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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Ad PowerLIFT effective?
What is the technical description of the model?
Can I see a sample Ad PowerLIFT Evaluation Report?
Can Business-to-Business and Consumer ads be scored?
Can I see the model characteristics?
Can I see a sample Advertising PowerLIFT Evaluation?
How were the models created?
How do the Response Power Generation Model scores relate to response rates?
Are my ad scoring results confidential?
Will Ad PowerLIFT score a competitor’s ad for me?
Is Ad PowerLIFT an advertising makeover?
Do you perform the service for advertising agencies?
What if I am in the rough comp materials stage?
Can Ad PowerLIFT make improvement recommendation changes?
Can you refer me to an advertising agency?
Can I reuse the report recommendations?
Q. What makes Ad PowerLIFT effective?
The Ad PowerLIFT evaluation system is based on the combined experience of real world direct marketing experts plus the relevant published works and academic research on advertising effectiveness and generating response. The system is designed not be an academic research project, but to deliver results that are understandable and usable to improve actual ads for marketers and advertisers.
The Ad PowerLIFT model and scoring system is comprehensive and completely objective with a current database of over 300 scored ads. The evaluation compares your ad’s score to the previous ad scores in the database to provide a further, relative indication of how much your ad can be improved.
Ad PowerLIFT can be used on existing ads to improve them, or new ads to maximize their chance for success.
Q. What is the technical description of the model?
There actually are several types of models used in the Ad PowerLIFT service, and they are fully explained and defined in the client’s report.
The Response Power Model is the key traits, or characteristics, that determine whether an advertisement will create response. The model contains 13 positive traits that drive or generate response and 4 negative traits that can decrease or block response. The traits are very specific qualities in strategy, copy and design that can be analyzed and scored. Each trait has a primary description title that is common for all ad types (inquiry generation, direct order, store traffic generation) and advertising channel (space, direct mail, etc.). However, the method with which each trait is implemented (IE: the creative execution) varies by ad type and channel. In other words, the first trait is needed for every ad, but the implementation is different for catalogs, cents-off coupons, direct order and other ad types and channels.
Each trait has a different value weight that represents that trait’s relative importance in the total task of creating response. The model is designed to be understandable by practicing marketers (versus theoretical mathematicians) so the total of all positive trait value weights is equal to 100. This is so you can see that a trait with a value weight of 12 is worth 12% of the total value weights to create response. The 4 negative traits should not be present in a response advertisement, but occur often enough in real practice for inclusion in the model.
To measure response power generation, the advertisement is carefully analyzed and graded for the strength of the creative execution on each trait. The creative execution is graded on a 5-point relative magnitude ordinal scale from low to high with a numeric grade from 0 to 5. Zero (0) signifies the trait is missing completely or negatively implemented. The highest grade for strengthen of execution is 5.
The advertisement’s score is calculated as follows: Each trait’s numeric grade is multiplied by the value weight of the trait to determine the trait score. Then, the positive trait scores are summed. Any negative trait scores are subtracted from the positive sum. The net sum is the advertisement’s model score. For example, if an advertisement average strength score is 3.5 on all traits, the positive trait score is 350. If there are no negative traits present, the model score is also 350. If negative traits total 50, the model score is 300. The highest possible model score is 500.
The Response Power Model Report describes each trait and characteristic in rich detail, tells the value weight, the advertisement’s numeric grade for the trait, and calculates the total model score. The report also compares the score to scores of other advertisements that were previously scored. (Only scores are revealed; the other advertisement identities are confidential.)
The second sets of models are computer-based evaluations of the advertisement copy text. If the advertisement has sufficient copy text, the text is computer matched against several databases of positive and negative words and phrases for words and phrases that generate or suppress response. The text is also matched against the Flesch Reading Ease Model and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level models to analyze the text characteristics for readability.
The last models are metrics evaluations for creating comprehensive Income Statements and sophisticated response analysis tables, break-even charts, and response confidence level tables for risk and profit analysis.
