Report: Advertising

What works in advertising?:

What’s important when advertising a brand?
25% of the poll thought it was essential to be able to see the product and be convinced of its quality.
46% demanded honest information about the price and product performance.
Interestingly having real people or a spokesperson respondents could relate to was more important than brand reputation for 8%.

What influence do celebrity endorsements have on a brand?
A massive 77% did believe celebrities had a positive impact on advertising campaigns. Reasons included ‘our celebrity obsessed culture ’ and the hero status ascribed to sports stars was mentioned by 23%.
However, 31% admitted to being turned off by celebrities and for some it would make them more determined not to buy a product.
A cynical 9% question the integrity of celebrity endorsements. They found messages hard to believe when celebrities are paid to say them.

What do you think is the best form of advertising? Print? TV ads? Radio? Billboards? Sports sponsorships?
Television, due to its ubiquitous nature, was by far the most popular answer with 52% of the poll. The combination of sound and visuals that T.V provides and the massive reach it allows made it top of the poll.
Surprisingly 15% mentioned ‘word of mouth’ as the most effective form of advertising.
Radio advertising was also regarded as successful while others believed print was more memorable.

Building a Brand:

What makes a really successful brand?
24% believe continued quality is essential for making a successful brand and many brought brands because of their reliability and reputation.
Visual connections were paramount for 17% who thought that logos and packaging help create a successful brand.
11% said advertising and making people aware of a brand but other respondents believed creating a cutting edge, fashionable product was the best way of building a booming brand.

Why would you buy a brand?
Reasons varied from wanting to feel like they had the best product on offer (18%) to being prompted by good press and reviews (7%).
Product security in terms of a guarantee if things go wrong and the perceived superiority of quality control that consumers associate with branded goods meant 11% brought brands.
16% like the durability that branded goods offered compared to unbranded products.

What do you think can destroy a brand?
Poor or a decrease in quality was the most popular answer with 31% of the poll regarding this as the biggest turn off.
Interestingly a brands social, political or ethnical stance and values influenced 7% of respondents.
Bad press or a poorly chosen spokesperson, a bad image and associations with sub- cultures such as ‘chavs’ were mentioned as contributing factors.

Do you think a bad chosen spokesperson can affect a brand’s success?
64% don’t believe the negativity of a bad spokesperson can affect a brand and many mentioned the autonomy of brands such as Chanel in the recent Kate Moss scandal.
However, 15% mentioned that though celebrities don’t affect them personally, they could see the effects celebrities could have on younger generations.

Christmas Brands:

What brand would you most like to have this Christmas?
Sony was the overall winner with 22% of the poll desiring it for Christmas. Sony PSPs mp3 players and mobile phones were popular.
Other brands mentioned included Nike, Tiffanys, Chanel, Gucci and Apple.
Respondents generally picked expensive luxury brands and Ferrari was mentioned by 9%

What brand are you most likely to buy for someone else?
Responses varied from established childrens’ brands such as fisher Price and Lego to Calvin Klein underwear.
The Bratz dolls were popular with 13% of the poll.
Some respondents preferred not to buy brands as they felt they were too impersonal as Christmas gifts and don’t reflect friends personalities.

What do you predict to be the number one brand sold this Christmas?
Predictably the most popular answer was Apple with 36% giving this answer, but Sony came a close second with 21%.
Again Bratz dolls were mentioned and both Adidas and Nike were picked.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

What do you understand CSR to mean?
(Definition of CSR = UK businesses have to consider the economic, social and environmental impacts of their activities and all companies now have to demonstrate that they are socially responsible.)
There was considerable confusion surrounding CSR and less than half of the poll were able to give an accurate answer.
13% understood the responsibility that companies have but fewer than half were able to give examples.

When purchasing brands do you consider whether a company shares your values?
68% admitted that they do not consider company values before purchases brands and many confessed to knowing of brands with poor ethnical standards but continuing to buy anyway.
However 24% thought it was very important and boycotted companies whose practices they disagreed with.
Interestingly the wealth of information now available actually made it hard to know which companies to trust for some.

Have you heard of the fair trade brand? What does fair trade mean to you?
On the whole respondents were aware of the Fair Trade Label and many could name products that it produces.
However, answers varied from more profits going to farmers (23%) to making resources available for education and decent living conditions (11%).
Many admitted that more awareness was needed and others said they would not pay extra for fair trade products.

Own Label versus Brands:

Do you get a certain satisfaction or security from buying the big brands like Sony/ Panasonic?
The feel good factor was present for 26% of the poll who liked the security, in terms of quality, that branded goods provided.
When making expensive purchases such as televisions respondents turned to trusted brands such as Sony.
Respondents also liked to feel like they were getting the best money could buy and branded goods gave them that satisfaction.

When do you purchase own label products rather than branded goods?
Many of the poll brought branded goods for basics such as food (17%) and the main reasons included being brought up on a brand (4%) and the assurance of quality (22%) they felt accompanied brands.

How do you feel own label compare to economy and branded?
Some respondents felt that a difference in taste was undetectable in food between branded and unbranded (22%).
However some admitted to being brand snobs and preferred to by established brands for superior quality (29%).
Other consumers were influenced by stories of all brands of food being produced at the same factories and just having different labels attached at the end.

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