Great advertising has the potential to be much more effective than run-of-the-mill work, so it's important to know whether the ideas presented to you fall into the former category or the latter.
You may well trust your instincts in judging creative proposals, but in this era of increased accountability and due diligence, it makes sense to have an expert, impartial second opinion.
There are so many aspects of any advertising to consider.
Does the idea deliver the proposition? Is it directed at the correct target market? Does it clearly identify the brand? Is it consistent with the brand values, tone of voice and brand culture? Is the idea generic to the category? Could the idea be wrongly attributed to a different brand, in particular to a competitor of the brand being advertised?
Currently, the most common form of concept testing is market research, usually in the form of focus groups of consumers whose opinions are probed by a moderator.
Consumers may well be qualified and experienced at consuming, but they usually don't have the ability to ascertain whether a piece of advertising can answer the questions listed above, let alone many other complex issues.
A Second Opinion is unique in that it appraises the work from the point of view of an experienced and respected former copywriter/creative director.
You may wish to have an individual ad, commercial or campaign appraised.
Or if you're a client receiving a number of competing approaches, such as in a new business situation, you can avail yourself of A Second Opinion's pitch service, which specialises in expert assessment of competitive creative submissions.
Please visit the other pages of this website for more information and a more in-depth examination of the issues.
