Effective Advertising:
In this episode of The Six Sells Podcast, Mike Nicholson speaks with Andrew Tindall, from System1, to explore the science of advertising effectiveness and how brands can maximise the impact of their advertising strategies.
The Six Sells Podcast is sponsored by Lumen Research, the eye-tracking technology company helping brands to plan, buy, measure, and optimise advertising towards real human attention.
System1 and Advertising Effectiveness
System1, a leader in advertising effectiveness, offers brands a unique approach to understanding the impact of their ads. The company’s primary tool, Test Your Ad, involves showing regular consumers—rather than marketers—ads to measure their emotional reactions and understand the associations they make with the brand. As Andrew explains, the key metric for System1 is measuring the emotional response that ads elicit, rather than simply focusing on rational evaluations. This emotional connection is vital because it drives long-term brand growth and consumer loyalty.
Andrew emphasises that the creative’s role in advertising is crucial for understanding its performance in the broader marketing mix. "What I think our metrics can help marketers with is explaining the effect of the creative within the marketing mix," he says. By assessing whether low brand lift is due to poor creative or targeting issues, Test Your Ad helps brands fine-tune their strategies. The goal is to use this emotional data to refine creative content, improving brand effectiveness over time.
The Science of Emotion in Advertising
When it comes to measuring emotional responses, Andrew explains that while many people expect advanced technology like electrodes or brain scans, System1 uses a simpler, but effective, method. They employ a visual, game-based platform that gathers self-reported emotional responses through a series of pictures. This methodology, which System1 has honed over ten years, is based on the principle that emotions, rather than rational thoughts, predict how well an ad will perform. “It’s not necessarily the fancy tech, but what’s magical is that it works,” Andrew says. The predictive power of this emotional testing is what convinced him to leave Diageo and join System1.
System1 has a vast dataset to draw from, thanks to its long history of testing ads across various platforms. The company works with major clients like TikTok, LinkedIn, and ITV, as well as data partners like Lumen, to create best practices and build a strong case for the importance of emotional engagement in advertising.
Emotional Engagement and ROI
Andrew notes that System1’s emotional testing isn't just about predicting how an ad will perform; it also links emotional response with ROI. They’ve been able to show that ads with higher emotional engagement lead to better long-term outcomes, such as higher market share and greater profitability. One key piece of research showed that advertising that builds on emotional connections can explain about half of the long-term market share changes for brands.
“Our star rating, which is our key metric for long-term effects, explains about half of long-term market share changes,” Andrew shares. This data underscores the power of emotional connections in advertising—quality creative is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ but a direct contributor to a brand's success in the market. System1’s research has proven that emotion-driven ads outperform rational ones, reinforcing the idea that advertising is not a weak force in shaping consumer behaviour.
The Role of Distinctiveness and Consistency in Creative
When asked about the most effective elements of advertising, Andrew points to two key principles: distinctiveness and consistency. “It needs to be strongly linked to your brand,” he says, emphasising the importance of using distinctive brand assets in creative content. Ads must stand out, be memorable, and maintain a connection with the brand at the emotional turning points. Additionally, consistency in messaging over time is crucial. Brands that build on the same creative idea across campaigns, channels, and years are more likely to achieve long-term success.
Andrew references a study led by System1's Chief Innovation Officer, Orlando Wood, which showed that consistent advertising leads to greater long-term brand effects. “Consistency builds familiarity and lowers processing fluency,” Andrew explains, “Advertising is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Andrew also highlights the example of brands like Specsavers, which have successfully used consistent, narrative-driven advertising with distinct characters, such as the well-known “should've gone to Specsavers” tagline. The use of these consistent creative elements builds both emotional engagement and long-term brand recall.
Trends to Leave Behind in 2024
As the year draws to a close, Andrew shares his top ten things marketers should leave behind in 2024, starting with “judging campaigns based on social media commentary.” He notes that the public’s immediate reactions, often vocalised through social media, do not accurately reflect the overall effectiveness of an ad. “The consumer’s voice matters,” he says, stressing that advertising should be evaluated based on broader metrics like brand lift and ROI, not just the immediate online backlash.
He also critiques the overuse of AI in advertising. While AI-generated content has its place, Andrew points out that it’s still an emerging tool, not yet ready to replace traditional creative processes. “The Coke Christmas AI ad... we’ve tested it with around 1,000 people now, and one person mentioned they didn’t like it because it was made with AI,” Andrew says. He acknowledges that AI’s role in creative production is growing, but stresses that it should be used thoughtfully, particularly in ads that rely on realism.
The Power of Audio in Advertising
Another trend Andrew wants to leave behind is the over-reliance on AV-only media plans. “Radio and audio are massively overlooked in advertising,” he says. Radio, despite being a powerful medium for brand-building, is often neglected in favour of TV or digital. Andrew points to research from Mark Ritson and the CRA, which showed that allocating just 11% of a media plan to radio can significantly improve brand effects. “It’s six times cheaper than TV but just as rich in terms of impact,” he says.
Andrew also criticises the use of video ads with no audio, pointing out that without the proper sound design, these ads fail to deliver their intended message. “A TV ad with no audio... it doesn’t work,” he states, emphasising that audio plays a crucial role in conveying a brand’s message effectively.
Challenging the Marketing Status Quo
As the conversation progresses, Andrew challenges the marketing industry’s tendency to follow trends without questioning their relevance. “Stop chasing digital trends,” he advises, pointing out that brands should focus on building long-term strategies rather than chasing short-term fads. The overuse of celebrity endorsements is another trend he critiques. He argues that brands should focus on building their own “celebrity” or brand character, rather than relying on temporary partnerships with external celebrities who may not align with the brand’s core message.
Got questions? You can ask Andrew or Mike directly in the comments of this LinkedIn post.
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