Recent research conducted by Ipsos B&A for the Creative Communications Association (CCA) examines what drives advertising effectiveness in Ireland by examining entries submitted to the 2025 Effie Awards Ireland, identifying the common characteristics shared by award-winning campaigns.
The findings reveal that the most effective campaigns consistently combine a clear commercial focus, emotionally engaging creative work, and a connected media strategy, getting the interaction between the 3 Cs correct: Campaign, Channel and Creative.
- Campaign
A clear and singular business objective ideally linked to the profitability or sales.
A strong understanding of the target audience – using research throughout the campaign process
- Channel
No universal formula for effectiveness, the optimal channel mix depends on the audience, business objective and creative idea. However, the strongest campaigns tended to combine digital channels with the broad reach and amplification offered by broadcast media.
Engagement matters! Winning campaigns were more likely to utilise events, contests and organic social activity to encourage audience participation and create deeper connections with consumers.
- Creative
Creative quality emerged as one of the most important predictors of effectiveness, with winning campaign performing well on brand linkage using distinctive brand assets, and long-term brand equity effect, driven by emotion.
For more information, please contact Jimmy Larsen, Director, Ipsos B&A: jimmy.larsen@ipsos.com
