My guiding principles for changing times

I recently joined the IPA as Media Research Director, following in the footsteps of three women, who diligently carried out this role over the last 50 years. They will be tough acts to live up to!

I have, though, been coming to and involved with the IPA in industry groups and events since 1992. I am hugely passionate about the vital role the IPA plays in both representing member views and interests and engaging with the wider industry.

The IPA has a long history of demonstrating effectiveness of advertising and communications. I was so privileged to spend time working with the late effectiveness pioneer Simon Broadbent in the early 1990s at Leo Burnett – Simon being the founder of the IPA Effectiveness Awards in 1980. Now that is a legacy!

My work with Simon, and in the industry over the years, has taught me a lot, and whilst much has changed and will evolve in future, I believe there are three principles that remain crucial for success.

Get the inputs right

It may seem basic but knowing how many people, as a proportion of the total target audience, have come across your brand communication across multiple channels or populations is vital. Otherwise, how can they react to that communication?

This is why the IPA takes very seriously its role of representing the needs of agencies on the Joint Industry Currencies (JICs) that provide transparent and accountable measurement for channels like TV, outdoor and radio, collecting the research input data and interrogating the results to establish rigour and representativity.

It is stating the obvious but we live in an era of data abundance, with so many different ways and means of understanding consumer behaviour, so it is vital that we are able to understand both the possibilities and limitations of data sources and providers.

I often use the geographical concept of triangulation, looking at and assessing a number of different ways of getting to your destination. The same is true of data sources – if they are all pointing in the same direction and providing similar evidence, then you are probably on to something.

Appreciate the process

I often talk about measurement as an amorphous mass. A lack of clarity around definitions can lead to confusion and the wrong approach. Efficiency is not the same as effectiveness, though the terms are often conflated. The former is essentially about delivering the communication in as cost-effective way as possible to reach the potential audience. Effectiveness is proving that the audience did something as a result of the communication, whether that is becoming warmer and more favourable towards the brand, visiting a website or store, or indeed (and the ultimate goal) buying the brand.

It's also worth noting that the consumer purchase process is not linear and varies in length. In fact, sometimes bigger ticket items such as a car or, in my case, recently a new dishwasher are bought in a short amount of time. However, the journey often starts a long time before, with brand associations being formed. On the flipside, consumers can spend ages deciding on lower ticket items and which brand to buy, despite the consequences of getting it wrong being a lot less crucial. 

Be open to conflicting points of view

As I get older, I am increasingly aware of the need for diversity of thinking. And that is so important when it comes to how we prove effectiveness. There are many more ways of doing that these days, so the value of listening to diverse viewpoints is vital. This ultimately leads to better solutions. We know that If we all go down the same path, then we end up with what Matthew Syed, in his book Rebel Ideas, calls homophily. This is a concept from sociology describing the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with people similar to themselves, as in the ‘birds of a feather flock together’ proverb.

It’s not always easy, but if we are to succeed in delivering effective communications and proving the brand and business value of what we do, then we need to get uncomfortable and be open to different ways of looking at the world.

Whatever else changes (see our latest Making Sense report using IPA Touchpoints data for evidence of how the media landscape keeps evolving), I believe that these three guiding principles will still be part of effective strategies fifty years from now.

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and were submitted in accordance with the IPA terms and conditions regarding the uploading and contribution of content to the IPA newsletters, IPA website, or other IPA media, and should not be interpreted as representing the opinion of the IPA.