Advertising Claim Research
Substantiate Your Claims. Strengthen Your Brand.
Ensure your advertising claims are credible, compliant, and compelling with rigorous research that stands up to regulatory scrutiny and consumer trust.
In an era of heightened consumer scepticism and regulatory oversight, the claims you make in your advertising can be your greatest asset—or your biggest liability. Whether you are asserting product superiority, making health or environmental claims, or promising specific benefits, those claims must be substantiated by credible, robust evidence.
Mansfield’s advertising claim research provides the evidentiary foundation you need to communicate with confidence. Our research methodologies are designed to meet the standards of advertising regulatory bodies while also delivering insights that strengthen your creative and strategic approach.
What We Research
We support the full spectrum of advertising claim substantiation:
Superiority Claims
Health & Wellness Claims
Environmental & Sustainability Claims
Numerical & Statistical Claims
Endorsement & Testimonial Claims
Our Methodology
Controlled Product Testing
Rigorous, blind-tested product comparisons under controlled conditions to generate objective performance data.
Consumer Perception Surveys
Large-sample surveys to measure how consumers interpret, believe, and respond to specific claims.
Qualitative Exploration
Focus groups and IDIs to understand the nuances of consumer interpretation and potential miscommunication risks.
Regulatory Compliance Review
Assessment of claims against relevant regulatory frameworks and industry codes of practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is advertising claim research?
Advertising claim research is a specialised form of market research that evaluates how target consumers perceive, understand, and respond to product or service claims made in advertising and marketing communications. This type of research assesses whether claims are clear, believable, relevant, unique, and persuasive. It also identifies potential misinterpretations, skepticism triggers, and regulatory risks. At Mansfield, our advertising claim research helps clients validate their messaging before launch, ensuring that their promises are both compelling and credible.
How does advertising claim research differ from general advertising testing?
General advertising testing evaluates the overall effectiveness of an advertisement—including creative execution, emotional appeal, and brand recall. Advertising claim research, on the other hand, focuses specifically on the factual assertions made within the advertisement. While general testing might tell you whether an ad is engaging, advertising claim research tells you whether the specific claims are understood, believed, and persuasive. At Mansfield, we often recommend both: advertising claim research to validate the core promise, followed by general advertising testing to ensure the creative execution brings that promise to life effectively.
What types of claims can be tested through advertising claim research?
Almost any type of claim can be evaluated through advertising claim research, including: Functional claims (e.g., 'lasts 50% longer,' 'cools faster than leading brand'); Benefit claims (e.g., 'reduces fine lines,' 'improves sleep quality'); Comparative claims (e.g., 'better than the market leader,' 'preferred by 9 out of 10'); Sensory claims (e.g., 'richer taste,' 'smoother texture'); Emotional claims (e.g., 'makes you feel confident,' 'brings families together'); Environmental and sustainability claims (e.g., '100% recyclable,' 'carbon neutral'); Health and wellness claims (e.g., 'supports immune health,' 'clinically tested'); and Technical or performance claims (e.g., 'fastest processing speed,' 'most accurate'). Our advertising claim research is adaptable to any product category, from consumer goods to B2B services.
What research methods do you use in advertising claim research?
We deploy a comprehensive toolkit tailored to your specific objectives and budget: Quantitative surveys to measure comprehension, believability, relevance, uniqueness, and purchase intent across a representative sample, using monadic or sequential monadic designs to isolate the performance of individual claim variants; Focus groups to explore initial reactions, uncover scepticism triggers, and generate alternative language; In-depth interviews for deep exploration of individual interpretations and cognitive processes behind claim evaluation; Cognitive interviewing where participants 'think aloud' as they read claims, revealing where they stumble and what assumptions they make; A/B testing for digital campaigns to test multiple claim variants with different audiences; and Pre- and post-claim measurement to isolate the persuasive effect. At Mansfield, our advertising claim research typically combines quantitative and qualitative methods for both breadth and depth of insight.
How many participants do I need for advertising claim research?
The required sample size depends on your research objectives and the level of statistical confidence you need. For qualitative advertising claim research, we typically recommend 2 to 4 focus groups (8-10 participants each) or 15-50 in-depth interviews to achieve saturation. For quantitative advertising claim research, we generally recommend 200-500 respondents per claim variant for robust statistical analysis. Mansfield's advertising claim research experts will advise you on the optimal sample size based on your budget, timeline, and decision-making needs.
When should I conduct advertising claim research in the development process?
We recommend conducting advertising claim research at multiple stages: Early development to test multiple claim concepts and identify the most promising directions before investing in creative execution; Mid development to refine claim language and framing based on consumer feedback; Pre-launch to validate the final claim with a larger sample to confirm comprehension, believability, and purchase impact; and Post-launch to monitor how claims perform over time and identify when fatigue or skepticism begins to emerge. Our advertising claim research is designed to be iterative, allowing you to refine your messaging at each stage of development.
Can advertising claim research help with regulatory compliance?
Absolutely. Regulatory compliance is one of the most critical applications of advertising claim research. By testing claims with real consumers, we identify potential misinterpretations that could attract regulatory scrutiny or legal challenge. Our advertising claim research assesses whether consumers understand the claim as intended, whether any reasonable person could be misled, and whether the claim overpromises relative to what the product can deliver. We also stay informed about sector-specific regulations (e.g., health claims, environmental claims, financial services claims). While Mansfield does not provide legal advice, our advertising claim research provides the consumer evidence you need to substantiate your claims and navigate regulatory requirements with confidence.
How do you ensure objectivity in advertising claim research?
Objectivity is fundamental to credible advertising claim research. Mansfield operates as an independent, neutral partner with no affiliation to any creative agency or media owner. Our research is driven solely by consumer data, not by internal politics or optimistic bias. In our advertising claim research, we use neutral, non-leading questioning techniques, validated measurement scales, and rigorous sampling methods. We also employ double coding (two analysts review qualitative data) and triangulate findings across methods to ensure reliability. Our commitment to objectivity means you receive honest, actionable insights—not just validation of your existing beliefs.
What kind of insights and deliverables will I receive?
Our advertising claim research deliverables are designed to be immediately useful for your marketing, legal, and product development teams: Claim performance scorecards with comparative ratings for each claim variant on comprehension, believability, relevance, uniqueness, and purchase intent, with segment breakdowns; Claim optimisation recommendations with specific language, visual, and supporting evidence recommendations; Consumer interpretation analysis showing how different audiences interpret your claim, including any unintended meanings or skepticism triggers; Substantiation gap analysis identifying what evidence customers expect versus what you currently have; Competitive claim benchmarking comparing your claims against competitor claims; Regulatory risk assessment identifying claim language that may attract regulatory scrutiny; and Creative brief recommendations guiding how to integrate validated claims into advertising copy, visuals, and media planning. All findings are presented in clear, visually engaging reports, supported by direct participant quotes.
Ready to Turn Insights into Action?
Contact us to get a customized research or training solution that drives your business and team growth.