Marketing Communications Decision Research

Abstract

The article outlines the specifics of research conducted to make effective decisions in marketing communications. The types and directions of marketing communications research are named. Among them are research related to market study, advertising product testing, ideas for a communicative message, evaluation of the effectiveness of an advertising or PR campaign, and media research. It is emphasized that it is necessary to conduct pre- and post-testing to evaluate the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. Evaluation studies can be conducted several times within the framework of an advertising campaign. The advantages and disadvantages of pre-testing and post-testing of advertisements were described. An indicative survey structure for communication research is provided. The author considers the following methods of evaluating the content of advertising messages: direct assessment, Gallup & Robinson methodology, portfolio test, advertising and communication test, laboratory test, split test, and broadcast research. Research on purchase reactions and other communication methods was also analyzed. The effectiveness of the use of tracking studies and post-testing has been proven. The article describes the main methods of evaluating the economic effectiveness of marketing communications. The following are highlighted: the method of assessing the increase in sales volumes before and after the advertising campaign, the analytical method based on the correlation of advertising costs and sales volume, and the method of experimentation using test and control markets. Features of media studies are represented as one of the most important. They allow us to analyze the issue and choose the most effective strategy comprehensively. It was determined that conducting marketing research is necessary for the company’s development in the market.