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Teaching notes · lesson 13 · a 20-minute class

Creative quality

Why the same money buys very different results, and what you can do about the odds. Tracks: Media.

Open the lesson

Learning goalsBy the end, students can

  • Explain why the same media money can buy very different results.
  • Describe how weak branding can build memory for the leader.
  • Weigh pre-testing, creative budget and wear-out when planning a campaign.

The 20-minute classMinute by minute, with the lab on the projector

  1. 0:003 min, to 3:00

    Cold open

    Ask the room to recall a recent ad they liked. Then ask which brand it was for. Count the gaps.

  2. 3:004 min, to 7:00

    The idea

    Introduce the Nielsen finding on creative's share of sales lift, and the Ipsos point that about half of people who remember an ad can name the brand.

  3. 7:005 min, to 12:00

    Lab on the projector

    Score an ad: raise quality, then drop branding, then switch approach. Watch memory, in-quarter sales and how much builds the leader.

  4. 12:003 min, to 15:00

    Pairs

    Pairs decide what to do with a weak ad: more media, fix it, or cut.

  5. 15:003 min, to 18:00

    Discussion

    Take the mix model question: a great campaign or a great channel?

  6. 18:002 min, to 20:00

    Check

    Three lesson questions.

Discussion questionsWith what a strong answer covers

  1. Your new ad tests weak on branding. What do you do with next quarter's money?

    A strong answer covers
    • Fix or replace the ad before adding media.
    • More money behind a weak ad partly builds the leader.
    • Lean on activation until the new ad is ready.

  2. A mix model credits last year's growth to TV. What else might explain it?

    A strong answer covers
    • A strong campaign rather than the channel.
    • Mix models see spend, not ads.
    • Measure creative quality and put it in the model.

  3. Emotional brand story or rational offer: when would you choose each?

    A strong answer covers
    • Rational sells more now and fades faster.
    • Emotional builds memory and pricing power over years.
    • Cites Binet and Field; ties choice to the horizon.

The lab as homeworkAbout 15 minutes for a student

Use the lab to see what branding does to who benefits from your ad.

  1. Set an ad of average quality and strong branding; note memory and how much builds the leader.
  2. Drop the branding and note both again.
  3. Switch approach and note how fast it wears out.

They answer: When you weakened the branding, how much of the ad's effect went to the leader, and what would you change before airing it?

A strong answer covers
  • Quotes the lab for both branding settings.
  • Explains that unbranded memory leaks to the most available rival.
  • Recommends brand codes or a fix before more media.

Students also answer the lesson's three questions. Their score is worked out on the server from their answers.

Set this lab as homework

Students open a link, do the lab, answer the three questions and write what they found. You see each student's quiz score and finding on your class page.

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