6 min read
What is claims testing?
Given the overexposure to which consumers are exposed, an effective marketing and advertising strategy is key for them to connect with your brand. A connection for which claims and slogans play a crucial role, helping reinforce the brand image, the product, and your campaigns. Read on to discover how to identify the potential of a claim through claims testing! Utilize a test that can be the key to the success of your communication.
Claims testing is a research study that allows brands to identify the potential of a claim.
A claim is a statement about a brand, product, or company that aims to show consumers its qualities or differential value. In general, its content is based on a benefit (characteristic/flavor, functional, emotional, social,…), a reason to believe in the “RTB” product (process, certification, denomination, composition, experience…), or on a target audience, as we find in the case of DOVE’s claim “#Show us more women who look like me”.
The claim in marketing and advertising aims to connect with the consumer and arouse their emotions to have a more significant presence in their mind. In this way, when the need or desire to purchase a product awakens in the consumer, the brand will be present in their repertoire and will be the first option that comes to mind.
The claim can be presented in any medium or channel. We can see the claim on the labeling of a product, on its packaging, as well as in promotions and advertising campaigns.
What differentiates an advertising claim from a slogan?
Both the claim and the slogan are tools that are part of the branding strategy, and both are defined as statements that show product attributes. Their main difference lies in the durability of their life cycle.
While the slogan accompanies the name of a brand, often from the beginning and throughout the product’s life, the claim is a specific communication that reinforces a characteristic, a benefit, or a differential value. Communication that will last as long as, for example, the communication campaign lasts.
In terms of approach, both share the exact requirements to achieve the greatest success since they are clear and concise messages that speak to the consumer’s language and respond to the brand’s values.
It should be pointed out that a brand claim should be defined in the same tone and line as the slogan to resonate and connect with the consumer. A clear example would be Dove’s advertising spot with the slogan “Real Beauty,” and its claim “#Show us more women who look like me”, used to reinforce the brand’s message and values.
It should be pointed out that a brand claim should be defined in the same tone and line as the slogan, in order to resonate and connect with the consumer. A clear example would be Dove’s advertising spot with the slogan “Real Beauty” and its claim “#Show us more women who look like me”, used to reinforce the brand’s message and values.
What claims should I use in my product labeling?
The combination of claims to be used will depend on the marketing strategy, i.e. the specific objective to be pursued:
- Highlight the benefit of the product: usually used in new launches, and the objective is to show the development and control of the category.
- Differentiation: it’s used to stand out from the competition.
- A contextual statement: these are claims that are only used in specific situations and seek presence in that moment of the market boom, for example, in a sporting event such as the Super Bowl.
An effective claim causes a more significant impact and, therefore, achieves differentiation concerning the competition. Regardless of the target, the claim must be clear, concise, original, and in line with the brand identity. Other relevant aspects to consider are translations, legal aspects, and the harmony of the claim with the advertising slogan.
Claims testing examples
The trends in claims respond to what consumers value most in each of the categories, for example:
- FMCG: “100% made with natural ingredients”, “no added sugars”, “no palm oil”, “made in the UK”, “limited edition”, “no additives”, etc. The beverage category is one of the categories with the highest number of launches using sugar reduction claims, such as Tropicana, which uses the claim “100% pure squeezed orange juice“.
- Cosmetics: “not tested on animals”, cruelty-free certification, FREE/0% products, etc. A clear example of cosmetic products can be seen in the brand Lush and its claim “not tested on animals“.
- Cleaning products: “all in 1”, “100% efficiency”, “long-lasting fragrance”, “recyclable packaging”, “with biodegradable ingredients”, etc. For example, the KH7 ad with its rational claim “IT WORKS.”
In addition to these claims, there is the controversial trend of Greenwashing vs. Green Marketing related to the sustainability of brands. Frosch’s Green Marketing strategy stands out in its campaign “100% recyclable and 100% recycled bottles”, and “100% circular”; as opposed to Coca-Cola’s controversial sponsorship of the United Nations Climate Summit COP27 as a Greenwashing maneuver.
It’s also important to mention the widespread trend in the various categories of quality certificates from external organizations.
How could you test a claim?
Claims testing can be done through market research. There are different options and platforms, such as Zinklar, which allows you to obtain consumer insights on a claim (or several, through monadic testing) to ensure its quality and assess its impact on the target audience.
The main KPIs to be analyzed are:
- Valuation
- Relevance
- Differentiation
- Credibility
- Easy to understand
- It fits with the brand
- Purchase intent
All these variables will make it possible to identify the claim’s potential and its possible optimization.
A marketing research technique that allows you to identify the combination of attributes that would be most successful with consumers. A claims test can include other variables such as slogan, insight, price, or competition. However, the survey design would require the use of a multivariate analysis, the conjoint analysis.
Ready to identify your new claim? Get started now! Through the Zinklar Smart Insights platform, you can formulate your claims test and perform any other phase of your product development, such as a packaging test.
