01
Client context
The brand was preparing a national TV and digital campaign for a relaunched shampoo range.
02
Business challenge
The marketing team and agency disagreed on which of three creative routes to produce.
03
Research objective & questions
Identify the strongest creative route and the changes that would make it work harder.
- Which route best captures attention and links to the brand?
- Do viewers take out the intended message?
- Which route most increases brand appeal and purchase interest?
- Which scenes or lines confuse or turn off viewers?
04
Methodology & approach
- Creative development groups
- Early reactions to storyboards and key visuals.
- Online animatic pre-test
- Monadic test of each route with category users.
- Scene-by-scene diagnostics
- Second-by-second interest and recall of key moments.
- Digital cut-down test
- Short social versions of the leading route.
05
Sample & geography
- ~6 FGDs
- ~300 respondents per route
- Geography — India (metro and tier-2 cities)
06
Key findings
- One route clearly outperformed on branding and message take-out.
- The product demonstration scene drove credibility in all routes.
- The brand appeared too late in the strongest route.
- Short social cut-downs lost the core benefit unless it was shown in the first seconds.
07
Business implications
- Produce the leading route.
- Bring the brand and product earlier in the film.
- Open social cut-downs with the benefit.
08
Outcome
The brand received a creative scorecard, an edit plan for the winning route and guidance for social versions.
Example engagement — Shows how Hoog approaches this type of question. Not a specific client project. Findings are directional.