Yesterday I was back in Mexico City (via Istanbul) to present at the ESOMAR Latin America 2008 Conference. Amidst all the discussion of regional issues, a completely different question popped into my mind. If research is important to creating a successful soap opera, then how much more important should research be when you are developing a TV commercial, in which you have not 30 minutes but 30 seconds to get your idea across?

Rosy Ocampo, TV producer and innovation director at Televisa, the largest Spanish language media company, was Tuesday’s keynote speaker. Her presentation touched on a number of issues relevant to a key conference theme: Globalization as a reality – Localization as an opportunity. In describing the process of adapting a successful Colombian soap opera for the Mexican audience—no mean feat, considering that in terms of local communication, cultural differences still hold sway and can divide apparently similar audiences—Rosy emphasized the critical role of research.

The soap opera is a popular format all over the world. Many series are exported almost untouched from one country to another. However, in the case of La Fea Mas Bella (which I understand to mean The Most Beautiful Ugly Woman), research was used to adapt and refine the Colombian original for a Mexican audience.

As Rosy stated, "The only way to know what people want is to look through the eyes of the audience, not ours." So, in adapting the soap, research was used to help guide production in many respects. For example, focus groups shed light on the differences in local expectations in terms of gender roles. In Mexico, the "new Mexican woman" is expected to hold down a job outside the home, just as the "new Mexican man" is expected to change diapers.

As a result of the qualitative research, the occupation of the leading character was changed from fashion shop assistant to secretary in a company office.  Ethnographic research was employed to ensure that everyday office life in Mexico was portrayed realistically. Other changes involved punching up the humor; the light touch which was appropriate for Colombia needed to be more overt for the Mexican audience. Once produced, the first episodes were screen-tested against a sample of the target audience to ensure that they created a positive response.

The end result of all this was the story of ugly Betty, whose brains triumph over chauvinism and company politics to win the heart of her boss, Don Fernando. The show originally aired at 4 p.m but because of the enthusiastic audience response, it was moved to prime time. After a successful run, the final wedding scene between Betty and Don Fernando was filmed live in Monterrey, where over 500,000 people lined the streets to see the happy couple. The final episode captured a staggering 62.8 share points. It seems that TV is definitely alive and well in Mexico.

Commenting on the intensive use of research throughout the production process, Rosy said, "What we creative people get from research is a way to minimize risk and ensure that our product is perceived in the best possible way by the audience." Compared to the attitudes of many in the world of advertising, I find this approach refreshing.

But to return to my original question—does the production of a 30-second TV commercial (or any ad for that matter) require more attention to audience expectations, or less?  If you have only 30 seconds to get your idea across and you will have to spend a lot of money buying air time, it seems to me that more research is required, not less. If a few minutes of a soap fall flat, there is plenty of time to regain people’s interest. If a few seconds of a TV commercial fail to engage the viewer, then you have probably lost them.

 What do you think? Please share your thoughts with us. 

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