Challenge
A leading pharmaceutical company wanted to validate the effectiveness of its targeted digital advertising. Specifically, the team set out to answer three key questions: Is there a clear connection between digital media exposure and brand awareness? Does awareness clearly translate into product purchases? And ultimately, can they prove that targeted digital ad campaigns are driving real purchase behaviour?
Approach
To connect the dots between digital media exposure, brand awareness, and purchase behaviour, the Profiles Team at Kantar used enhanced sample solutions. This allowed for a seamless integration of survey responses with the company’s own ad exposure and purchase data. To begin, Kantar pre-matched its panellists to the company’s data collaboration platform, linking individuals to digital ad exposure and product purchase data. Panellists were then surveyed on key brand health tracking metrics, including aided and unaided awareness across 7 categories and 5 recent product launches. The resulting data set (combining brand perceptions, ad exposure, and purchase behaviour) was delivered back to the company for in-depth analysis, providing a more complete view of marketing effectiveness.
Insight
By connecting the company’s ad exposure and purchase data with tracking insights, the analysis confirmed a strong relationship between digital media and both brand awareness and product purchase. For example, all brands with connected, ad-exposed audiences saw a measurable increase in brand awareness. Among ad-exposed individuals, brand awareness lift ranged from +17% to 32% across all brands. Amongst ad-exposed individuals who also purchased the company’s product, brand awareness lift averaged +50% across all brands.
Impact
This connected data approach validated the company’s hypothesis: targeted digital media not only boosts brand awareness but also drives actual purchase behaviour. The findings now inform decisions around more than $50M in digital media investment, particularly as they optimise future campaigns and prepare for upcoming project launches.
Kantar’s connected data design also established a methodology for the company to conduct future on-going measurement with linkage of ad exposure, brand awareness, and product purchase data — bringing brand tracking to a whole new level.