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15

A Theory-Based Approach to
Pretesting Advertising
Larry Percy
Marketing Communications Consultant John R. Rossiter
Australian Graduate School of ManagementThe job of evaluating the likely success of any particular advertising execution
requires original primary research custom tailored to each particular circum-
stance, but executed within strict theoretical guidelines. Accordingly, we cau-
tion against sole reliance on the standardized procedures offered by any one
particular supplier or syndicated service. Flexible procedures based on the
brand's advertising communication objectives provide a better fit and more
valid results.The purpose of pretesting is to improve the chances that advertising will
work as planned when placed in media. Whether it will work as planned,
however, depends on three factors:
• The creative content of the executions.
• The correct media placement and scheduling.
• Competitive advertising activity.

Pretesting deals with the first factor only. Campaign tracking over time
evaluates all three factors. We pretest advertising to ensure it is "on strat-
egy" -- that it is capable of achieving the communication objectives desired for
the brand, to be able to correct and revise the executions if necessary, and then
to predict how it will work in the market.


METHODS UNSUITED FOR PRETESTING ADVERTISING

Before we begin to examine the best ways to pretest advertising, however, we
want to point out three ways not to go about it, even though the first two are

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Publication Information: Book Title: Measuring Advertising Effectiveness. Contributors: William D. Wells - editor. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ. Publication Year: 1997. Page Number: 267.
    
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