No advertiser wants to continue to spend media dollars on advertising that is no longer working, but how do you know when it's time to replace your campaign with a new one?

A prudent first step may be to assess what you could stand to lose by switching.

In fact, good campaigns actually don't wear out nearly as often as they're replaced:

• In a recent Communicus research review, we examined 109 campaigns that ran for two or more years and were proven effective in the marketplace in their first year. All showed continued success in their second year.
• However, all were eventually discontinued.
• In 26% of these cases, the change was made because the campaign strategy was judged as no longer relevant.
• In 26% of these cases, the change was made because the campaign strategy was judged as no longer relevant.
• In the remaining 74% of cases, the change was more arbitrary - internal constituencies tired of the campaign, new management wanted something new, ad agency realignment resulted in a 'not invented here' dynamic.
• Of all the 'arbitrary' campaign changes, Communicus found that the new campaign performed as well or better than the one it replaced in only 20% of the cases!

On the other hand, individual ad executions (particularly TV commercials) are frequently continued well beyond when they warrant replacement.

It's easier and often seems more economical to keep running the same commercial or commercial series for months or even years. However, the continued use of executions that have lost the majority of their persuasive power through overexposure actually proves to be an easy way to waste your advertising dollars. You might be surprised at how quickly your executions, having plateaued in awareness, start to lose the persuasive power that they once had.

In general, Communicus research suggests that you'll have the best results by sticking with a campaign that's working, but maintaining freshness through frequent introduction of new executions, novel and innovative creative twists, and the use of appropriate new media venues and apertures.

Based on norms developed over many years of providing the most accurate and actionable feedback on multimedia advertising campaigns, a Communicus study will tell you how well your campaign is performing for your brand, and will provide insights to insure that your individual executions are performing at optimal levels.

For more information view the Communicus white paper:
'Advertising Wearout: Is it Time for a New Commercial? A New Campaign?'