Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

l)iu so were the commercials. Not that we complained, though. It left the field wide open for an original presentation. Following hundreds of good commercial ideas, and several actually-produced commercials, we conducted commercial tests. Final commercial. Our most effectiye effort turned out to be the simple, yet direct promise that Alberto V05 Shampoo makes your hair do what you want it to. After making the promise, our final-forair commercial explained how the promise was delivered: the sham poo contained five special ingredients . . . three for cleanliness, two for manageability. It made your hair do what you wanted it to. Here was an honest description of exactly what the product was . . . and exactly what the product did. In January of 1962, we furnished V05 Shampoo to the trade ... in the seven ounce glass bottle at SI. 00 that I mentioned earlier. Deals to the trade were made appeti/ingly profitable. The number of pieces in each deal was kept low so that the smallest outlets could afford to take the deal and stock the product. Grocery distr bulion, notoriously slow in con ing, was especially crucial sine 75% of the volume for some shan poos came from these type outlet Ad dollar philosophy. With di tribution accounted for, the advei tising broke on 1 March of th year, employing our favorite cor servative investment — televisior Our philosophy regarding adve tising dollars is to eventually spen at least at the same level as th leading brand. At the beginning however, the expenditure is nurse along and increased as sales stari mm m 'Benchmark research' aids sponsor ■■■■■■■■I ► Benchmark necessary factor, experts say ► Measurement is must as a starting point ► Concept is described as simple, yet sound Advertising results can be measured and one of the basic elements in achieving these objectives is benchmark research. In the highly-regarded best-selling book, "Defining Advertising Goals," published by the Association of National Advertisers, there is a vital chapter headed "Buying Attitude Benchmark." Its author, management consultant Russell H. Colley, goes on to say that "Out of our rese irch (into markets, motives, and messages) we can now establish what we shall call 'buying attitude benchmark.' It tells us where we stand today in the minds of the particular audience we want to reach with respect to the particular message we want to register." Colley declares that the benchmark is needed for two reasons: 1) to reach a derision on what message is to be communicated to what audience and 2) to measure accomplishment. One of several forces. The book makes il abundanth dear that ad vertising 'is only one oi several marketing forces that lead to the ultimate objective of a sale." Cited a:e some seven other forces "that must be blended with advertising to consummate a sale." In a recent address on measuring marketing effectiveness, Marion Harper, [r., chairman of the board, Interpublic, Inc., and chairman of the board of the 4As, singled out "Defining Advertising Goals" as a noteworthy contribution to adver-. tising. "Its whole premise is the need for the isolation of advertising from other advertising influences for the purposes of assigning goals and measurement," Harper observed. ". . . many advertising programs either fail to include objectives, or they include such generalities as 'to increase sales' or 'to improve share-of-market' or 'to build prestige.' If a goal is stated as a generality, it will be impossible to relate advertising to its achievement. On the other hand, if a specific goal is assigned to an advertising program — lor example to increase brand awareness b 15%, or to increase knowledge o the trademark by 30% — progres toward these goals can be deter mined." And time and again, Harper anc oilier advertising experts have ad vocated benchmarks over presen practices in defining goals anc measuring advertising. On the subject of benchmarl measurement and goal setting, Dr Clark L. Wilson, director of re search and member of the market i* g plans board of BBDO, observec that very little has been said aboui these aspects of advertising re search. "This has probably been a the root of much of the confusion,' he declared. "One might, in this context, define goal-setting as 'stat ing a desired level on any measure or combination of measures, oi performance.' Since the objective of most business enterprises is tcjl make a profit, then we can start! with profit as the ultimate ana most important type of goal. Thenl we can line up other measures ifj a rough order of decreasing imporj tance: (1) Profit (2) Sales (3) Share of Market (4) Brand Prefer-1 ence (5) Conviction in Accepting!! Product Claims (6) Penetration ol Selling Claims (7) Awareness I 38 SPONSOR/ 10 DECEMBER 196