It is interesting how many incoming students about to embark on their Advertising-Marketing Communications course are surprised by the amount of research and evidence-based material that is used in developing successful creative campaigns.
As a teacher of Advertising-Marketing Communication I have a mantra that I encourage my students to chant back to me.
I ask: “What is advertising all about?”
The correct answer my students are encouraged to enthusiastically shout back is: “research”.
I continue: ‘And, what are you researching…?”
I want my students to bellow out so it can be heard down the corridor: “the target audience and getting as much evidence on our target audience so we can persuade them to buy or change behaviour.”
Those who answer correctly get a Cadbury Freddo. So, when it is the whole class that responds, there’s a lot of Cadbury chocolate going around. But, most importantly the message and importance of research gets through.
Why do I offer Cadbury? One of the most effective evaluation and research briefs of any communications campaign is that of the Cadbury Gorilla (Barreyat-Baron and Barrie, 2008). This case study, which is available on WARC (formerly known as the Worldwide Advertising Research Centre), won an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Award in 2008. This case study sets out all the elements that need to be considered and undertaken when developing an advertising strategy. It demonstrates the research, evaluation, and strategic analysis required for a successful creative campaign – in the implementation phases, pre-development of the creative and post-campaign evaluation - all critical learning for advertising-marketing communication students. It is an ideal case study to show students and encourage them to analyse, reflect and compare with their own campaign research briefs.
As discussed in the post ‘It’s all about you…YouTube!’ my goal is teach students so they can be creative, job ready graduates that will be leaders in the industry and be recognised for delivering the highest of professional standards. I do this by focusing on Work Integrated Learning and by combining approaches of practice-led and research-led teaching.
Having access to websites and resources such as WARC assist students to achieve and importantly to identify, recognise and understand what cutting-edge, professional industry standards are.
University of Canberra students have the opportunity to access WARC through the public pathway www.warc.com or if they access the website through the UC Library it provides students with member access, which means access to all case studies, industry analysis, forecasting, and other data.
WARC is a London, based marketing trend research and forecasting agency that was established more than 25 years ago (source: WARC, 2011). The agency is recognised globally for its high research standards and influential industry reports. Due to my efforts to encourage students to review and study WARC case studies, many have produced very high professional standard Campaign Research Briefs. Therefore, I contacted WARC to consider accepting some of my students Research Briefs for its website. WARC has considered this favourably and are currently working with some of my students. If accepted, it will be the first time any report prepared by a student has been published by WARC.
The approach I have adopted supports the University of Canberra’s mission to encourage students to develop high level research skills and techniques, and encourage them to engage in broad discussions about research in their field. My teaching approach also advocates the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research ‘Guidelines for the 2011 Higher Education Research Data Collections (2010) that details: ‘Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.’
By analysing and reviewing award winning case studies that are available on WARC such as the Cadbury Gorilla campaign case study, it assists students to achieve professional standards and develop a greater understanding of the importance of research and evidence-based creative ideas in a global context.
References:
Barreyat-Baron, M. and Barrie, R. (2008). ‘Cadbury – How a drumming gorilla beat a path back to profitable growth: a real-time effectiveness case study’. Advertising Works 17. IPA Effectiveness Awards 2008. London. Retrieved from: http://www.warc.com.ezproxy1.canberra.edu.au/ or http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/file.php/5277/IPA_Case_Study_Cadbury_Gorilla.pdf
‘Cadbury Gorilla’ (2007). Creative Agency: Fallon. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo accessed 25 April 2011.
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research ‘Guidelines for the 2011 Higher Education Research Data Collections (2010). Australian Government.
WARC (formerly Worldwide Advertising Research Centre). www.warc.com accessed: 25 April 2011.
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