According to sources, Western Union has conducted about 30 focus groups to test the creative from the three agencies which have made it to the final round of the pitch: McCann Erickson India, Publicis Hong Kong and Leo Burnett Chicago.
However, with no obvious winner, the purpose of the ad testing process is again being called into question. “It’s going to come down to what the clients really want to do with their brand and how conservative or brave they are,” said a source.
“The problem with focus groups is that respondents are forced to analyse ads and then they go into too much detail,” added the source.
“We know that a typical print ad view is about two seconds, not a 10-minute deconstruct session. Agencies and clients should use research as a guide only, not a yes/no solution. But it’s understandable as it’s easier to blame research than let yourself be blamed for a wrong decision.”
Western Union currently has no global creative agency-of-record relationship.
Ad testing delays Western Union decision
GLOBAL - Agencies pitching for Western Union's global brand assignment are hoping for a decision within weeks, after an ad testing process failed to deliver a clear winner.
