Ask anyone, and they’ll agree that research is the foundation of any campaign. From market insights to competitor analyses to determining who exactly your target audience is.
ESPN took this to the extreme by developing a fake candy bar and seeing how it fared with its viewers, as reported by AdWeek. It showed that fans watching a football game would pay a premium for the “High 5” candy bar after seeing a commercial about it.
This is impressive data. ESPN went to great lengths and expense to show how effective advertising on its channel can be (read the article for more details).
Now, not every company can afford to do this level of research, but it’s what potential clients want when they decide how to spend their advertising budget.
On the ethics side, it does seem deceiving to trick an audience into thinking that High 5 actually exists, but then I realized that in many experiments in which I’ve participated, the true purpose of the study is not revealed until after it’s completed. And ESPN didn’t actually try to sell this product in a store or online.
Either way, I’m wondering if more media (esp. TV) will try this?
Anyone who works or has worked in the restaurant industry knows that it’s tough and that you need to be proactive on the marketing front to have a chance at success. As the