Commentary

System1's Latest Ad Testing Tool Measures Emotional Responses To Digital Pitches

In March, ad-marketing research company System1 debuted a new product called Test Your Audio that was billed as a tool to help advertisers determine the short- and long-term commercial impact of audio ads on radio, podcasts and music streaming apps. 

Now the 20-year-old firm, which is publicly traded on the London AIM market, has unveiled Test Your Ad Digital which the company says measures viewers’ emotional responses to creative content. Like Test Your Audio, the new tool assigns a 1 to 5.9-Star Rating based on an ad’s ability to drive long-term growth, and a Spike Rating that predicts short-term sales potential.  (It's had a similar tool for linear TV advertising in the market for a while.)

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System1 worked with Pinterest on a multi-market test using creative from global brands to validate the approach. The company says that the testing confirmed that digital ads with an above-average Star Rating yielded 6 times higher brand lift in action intent. 

“Digital advertising continues to get a bigger piece of the ad spend pie, but requires a precise approach given these channels promote shortened attention spans,” said Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer, System1. “As our research with Pinterest demonstrates, Test Your Ad Digital provides accurate predictions, as well as actionable improvements so advertisers can make the most effective digital ads.” 

But wait, there’s more.  

Test Your Ad Digital reports highlight brand recognition within the first 2 seconds. This is specifically calculated with lower-attention digital media platforms in mind. The reports also include Attention Trace and Attention Time measures. Attention Trace shows the proportion of people viewing the ad at each second (i.e., have not skipped), while Attention Time shows the average percentage of the ad viewed by the audience as a whole. Together, the company asserts, these measures demonstrate an ad’s ability to hold attention and showcase the point at which engagement is lost. 

On a related note, System1 will address digital advertising best practices at the upcoming Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity next month. Chief Innovation Officer Orlando Wood will take the stage alongside Dr. Karen Nelson-Field and Rob Brittain.  

Building upon the findings from his recent book, Look Out, which looks at attention and its implications for advertising, Wood will highlight the latest effectiveness research and offer insight on what works and why to help brands succeed in digital. 

 

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