Instant noodles are a staple in people's everyday diets, but what makes an ad distinctive in a saturated market? Does it have an interesting story, a family moment that's familiar, a memorable character, or a new product presentation?
To find out the effects of the various advertising styles, MarketGenics.co conducted a multiple-ad feedback test in Chennai comparing the performance of five instant-noodle TVCs.
Understanding Consumer Reactions
The study was carried involving 60 consumers aged 18-25 years who used instant noodles frequently. The study involved online, self-administered interviews and assessed ad recall, brand recognition, appeal, relevance, credibility, and interest in purchasing and/or consuming the product; the uniqueness and interest were added to assess the impact of taste or smell attributes on consumers' attitudes.
The 5 commercials featured different creative approaches which include cup noodles, classic masala noodles, long and non sticky noodles, cartoon entertainment and noodle moments for the family.
What did the study show?
The results reflected certain interesting variations in their responses to the advertisements among the young consumers in Chennai.
- The overall ratings of the commercials were favorable, and one of them stood out as being creative and unique, and creating a purchase interest.
- Greater visibility of advertisements was also correlated with greater brand recall and recognition, meaning that having an advertisement appear where people will catch it, is important for getting it remembered with the product.
- Reactions were varied according to different stories, such as family theme, celebrity appearances, entertaining characters, modern lifestyle settings.
- Not every ad was viewed as interesting and advertised as a particular noodle brand.
- Respondents said digital platforms are important tools for coming across the commercials – social media and YouTube were both cited as important channels to which respondents turned for the commercials.
The Bigger Picture
According to the study, a good TVC must be more than just entertaining. It should grab attention, make the viewer's mind 'get the idea' of what the product is and make people want to try it.
The challenge for marketers is to find a balance between creativity and brand cues. There is a certain amount of fun in the story line that will be able to draw in viewers; however, the stronger the brand linkage, the more likely the advertisement will create brand recognition for the target product.
MarketGenics.co took a systematic approach to the study.
MarketGenics used comparative advertising and feedback technique to perform the research. The team compared each commercial with other creatives that had been seen, creating an evaluation of the commercials respondents had seen.
The findings give direction lines about the reaction of young regular instant noodle consumer in Chennai. The results are limited to the 60 people who responded to the study, and only those who viewed each advertisement were able to rate it.
The Takeaway: In the crowded instant noodles category, the best ads feature good attention-grabbing creativity, easy-to-understand storytelling, and clear product identification.