure may not be bad (had we only tested Lincoln versus Bottle); it may simply be that, in this case, Lincoln is not the right figure to use due to his likeness’ overuse in general Americana.

It might have been helpful to run two to three more figures from the same genre (if a larger sample size was also introduced) to test against the control to be certain that the concept is solid.

Once you are confident about a chosen concept, specific executions of that concept may be varied to ensure optimal performance of the concept.

Recognize a natural tone

A new and jarring creative concept, one that is inserted into the otherwise consistent experience, can often change the target’s image of the brand. If the tone is not constant through the user’s interaction with the brand, you risk damaging their trust and your relationship.

One concern I had with the execution of this more edgy concept was that the concept’s boldness was not fulfilled throughout the user’s experience onto landing pages or through the site they are driven to. I would normally expect attrition in the click-stream or abandonment in the purchase process if this were the case. My fears are neither confirmed nor denied in this case because this tactic was not included, however the results show comparable purchase-intent in the new concept compared to the control, which indicates that the new concept was not a dramatic departure from what the user was expecting from the site.

A place where the effects of tone divergence may be more pronounced may be in a more established brand where consumers expect a particular experience.

Narrow the media, then work the concept

For the same reason you want to get the right participants into a focus group, you need to get the right people to look at your advertising before they can critique the details of your ads and positioning. It may sound basic, but many ads are conceived for a narrow and specific target, yet broadcast to a broad, faceless crowd. This, I believe, is a result of years of traditional media buying behind us where marketers were previously unable to get more specific than a time-slot and TV show.

In today’s internet-driven world of behavioral targeting technology and niche websites, a marketer can use ad networks and some on-site technology to narrow test segments to a handful of consumer habits and venues that are unique to people with interest in your product.

Once you have found the places to be, honing the messaging and concept can be a more focused effort requiring fewer impressions for a decent sample, and with luck this will require less analysis to pare down accurate results.

A concept that spans all media

One of the goals of this test was to use the internet, with its facility for real-time tracking, as a survey medium of sorts to extend the winning creative concept to other, less traceable media. This, I believe, is one of the more exciting parts of this test.

Unfortunately, I have yet to see a client take findings from online creative tests and use them to influence their offline efforts. We at Red Door Interactive have used online tracking to test the results of offline advertising, but the findings from what we do online have rarely affected what happens offline. I hope that this changes.

Granted, there are new variables introduced in offline that have not been accounted for online, however the findings and principles from online testing more than likely have similarities in several other media. Your offline target is likely the same as your product’s online target, and their drivers generally won’t change depending on their media consumption. So, I am looking forward to seeing the results of the online advertising testing of the Sugarshots campaign influence their future offline efforts. I hope that it can be a model for us all.