Dr. Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter – Serviceplan Group

Dr. Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter is a Deputy General Manager of Insights for the research departments of the media agency Mediaplus and the Serviceplan Group. Nikolaus has been at Serviceplan Group, one of the biggest owner-operated advertising agency groups in Europe, for almost 18 years. Serviceplan encompasses more than 40 specialized agencies and more than 4200 employees. Currently, the insights department comprises about 35 employees and investigates topics such as advertising impact research, target group analysis, brand and desk research, and media insights.

Moment of Truth: THE RIGHT MESSAGE AT THE right moment

The task of the communication agency is to target the right target group at the right time with an advertisement that conveys the right message. “Our Moment of Truth is when we reach someone with the ad’s message,” explains Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter. “Classical KPIs such as net reach, GRP, and, in the context of digital ads, ad impressions, click-through rates, and purchase rates help in determining the success of the ad.”

„Our Moment of Truth happens when the advertised message reaches our audience.“

However, as an agency, Mediaplus can in the first place directly influence the advertising contact: „For us, the key parameter is the actual contact with the advertisement, i.e., the reach.

As a media agency, our main task is to spread the advertising message as far as we can – to the right people at the right moment and with the right number of contacts. For our clients, however, the reach is only a means to an end, not the end goal. The goal of a campaign is always either to change the customer’s end attitude, entice the customer to make a purchase, or promote further actions. That is why there are numerous other KPIs that are relevant for us and for our clients that are governed by factors, such as the ad itself, the product characteristics, the distribution, and the overall marketing mix. There are studies stating that 60% of advertising impact depends on the creation and only 40 % on the format and medium.“

„The goal of a campaign is always to either change the customer’s final attitude, entice the customer into making a purchase, or promote additional actions. As a result, there are numerous additional KPIs that are important to us and our clients.”

experience and quick act win consumers over

To marketers who want to win over customers, Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter recommends creating opportunities for experience and acting quickly. “One of the Moments of Truth is when people interact with a brand. That interaction does not only occur through ads but also when spontaneous interaction with the brand takes place. Through opportunities for experience, the interaction with a brand can be intensified and extended as the experience provides something that goes beyond the sheer functionality of the product. This in turn can lead to a stronger bond with the brand as well as the product and it can eventually pay off in a higher willingness to buy and revenue.

According to Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter, acting quickly is another success factor and also a challenge for market researchers and marketers: ”The environment, the consumer and the media landscape are getting more and more fast-paced. As a consequence, the Moment of Truth has to be identified and accommodated at a rising speed. We need to identify when there is receptivity to the message we want to convey more quickly. We need to communicate that message to the consumer as soon as possible after identifying this moment.“