This comes from my experienced this week. I did a TVC pre testing. When I look at the TVC material .... wouw there are a lot of messages that delivered.
We conduct the TVC testing using a qualitative FGD method combine with and IDI (In Depth Interview). At first, the respondent was invited to the IDI room, where she/he exposed to the TVC. Then we asked several questions such as overall liking, ask the respondent to tell the story of TVC, what scene of the TVC that she/he most remembered, message delivered, believability, uniqueness of the TVC, relevance of the TVC to respondent and also we put some questions regarding to talent evaluation and some image of that TVC. After all respondent finish with the IDI, we put respondents in a group, to just quick evaluate again the TVC together and compare to competitor and previous TVC from the brand.
Back to the TVC that I tested this week, there are 3 intended messages to deliver. Unfortunately respondents confused and the response varies among could not recall the message, only remember 1 message at the end or at the beginning and few respondents could recall 2 messages and non could recall 3 messages. In general, this TVC is not interesting because the story became too fast. We can understand this because in 30 second, there are 3 messages that should be delivered. In order to deliver each message there will be a bit story to wrap it.... and the story should be made just in a few second.
From the marketing point of view, they only have a limited budget to make a TVC and they think it will be efficient if with a limited budget they can convey many messages.
Once again, it is true that consumers have limitation in receiving message from a TVC. One message in one TVC is still the best because the story build is only to deliver one message and it is clearly understood by the consumers.
2 messages in one TVC only understood by some consumers but 3 messages in one TVC is definitely to much. None could remember all.
Finally it was just a waste in production cost, because if nobody understand the message why it should be aired?
