Macy’s, Old Navy, Kroger and Kohl’s took the top spots in advertising effectiveness for January, according to the ABX Index. The top retailers ran 442 new ads in January, up from 534 in December 2017.
The ABX Index measures overall ad effectiveness across television, radio, digital, print and outdoor advertising. Each ad is rated by a consumer panel based on 15 variables with a score of 100 equaling “average effectiveness.” Awareness — or brand linkage — and Message scores reflect the advertisement’s impact on audiences via its Reputation and Call to Action scores.
Click here for a copy of the January 2018 Retailer Advertising Effectiveness Report for Retailers.
In television, Kroger ranked number one for its “Okay, I’m going grocery shopping” advertisement that features a narrative about the convenience of Kroger’s pickup service. The ad shows a mother who attempts to “escape mayhem at home” by telling her family she’s headed to the grocery store, but because of Kroger’s speedy pickup service, time allows her to stop at a spa and exercise with a friend beforehand. Its ABX Index score of 131 is 31 percent above the norm. The Reputation score was high at 214 and the Message clear at 135. Call-to-action scores, which include Intent to Talk About the ad, was high at 226. Likeability also fared well at 167, as well as Recommend at 217 and Purchase at 141.
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Old Navy’s “You’ve reached the high fashion online” 30-second spot scored number one in radio. The ad featured a phone ringing and two female voices discussing “how to become ‘new’ for the New Year.” Generous sale prices, such as 50 percent off active wear and low-priced children’s clothing, contributed to its high Reputation score of 169 and Action at 138. Its Go to the Web to learn more score was high at 202, with Purchase Intent and Recommend both at 159.
The number-one ad in digital was Macy’s Online Animation “Super Saturday Sale,” which featured a three-panel animated online ad that garnered very high ABX Gender Equality scores for its “role model” and “presented” categories. Its Message was clear at 135; Reputation at 138 and received high call-to-action scores, such as Contact the Store at 174, Go to the Web to learn more at 193, Recommend at 210 and Purchase at 155.
And the top ad in print was Kroger’s “Fresh Food. Low Prices” campaign, that reached an ABX Index score of 127, which was 27 percent above the norm. Reputation and Action scores were very high at 166 and 136, respectively. Its Intent to Purchase was even higher at 191, and scored 174 for Intent to Contact the Store.
Kohl’s “Everything you need to find your balance” ad, which was focused on exercise, was number one in Free Standing Inserts (FSI). It scored well on the Gender Equality Index for females at 108; showed receptiveness with its high Reputation and Action scores and garnered notable call-to-action scores such as Go to the Web at 198 and Look for at 173.
No outdoor advertisements were seen this month, the company said.
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