The world of marketing and adverting is a tough one. It’s hard to predict how people will react to something in particular. While Oli runs our marketing department, I have participated in creating content for marketing. But when creating content, you just never know if it will get the clicks and views you want.
But what if there was a type of technology that could, with some confidence, tell you if your advertising campaigns will be successful? Good news, there are some many on the market.
A recent BBC article talks about how tech can be implemented into marketing and advertising processes; the article states that this year global ad spend will reach $706bn (£527bn). That is up from $634bn in 2019 and, digital advertising – adverts you see or hear on your computer and mobile phone – now accounts for 62% of the total.
Although money is spent on advertisement and marketing, it may not guarantee it will bring success. To ensure adverts are as successful as possible, retailers are using high-tech ad-testing firms more often.
One example is System 1, a London-based high-tech, ad-testing company. Its online-based system doesn’t ask participants whether they like a particular advertisement. Instead, it asks at least 150 people to view the ad and record their emotional responses to it.
Another example is a UK firm Kantar. Its online testing system also focuses on a person’s emotional response to being shown an advert. One way it does this is by connecting to a tester’s laptop, or webcam, then using facial-mapping software to monitor their reactions.
So, why use these companies? The biggest benefit of using online ad testing is that it is cheaper than in-person testing or market surveys.
So the real question: how will we know if a marketing or advertising campaign is good one?
The BBC article quotes Psychologist Stuart Duff, of UK business coaching firm Pearn Kandola. He says that if brands want to reach customers hope is the emotion they should focus on.
“Emotions are critical to our memory,” he explains. “We do not remember factual or bland information easily, but something that is moving or uncomfortable will be committed to memory with ease. What are the three most powerful emotions? I would suggest that fear, guilt and hope.
“Hope is associated with feelings of joy and relief, and offers a way out from fear and guilt. It is hope that will move us forward and trigger feelings of trust in the product.”
Technology is now allowing a new set of tactics and data for marketing and advertising agencies. By using AI and data analytics, companies can now rely on these companies to give them some sort of predictability on how their campaigns will do-without having to waste thousands of dollars on a campaign that will not be a success.
This is yet another way tech, software, and AI is slowly taking over a wide variety markets.
The ultimate aim is that clients get both accurate short and long-term sales predictions, and additional metrics like finding out whether the brand of the company is recognisable and familiar to customers or not.
