Too many messages, too little time.
Brand teams often face a conveyor belt of messages and visuals, each one rolling past with its own merit, creative direction, and strategic grounding. But HCPs are time-poor, and in both testing and real-life sales, we have only seconds to grab their attention. So, where do we begin cutting down this clutter and making the message mountain more manageable?
MaxDiff: the first filter
MaxDiff is a classic for good reason. When you have a stimulus set busting at the seams with messages, MaxDiff offers a simple, swift, and smart solution. It is easy for most participants to complete and delivers clear prioritization.
By asking participants to choose the least and most compelling messages from a series of sets, MaxDiff reveals each message’s relative preference and allows us to identify messages that don’t readily resonate with your customers.
This makes it an ideal pre-qualitative filter to help teams objectively cut the clutter before deeper exploration and optimization.
TURF analysis: the second strategic layer
Next up, let’s talk TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency). TURF analysis comes in at this point to help optimize combinations. It’s not simply about picking the best individual messages; now, it is about selecting the best-performing set.
For example, if you’re testing ten messages but can only use three in the final story flow, it wouldn’t necessarily be the three top-scoring messages in isolation that reach the most people.TURF helps identify the combination that includes at least one preferred message for the greatest number of respondents.
Dual lens to solve the HCP Paradox: More detail, less time
There is a constant dilemma when it comes to pharmaceutical communications. HCPs consistently express a desire for more detailed content, yet their time constraints dictate that this detail needs to be condensed.
TURF analysis helps resolve this paradox by ensuring every message earns its place. It’s not about saying more – it’s about saying what matters most, to the most people.
Reach tells you how many unique respondents selected at least one message in the combination.
Frequency shows the average number of times the items in the set reach each person.
This dual lens helps craft efficient, high-impact narratives that resonate broadly, which is vital in grabbing the attention of time-poor HCPs.
AI tech: optimizing message testing
In addition, we can now get more from open-ended responses in our message testing surveys through automated probing of open-ended answers to ensure we fully understand the rationale that sits behind the numbers.
Why all of this matters
This isn’t just theory; this is what we do every day for global pharmaceutical brands. Our commitment to precision, innovation, integrity, and impact drives everything we do.
So next time you’re faced with a conveyor belt of messages and a ticking clock, remember: cutting the clutter isn’t about saying less. It’s about saying what matters clearly, confidently, and with quantifiable precision.
Speak to our Beyond Analytics team about how they can help you ‘clear the clutter’ with your communications and messaging.