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Creative testing isn’t limited to finished ads. You can test virtually any creative asset, or even any element of a creative asset, from taglines to imagery to CTAs and everything in between.
Let’s take a closer look at what creative assets are and all the types and elements that brand marketers and insight professionals commonly work with and test. We’ll also check out some real-life example questions from actual consumer research we’ve run.
First up, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page:
Creative assets are digital files of various formats that are used in marketing materials, ads, campaigns and other projects. They come in different shapes and sizes, from logos and images to videos and other rich media, which includes interactive elements such as GIFs or audio.
Before we dive into specific tips for different types of creative assets, let’s set some ground rules. When developing, testing and refining creative assets, there are some key things to always keep in mind – whether you’re creating moving images or a line of copy.
Now, let’s get even more specific and look at our tips for all kinds of creative assets.
Video or TV ads are a creative testing classic! And because so much work goes into them (storyboarding, scripting, shooting, editing, voiceover…), it’s crucial to make sure it’ll be time and money well spent. that
Bear in mind the location of your ad, and how this might affect the creative. For example, people are more likely to sit through a network TV ad (they don’t have much choice) so those ads can have a slower pace than a YouTube ad, which people might be able to skip after 5 seconds.
Billboards, social media, newspapers… static ads are as relevant as ever.
Again, think about placement. People’s attention spans on social media are much shorter than they are when they’re waiting at a subway station, so make sure your creative works in its context.
Imagery, headers, copy, CTAs, the general user experience. When it comes to your website—arguably your brand’s biggest ‘always-on’ advert—the list of elements that can benefit from creative testing goes on and on.
A small number of words—a huge impact.
Your tagline should neatly summarize what your brand stands for—no pressure. Whether you’re working on a tagline for a static or video ad, or for your website’s homepage, or for your latest product’s packaging, creative testing helps you find the one that’ll make the biggest impact.
This is all about testing the proof points you add to your creative.
Think about something like toothpaste. You could say Recommended by 85% of dentists or you could say Contains protection against plaque. Both of these might be true, but which one will impress your buyers the most?
Among all your competitors’ products on a shelf, what will make yours stand out? From design to color choice to material, creative testing is how you find out.
We’ve all seen those graphics showing how massive brands’ logos have changed over time. In almost all cases, those brands will have run extensive creative testing to make sure their update won’t ruin all of that valuable brand equity and reputation they’ve built up.
Because your logo is so fundamental to your brand awareness, even subtle tweaks can have a big effect.
Effective audio for your creative can be the difference between buying and bypassingTesting your song choice or voiceover is a must!
The Consumer Research Academy is brought to you by the Customer Research Team—our in-house research experts. Any research questions? Email or chat with the team.