Case Study
Optimizing Advertising Creative Strategy Quickly for a Leading Outdoor Decking Brand
overview
Comparing Two Creative Directions with Agile Ad Testing Powered by SnapIQ
A leading manufacturer of composite decking products partnered with C+R Research to evaluate two distinct advertising creative directions. The current campaign focused on product differentiation and clear, tangible benefits, while the new campaign sought to foster a deeper emotional connection, positioning the brand as a category leader. The team needed to test both ideas to ensure the new campaign would deliver against key brand objectives without sacrificing established strengths. But they needed these answers in a week! C+R was able to use our agile quantitative solution, SnapIQ, to provide results four business days after the campaigns were ready, identifying the strengths and optimization opportunities for the new creative approach, informing both near-term campaign execution and long-term brand positioning.
THE PROBLEM
Choosing Between Product Differentiation and Brand Inspiration Under Tight Timelines
The decking manufacturer had built strong market presence through advertising focused on product superiority and concrete benefits. As the category evolved, the team wanted to understand whether a new aspirational platform could better position them as the comprehensive outdoor living leader and foster a deeper emotional connection with the brand.
They faced three core challenges:
- Compare two fully developed creative directions—one product-forward, one more emotional—on consistent metrics.
- Deliver clear guidance in under a week to influence upcoming media and production decisions.
- Go beyond simple scores to understand how to optimize the new campaign.
The brand needed a solution that would provide robust, statistically grounded results in days, not weeks, while still being 100% custom to meet their objectives.
OUR APPROACH
Agile Monadic Ad Testing
C+R designed a rigorous quantitative monadic test that focused on the client’s target consumer and measured KPIs like appeal, relevance, uniqueness, brand fit, and likelihood to use the brand. We also evaluated specific brand perceptions that aligned with strategic positioning goals from product performance attributes to emotional benefits.
Open-ended responses provided rich diagnostic detail about what each creative communicated effectively and where consumers sought more information.
The result
Fast Clarity and Clear Optimization Paths for the Winning Creative
Four business days after the campaigns were ready, C+R was able to deliver a report that answered their key objectives and revealed a clear path forward. The new aspirational campaign mostly performed at par with the current campaign and communicated key functional benefits while maintaining brand equities. And the overarching idea of the new campaign resonated deeply. But the current campaign was a bit more appealing and was stronger on one important perception.
C+R was able to recommend specific optimizations that could help strengthen the new campaign before launch, but also provide confidence, through quantifiable data, that the new creative was a sound direction to advance.
proven experience
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