Guest Rant: Promoseven Strategist, Talal El Kateb

I know I haven’t been called in for a second interview by the diablogger extraordinaire but I feel like ranting and I believe my only outlets for such drabble is here or on 2-ply pink toilet paper. I’ve run out of the latter.

I feel like venting about research if you don’t mind… well I’m glad no one does. You see I am a firm believer in the power of consumer knowledge. The more you know about those you’re targeting the better you can communicate with them and the easier your task of selling to them… ooops… I meant your task of making them believe in / love / feel affinity for / emotionally bond with… your brand.

But here’s a doozy: how many times have you regretted even asking your client for ad pre-testing when the response was not to your liking? How hard was it to convince your client that pre-testing is meant to give more ammunition to the creative team rather than bore a hole through the bullseye? How close were you to suicide when your client saw a piece of research and asked you to craft a piece of communication around its findings in the most literal way possible?

It just feels like it’s taken us agencies eons to finally get clients to buy into the fact that research is always beneficial to their marketing efforts, only to see it abused in the hands of the number-crunchers, the black or white viewists and those that use research as a safety, existing for the sole purpose of covering their butts when things go wrong… “Wasn’t my fault! Research said adults trust their family doctors with their lives. I don’t know why having them endorse our life insurance product didn’t work out!!!”

Here’s the pickle: yes I am a firm believer in the importance of consumer knowledge, but I’m also an idealist who believes that advertising can change the world, or at least the behaviour of a select few.

You see, research will have banks believe that it’s the Asian population of the UAE who are most prone to saving, the national population most prone to need investment guidance and symbols of status, and the Lebanese populace most prone to taking out loans to fund their Porsches and Maseratis (that last one was a non-PC joke but I’m sure all the Lebs out there feel me).

Sales figures and market share will have us believe that the average Saudi family will always opt for either a gas-guzzling SUV for their extended family to cram in for those joyous Friday picnics on the corniche; or a moderate, affordable Toyota Camry or Corolla.

Are these stereotypes true?

Most definitely!

Should they guide our brand and communication strategies?

Of course not!

I know I’ve used terrible examples above but I know you know what we all know: research and data should set the backdrop but it’s up to us mighty planners of the new age to write the screenplay.

Now that we’ve succeeded in convincing our clients to shell out a small but hefty percentage of their marketing budgets on research, the next step is making the best use of that research instead of just turning it into a brief. On a final note…

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Thanks for letting me vent.

Diablog: As always our pleasure.