There’s hardly a marketer out there who isn’t aware of Peter Field and Les Binet’s golden 60:40 rule (the optimal spend split between brand and activation budgets). So why is it that the value of the top 75 brands in the UK declined last year, and why is it that effectiveness seems to be on a terminal decline?
The simple answer is that as an industry we’re simply not following our own advice. We need to invest in brand building, and what’s more, we need to invest in the research tools to help us evaluate brand campaigns properly – particularly in the digital space. On Device Research conducted in depth interviews with nineteen senior agency workers throughout the summer of 2019 and commissioned Data Stories Consulting to produce a report on the State of Digital Brand Measurement (available to download for free here). The findings provide an illuminating view on both the challenges and considerable opportunities in getting digital band measurement right. Key findings include: 1. 10% to 25% of digital campaigns are measured using brand uplift studies according to interviewees, yet there are questions as to whether the results of such research are really being applied strategically.2. Brand research drives brand health. Brands who conduct ongoing programs of brand effectiveness research achieve more effective brand advertising.
3. Most brand effectiveness measurement is currently provided by media owners rather than commissioned directly with research companies. If the application of brand effectiveness research is to become strategic and forward-facing, focusing on objective brand metrics, then there must be a shift towards independently commissioned research.
4. Actionable learnings will transform the application of brand research. Tangible learnings related to channel, creative, frequency and audience will again shift the focus of brand research away from merely being a tool of spend justification towards something with far greater strategic value.
5. Raising awareness of optimal measurement methods is key. Agencies have an opportunity to enhance their client relationships by becoming experts in the application of digital brand measurement results.
6. In-flight brand metric optimization is in high demand. If the industry can find a way to report on brand metric shifts while a campaign is in-flight, then marketers can shift the dial on digital brand investment.
The State of Digital Brand Measurement 2019 can be downloaded here and features important recommendations for advertisers, agencies and research suppliers alike as they look to capitalise on the brand measurement opportunity. Don’t be one of the 75% who aren’t measuring brand impact properly!
To download the full report click here
