Before launching international DRTV campaigns, it is worth considering whether a ‘one size fits all’ approach will be the most effective – and cost-effective – option. Will one ad really work in the same way across different countries? Recent findings reveal consumers’ perceptions vary between countries.
fast.MAP has pre-tested many TV campaign ideas and results have repeatedly confirmed great differences in how TV adverts are perceived in different countries.
For example, a retailer which tested its gender-specific TV ads in the US and UK, used the results to make changes and enhance results in each country.
After testing five different ads on male and female audiences in each country it found that in the UK, both sexes preferred an infomercial-style featuring a celebrity endorser.
However, in the US, viewers favoured a different theme and, surprisingly, voiceovers delivered in a British rather than an American accent.
A single ad used in both countries would not have been effective.
Another company discovered stark contrasts in British perceptions of German and British versions of a TV ad.
British audiences favoured the British ad and failed to relate to or engage with the German one to the same degree. British men, especially those over 45, said the German ad made them feel more negative about the brand than the British one.
International DRTV campaigns: identifying consumer attitudes
Another fast.MAP study identified national variations in consumer attitude.
Spanish and Italian consumers were most influenced by pricing in TV commercials, which was less significant to German audiences, which were more moved by the message. While British audiences were more interested in the product, service or brand the price.
Diverse consumer reactions to TV advertising in different countries confirm the wisdom of questioning the effectiveness of a single creative treatment for an international audience. Research insight and pre-testing can point to inexpensive nation-by-nation fixes which help to avoid the expense of underperformance and increase the likelihood of consumer engagement.
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