The following column is one in a regular series that shows the results of effectiveness tests on selected tv commercials conducted by advertising research company research systems corporation.

rsc uses a proprietary method of measuring the persuasiveness of tv commercials called ARS Persuasion.

It is a measurement of the change in brand preference due to commercial exposure.

ARS Persuasion has a 90% accuracy rate in predicting business results in split-cable test markets and has more than 300 documented validation tests.

Strategy recognizes there are numerous methods to gauge advertising effectiveness and rsc’s approach is but one of them.

Our intention in running the column is to highlight the important role of research in advertising and to stimulate thought on the subject of advertising effectiveness.

Lipton Monarch Professional Markets Group, a division of Thomas J. Lipton, recently began airing a commercial in support of its Country Crock margarine line.

The commercial shows a family enjoying a picnic in a graphically represented farm. They are shown eating bread spread with Country Crock Original margarine.

The 30-second commercial states that Country Crock Original has one-half the calories, but all the taste, of regular margarine.

At the end of the spot, produced by Stone & Simons, of Southfield, Mich., Country Crock Churn Style margarine is introduced, a product which is said to ‘cook as good as it tastes.’

In tests conducted for Strategy by research systems corporation (rsc), this Country Crock commercial achieved an ARS Persuasion score of +5.1 among the sample of 296 women.

Further airing of this commercial, based on this outcome, may generate a measurable sales/share change for the total Country Crock line.

While expected to create a share increase, according to rsc’s Outlook wearout model, airing this commercial for an additional 350 grps past the test date will wear it down to an ineffective level.

At that time, replenishment with a fresh perspective execution is recommended.

This commercial is considered an average persuader, after airing, because its ARS Persuasion level is not significantly different from that expected for an average commercial for the total Country Crock line.

The execution lacks a brand differentiating key message. Recall for the commercial is 32%.

However, only 6% of respondents played back the ‘less calories’ key sales message.

Research conducted by rsc has shown that commercials that achieve an adequate level of attention/memorability (23% + recall) and communicate a brand differentiating key message to 16%+ of the viewers have a 41% chance of achieving superior selling power (versus 13% for all other commercials.)

research systems corp. is based in Evansville, Ind., with an office in Oshsawa, Ont. and can be contacted at 1-800-395-3983.