“ I just don’t get it.”
Unwanted and unexpected feedback about advertising from consumers and prospective customers. It provides invaluable insights to disturbingly large measures of ineffectiveness, indifference to and lack of understanding about much of current advertising and marketing communications.
Smart, creative, funny, irreverent and original messages often miss the point. The purpose and key message of placements tend to be difficult to identify, understand, endorse and embrace by consumers and clients at large.
A time for reflection. What’s the point?
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES – MONEY WASTED
Overall, the current economy and marketplace are driven by two prime forces: cost-of-living concerns and AI (artificial intelligence) generated demand and purchases. Consequently, life and commerce are very transactional in nature. Price and pricing are significant factors. They are dominant and effective screening processes, determining readership, viewership, listenership comprehension and responsiveness.
In the final analysis, content which is centred on price outweighs the influence and relevance of the context and messengers ( advertising talent).
WHO IS THAT?
One current advertising genre features past sporting elites, television program characters, iconic native fauna, cartoon personalities, seemingly senseless statistics and decidedly unfunny comedians.
Flashes of recall vaguely recall once familiar Australian test cricketers, Olympic swimmers, tennis champions, NBL basketballers, rugby league legends, Columbo and wildly wandering quokkas.
Such communications do stimulate comments and conversations. Most focus on endeavouring to recall names, eras (if not dates) and circumstances. Little of which associates placements with advertised brand names, products, services or current offers.
A series of ten focus groups conducted in five mainland capital cities during the period 7-21 July 2025 revealed that unaided recall of specific featured advertising talent and related brand names was less than 15% in all instances. All participants were aged 20-58 years.
Aided recall, in which the brand name, product and service or the advertisement featured talent were nominated, recorded a maximum associated recognition of less than 24% in all instances.
Aided recall of advertisement talent, content theme and company/product/service categories peaked at some 58% of cases ( introduced by focus group moderator).
Participants identified and referred most to advertising for banks, general insurance, gambling, health insurance, motor vehicles, roadside services, telecommunication and supermarkets.
Less than 12% of focus group participants stated that they had been directly influenced to buy or change suppliers, brands or products because of exposure to this style of advertising during the past three months.
THE TRIGGERS
Creative, cleaver, funny, original and irreverent advertising is considered by adult Australians to be ineffective.
Calls-to-action are seemingly subtle, often unrecognisable and therefore do not resonate and effect positive and immediate consumer responses and buying actions.
A significant percentage of “fun-based” advertising was considered to be too cleaver by half. Such were not understood and of little value.
NO BIG DEAL
A majority of participants from the ten focus groups contended that they were left questioning the purpose of specific advertisements.
Those active in the marketplace for possible or intended purchases were most attracted to advertisements that outlined deals, benefits and discount offers.
The essential point is reflected in the following verbatim quote:
“When I get it, I’m inclined to
take action to get it.”
RESEARCH ANALYSIS:
Research coordinator and analyst, Barry Urquhart of Marketing Focus said:
“Advertisers who are keen to monitor, measure and assign key performance indicator metrics to their advertising content and budgets will be concerned, if not disturbed with these research findings.
Achieving cut-through is difficult in the cluttered, busy, dynamic and generally suppressed economy and marketplace. Cost-of-living and AI issues are significant distractions.
Price is reasserting its presence and importance. Consumers are, and remain, price sensitive, actively seeking “a deal”, a sale, discounts or special offers. That package attracts attention, interest and most probably, demand.
The message from consumers, customers and clients is clear: Get to the point.
Responses are likely to be immediate or short-term. Extended contemplation seems to be for another time.”
Barry Urquhart
Managing Director
Marketing Focus
M: 041 983 5555
E: Urquhart@marketingfocus.net.au