BBDO and Microsoft Advertising Study Finds: People Carry 'Lovers' in Their Pocket

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 – BBDO Worldwide and Microsoft Advertising today unveiled findings from a global study presented at the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France. The goal of the study is to help marketers find "the next billion consumers" by exploring consumers' emotional connections with television, PCs, and mobile devices.  

BBDO and Microsoft Corp. worked with Ipsos, a global research company, utilizing projection techniques, picture interpretation, quantitative and qualitative analyses to gather survey feedback from more than 1,500 consumers in five different countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UK and the U.S.

Unlike other digital advertising multi-screen research that is driven by measurement, this study took a different approach, aimed at understanding what's going on in people's "psyches" and how they emotionally connect and interact with each screen on a personal level.  It applied Jung archetypes to help put personalities to each device. The study presents a striking picture of similarities and differences – across geographies, ages, demographics and screens – that provide interesting advertising ideas and suggestions, which can help lead to more compelling and relevant brand messages.  

Among the conclusions drawn from this study:

• The TV is like an old, reliable and entertaining friend... an everyman that sits comfortably and passively in your home.  However, there are differences around the world, and among age groups, especially in Russia and China where TV grew up as something viewers were wary of, given that it was state-owned
• The PC is like an older sibling... someone to learn from, show off to, and compete with.  It's far more trusted than TV, especially in Eastern countries and among younger consumers because they can control/choose the content on their PCs
• The mobile device is like a "new lover"... the most personal device and something users feel close to. They want it with them at all times.  It is a relationship that is just beginning and, as such, cuts across all age groups and geographies because of its "newness." Tablets are actually something of a mix of the other screens.

"We've turned how we've typically researched multi-screen ad effectiveness on its head by looking at these screens through the eyes of an archetype," said Marc Bresseel, vice president, Global Marketing for Microsoft Advertising, and one of the co-presenters of the research at Cannes. "This research brings to life how consumers relate to the devices they use every day in ways that are easy to understand by marketers and especially creatives, thereby allowing them to adjust messages accordingly. There's empirical evidence that when a consumer is more receptive to a message, that message will be far more effective."

Based on findings from this study, BBDO and Microsoft recommend that the following:

• For mobile messages to be effective, they must recognize the personal nature of this medium. What works on television or other screens will not necessarily work on mobile devices. Messages must be highly relevant, meaningful and useful. They also have to be intimate, surprising, unobtrusive, help the user fit in and belong. For advertisers, the format of the advertising for tablets needs to reflect which 'hat' the tablet is wearing.
• Advertising on a PC can be especially appropriate to reach younger consumers. However, it needs to be something they can learn from, share and show off. It should teach, challenge, and appeal to the users' competitiveness (e.g., include a gaming component).
• There has never been a better time for television advertising to seize the moment. Whether viewed on a TV screen, PC (in the role of a TV set) or Xbox, audiences are receptive, waiting to be entertained and humored. TV is a rich, powerful medium and advertisers should continue to be making great ads for it.

"Archetypes will continue to evolve as devices become more sophisticated, and audiences grow older, younger or more mature," said Simon Bond, Chief Marketing Officer for BBDO North America and co-presenter of the research at Cannes.  "What's important is to know how people are interacting with these screens now, rather than five years from now. While some marketers may have mastered individual screens, no one has mastered them all. Therefore, when advertising is optimized for these screens, it could have the potential to attract "the next billion customers", especially when you look at places like India where there are more than 100 million PC users or in China where there are three times as many mobile users."

ABOUT MICROSOFT ADVERTISING

Microsoft Advertising provides advertisers and publishers with media, tools and services designed to drive deep and profitable engagement with their audiences.  This includes a global media network of Microsoft properties such as Bing, MSN, Windows Live, Xbox LIVE, and partner properties. The Microsoft Advertiser and Publisher Suites simplify planning and management of campaigns and content, offering a range of services that help advertisers and publishers untangle the complexities of digital media and get more out of their marketing and content investments. Microsoft Advertising makes buying and selling media simple, smart and cost-effective across media and devices spanning 42 markets and 21 languages.  Visit http://advertising.microsoft.com for more information.

ABOUT MICROSOFT

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

ABOUT BBDO

BBDO's mantra is "The Work. The Work. The Work."  Every day, people in 287 offices in 79 countries work job by job and client by client, to create and deliver the world's most compelling commercial content. BBDO is currently Network of the Year at Cannes, the world's most awarded agency network in The Gunn Report, and the most awarded global agency network across every marketing communications discipline in The Big Won. BBDO is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE-OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

ABOUT IPSOS

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers.

They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2010, Ipsos generated global revenues of euro 1.140 billion ($1.6 billion U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

ADDENDUM

Top takeaways from the BBDO and Microsoft Advertising study:

1. At the core is a story of consumers and their relationships with screens.  These are not impersonal devices but rather, personifications of their users:  caring, loving…normal.
2. In the U.S. and UK, people have a strong friendship with TV.  Nostalgia plays an important role in how they perceive the screen.  Not so in Russia or China, where the TV was under state control and became something to be wary of.  Saudi Arabia sits somewhere in between.
3. People over 45 are more likely to prefer watching programs or movies on TV, whereas people under 30 watch all sorts of video on their computer.  In fact, to them, it's especially important to be able to access content across every device that they own.
4. Around the world, consumers in Russia and China feel closer to their PC than TV.
5. Did you know that mobile devices are the screen of choice in developing markets?
6. People let their guard down when watching TV.  It's a particularly powerful screen for delivering brand messages.
7. It's not surprising that video goes viral on PCs; it's the screen of choice for sharing.
8. There's the potential to attract one billion new customers by getting the content right across all four screens.

SOURCE BBDO Worldwide