Qualtrics Blog

When creating an advertising survey, the researcher will focus on the comprehension, effectiveness and results of the ad message.  Ads involve five key messaging elements.  These are Who (Spokesperson), Says What (Advertising Message), To Whom (Target Audience), How (Which Media Channel), With What Effect (Desired Outcome).

When any advertising research is conducted we must have in mind the "advertising effect" or desired outcome.  If we can determine the effect, the other four questions can be easily answered.

When creating a survey to measure the effectiveness of an advertisement, a series of ad components are evaluated. The following are a sampling of items from different advertising evaluations based on a hierarchy of values approach.

Communicated Messages About Product – Service Attributes

What attributes or features does this ad communicate?

*           Taste: This drink has great taste
*           Energy: This drink provides an energy boost
*           Reliability: This computer is reliable and trouble free
*           Features: This computer has the features I’m looking for in a laptop
*           Cost: This computer is less expensive than most major brands
*           Style: This coat is attractive and stylish

Communicated Benefits
What benefits does this ad communicate?

*           Comfort: This car is comfortable to ride in
*           Value: This car is a good value for the money
*           Origin: This car is superior to most imports
*           Quality: This car is a quality vehicle

Personal Values
What personal values does this ad communicate?
This ad reminds me that…

*           Need Fulfillment: This car will meet my driving needs
*           Caring: This company cares about my needs
*           Trust: I can trust the car I drive
*           Understanding: The company understands the needs of this car’s buyers

Higher Order Values
Higher order values are the over arching values that drive behavior and give meaning to life.  Products and services are more likely to be purchased if they are consistent with these values.  Measures of these values should be included in advertising studies.

This ad brings to mind…

*           Accomplishment: The good feelings of personal accomplishment
*           Peace of Mind: The good feeling of having peace of mind
*           Personal Satisfaction: The good feeling about myself and what I do
*           Security: The good feeling of personal security and well being

Ad Effectiveness
Behavioral and attitudinal goals will vary by ad and include such factors as:

*           Realism: This ad shows a realistic view of President Bush
*           Entertaining: This ad is entertaining to watch
*           Relevance: This ad provides relevant information about the products
*           Ad Reinforcement: This ad reinforces positive feelings about this product
*           Information: This ad makes me want to learn more about this product
*           Purchase: This ad makes me more likely to purchase this product
*           Attention: This ad really holds my attention

These items are often measured using a Strongly Agree – Strongly Disagree scale.

Employee job satisfaction surveys allow an organization's management to better understand their employees. Employees often act on the basis of their environment, the behavior of their colleagues, and management policies. Management must be aware of employees' attitudes, opinions and satisfaction. The following are critical and meaningful measures of employee satisfaction that lead to important predictions of success for many businesses.

Employee satisfaction and retention surveys can give management knowledge and tools that directly impact the bottom line and business outcome; these tools also help to build positive employee relations and a positive work environment.  Employee satisfaction and management surveys lead to understanding the drivers within your organization and result in:

• identifying cost-saving opportunities
• improving productivity
• predicting and explaining turnover
• reducing absenteeism
• identifying areas of ethics, honesty and value concerns
• strengthening management skills and training
• evaluating customer-service problem areas and issues
• identifying training needs
• identifying communication bottlenecks and problem areas
• benchmarking your organization's perceived progress relative to competitors in the industry
• gauging employees' understanding of and agreement with corporate rules, policies and mission

Employee satisfaction and retention surveys should consider the following key aspects of employee satisfaction:

• overall job satisfaction
• satisfaction with the work
• coworker performance/cooperation
• pay satisfaction
• benefits satisfaction
• promotions/career advancement
• supervisory consideration
• supervisory promotion of teamwork and participation
• supervisory instruction/guidance
• communication
• human resources/personnel policies
• concern for employees
• productivity/efficiency
• training & development
• physical working conditions
• customer service
• strategy/mission
• job stress
• other job options and comparative information

Additional topics of current importance to your organization should also be considered during the evaluation period.  These topics might include the need for or prioritizing of resources, specific issues related to a physical or organizational work environment, interpersonal relationships and co-worker support, mentoring and training needs, and the development, measurement and recognition of successes.