Launch Offers Testing for Political Ads

US firm HCD Research has formed a new division, HCD PAR (Public Affairs Research), to conduct web-based broadcast, print and direct mail advertising and communications research for public interest groups and political parties. HCD is a polling specialist based in Flemington, NJ.

From previous work including non-partisan polling studies and advertising testing research throughout the 2004 Presidential election, HCD PAR has developed a major normative database for use in quantitative political ad testing. It will offer its research services to all of the mainstream parties.

The company uses a variety of advanced techniques to analyse reaction to advertisements or speeches. As respondents watch broadcasts on their PC, they use their mouse to indicate levels of believability by moving it from left to right, with responses recorded in half-second time intervals. In addition, their emotions are measured using the Ayer Emotional Battery (AEB), developed by the former NW Ayer Advertising agency in the 1980s, which captures the feelings of participants as they view or listen to advertising or communications. Each respondent is also asked a battery of pre- and post-viewing questions to determine changes in their attitudes.

HCD Research is online at www.hcdi.net

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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