The common characteristic of the model and evaluation is that the results and recommendations are written in plain English to make them easy to use.
Q. Can I see a sample Ad PowerLIFT Evaluation Report?
Yes, an actual report is available that is “greeked in” to conceal the client, actual words, model characteristics and other confidential information. This sample provides a realistic view of the amount and format of information in the custom evaluation. The model and scoring process is fully described and an actual the Outlook report is included in the Sample Report package. Simply click the link at left.
Q. Can Business to Business and Consumer advertisements be scored?
Yes.
Q. Can I see the model characteristics?
The Ad PowerLIFT model is a proprietary product that is licensed to subscribers of an evaluation and only displayed to subscribers of the service. Please see details in the Licensing Agreement that must be completed before ordering.
Q. How was the model created?
The response power generation model began development in 2001. A dedicated effort to refine and perfect it started in late 2002. In late 2003, the model started field testing using live ads among a group of independent experts. This and other research led to more refinements. Now in 2005, the Ad PowerLIFT service is formally introduced.
Q. How do the Response Power Model scores relate to response rates?
Ad PowerLIFT scores an ad’s strategic and creative characteristics for their strength at generating response. While the model score does not predict response, it does directly correlate to the strength of response pulling power. Logically, higher response pulling power creates higher response rates. Response models are analytical models that predict response rates by scoring mailing lists with algorithms based on historical and/or appended factors. The Ad PowerLIFT model could be correlated to actual response rates through controlled tests, but timing and other external environment issues usually affect the accuracy and precision of any predictive models.
Q. Are my ad scoring results confidential?
The specific scores of any one client’s ad are confidential and not released. However, your ad may appear on the Ad PowerLIFT Web site to illustrate an advertisement that was scored. The score results of your ad are added to the database and used in the aggregate for benchmarking.
The strategic and financial analysis reports and recommendations are completely confidential and not shared in any manner.
Q. Will Ad PowerLIFT score a competitor’s ad for me?
Yes, anyone may have any publicly published advertisement evaluated. In fact, evaluating a competitor’s ad at the same time you evaluate your ad is a good way to see which ad has a stronger Response Power Generation Score.
However, the strategic analysis results will not be as complete because the Start Up Work Order reveals information only a client should know about the ad’s objective and other internal matters which are integral to analyzing the advertisement from a strategic standpoint.
Please note that only the client that commissions the Ad PowerLIFT evaluation receives the results.
Q. Is Ad PowerLIFT an advertising makeover?
Ad PowerLIFT provides objective measurement and guidance how to improve an existing advertisement’s strategy and creative execution. The orientation and predisposition is to improve the existing creative. However, the improvement recommendations are not limited or constrained in any way. The evaluation recommendation can be as small as a word or graphic adjustment to a complete creative restart or anything in between.
Q. Do you perform the service for advertising agencies?
Yes. Ad PowerLIFT is an excellent way for agencies to pre-check their work before asking a client to approve it.
Q. What if I am in the rough comp materials stage?
Ad PowerLIFT analyzes rough comps and unfinished materials as well as completed advertising. The closer the materials are to the final work, the more accurately the scoring system works.
Q. Can Ad PowerLIFT make improvement recommendation changes?
The Ad PowerLIFT service only provides the objective measurement and evaluation of an advertisement. If you want assistance in making the improvement changes, we can recommend sources.
Q. Can you refer me to an advertising agency?
We can recommend sources we know will produce good work. Additionally, we are a division of SmartPlans, a Marketing Consultancy that provides strategic, marketing planning, circulation management, and media buying services. SmartPlans can assist you in selecting the best agency or creative source for your needs.
Q. Can I reuse the report recommendations?
You are free to use the Advertising PowerLIFT evaluation results internally in any way you like. The Licensing Agreement prohibits publishing, making the results public, or reselling the material in any manner. The agreement step is before the order form and clearly indicates the restrictions.
If any question is not answered, please complete this E-mail form and ask it in the comments section.
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