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CPO
Direct's 12 Tips for Solid Short-Form Test Results
By Norm Goldring
Now
that you've thoroughly researched the product, done your homework on
the offer, created a compelling :120 commercial and are ready to launch
a $25,000 media test....
The
#1 question on your mind:
Will I have a winner?
Five
media buying tips:
1. Buy proven
day parts on proven media vehicles, preferably cable networks that have
consistently worked for similar products.
You're testing the viability of the product, offer and commercial,
not the media vehicles. There should be absolutely no reason to question
the media buy if the test doesn't work.
2. Run test
schedules on eight or more networks for at least two weeks.
Expect mixed results. Even with proven networks, some will perform
better for you than others. By using at least eight, you'll have enough
evidence at the end of the test to draw legitimate conclusions about
success of the program.
3. Don't test
on local cable and think twice about local broadcast.
Spot cable is temptingly inexpensive. However, it is also deceptively
inefficient. Local broadcast is more efficient than local cable, but
should only be used for tests where national advertising is not a viable
option.
4. Invest most,
if not all, of your media test budget in low-priced spots.
The purpose of the test is to get reliable information for $25,000 or
less. You'll learn far more with 100 spots @ $250 than with 10 spots@
$2,500. Save your appetite for call spikes until the rollout.
5. Don't test
with Per Inquiry buys.
P.I.'s make sense once your cost per call and cost per order targets
have been achieved with a paid media test. Unless you know how much
the P.I. schedules would have cost on a cash buy, you won't know if
the test worked.
Four
telemarketing tips:
1. Use different
toll-free numbers to track results.
Assign separate numbers to each network. If you're testing 60s against
120s or one creative approach against another, use separate numbers
for these variables as well. For those who need to have a single vanity
number during the test, make sure your tracking system can logically
assign each call and order to a specific spot.
2. Test all
inbound #800 phone numbers at least three days before campaign launch.
How quickly is the call answered? How is the call answered? If the
lines aren't up yet or if any telemarketing problems exist, far better
to deal with them before spots start running than after.
3. Place at
least one seed order as soon as the campaign is under way.
Place test calls when spots are anticipated to run to spot potential
service level problems.
But
wait, there's more!
Don't test
more than two variables at the same time.
|You'll need sufficient data from each test cell to project
results. Unless you have considerably more than $25,000 to invest in
media, don't try to test price, creative, offer, and commercial length
at the same time.
Set up a mirrored
web site to track results.
More TV viewers are accessing web sites for information and to place
orders every day. For some products, web orders can make the difference
between a mediocre test and a winner. Many domain names registered at
a .com address are still available at a .tv address.
Track results
daily.
If changes to the test buy are indicated based on performance of
certain networks, make them. If spots are running without any results,
consider placing the balance of the test schedule on hold until program
elements can be evaluated, changed and re-tested.
Norm Goldring
is founder and president of CPO Direct, a direct marketing media management
company based in Chicago, Illinois. Norm can be reached at
ngoldring@cpodirect.com
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