The System1 report on the new Liberty Mutual Reinsurance advertising campaign rates it in the top 1% for effectiveness - with an exceptional impact on brand building and an excellent potential to influence short-term sales.

Pre-testing can be fatal

Assessing the potential impact of innovative concepts, brands and campaigns can be problematic, especially in risk-averse and sceptical markets. Crudely conducted market research tends merely to confirm evident rational needs and emphasise the appeal of familiarity: long on assessing relevance, but short on rewarding distinctiveness. The result can be an orthodoxy of language and a stifling of creativity.

Tested to construction

Fortunately the approach and methodology deployed by effectiveness assessment specialists System1 is altogether more sophisticated and intelligent. By gauging the emotive heft of an idea or execution, and by identifying the capacity of the concept to build upon and extend current brand perceptions, they can measure potential with precision and nuance. System1 report upon Star and Spike ratings - benchmarking an ad's brand building and sales support potential. And because the method has been applied across a wide range of sectors, these benchmarks carry a lot of weight.

Emotional quotient

Some might argue that whilst perceptions and preferences in consumer markets are driven by emotion, business decisions are based on objective rationale. Experience - and evidence - suggests otherwise. Business customers do need commercially-sound proof points to support and justify their choices.  But fundamentally we are all social animals seeking emotional connections.

Brands connect people

At Chromatic we specialise in markets such as technology and financial services which perceive themselves to be highly analytical and left-brain. Our credo has always been to find the human connection between business brands and business people; to express propositions with imagination and humour; and to reject visual and verbal cliches. But this belief needs to be validated and our work needs to deliver tangible impact.

Building brands for growth

That’s why we welcomed System1 being asked to assess - pre-launch - the effectiveness of our most recent campaign for Liberty Mutual Reinsurance. And we were chuffed to learn that their report predicted the campaign to be in the top 1% in terms of effectiveness, with an exceptional effect upon brand building and an excellent potential to influence short-term sales.