Columinate-InSites Consulting launches new ad-testing model

Johannesburg-based Columinate-InSites Consulting has developed a new model to gauge the effectiveness of advertising, based on the type and degree of “emotive reactions” within the methodology. The new model is set to become a central pillar for Columinate-Insites Consulting’s advertisement evaluations.

The model divides advertising methodologies into seven segments that involve some sort of emotion, which produce a varying degree of effectiveness within the advertisement. The segments are: delightful hug, bored yawn, amused smile, excited jump, accepting nod, inspired glow and blank neutral expression.

The advertising model was presented by Managing Director at Columinate-InSites Consulting South Africa Henk Pretorius at the latest edition of the Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO) conference this year, alongside Team Lead to Columinate-InSites Consulting Amone Redelinghuys.

“Instead of applying segmentation to the audience and people, we came up with applying it to the ads. In other words, [we focus on] how people react to advertising, segmenting the ads themselves into different categories of emotive reactions,” explained Pretorius at the conference. 

Columinate-InSites Consulting has been operational in its current form since last year, when Belgian market research firm InSites Consulting acquired Johannesburg-based consultancy Columinate, with the specific objective of competing in the increasingly competitive branding and marketing sector across Africa.

The firm brands itself as an insights agency, and offers a broad range of services, including online and mobile market research, brand equity studies, advanced statistical analysis and, most pertinently in this case, ad testing. The new model will constitute a central pillar for the firm’s ad testing services.

“We came up with this idea of only looking at emotive reactions because there's so much work that proves that emotions are fundamental in the way that people react, respond, behave and make decisions. The unfortunate thing that we found is that 41% of ads didn't actually create any sort of emotive reaction and that unfortunately rings true. If you look at the way a lot of advertising is done, it's not necessarily setting out to create an emotive reaction,” added Pretorius.