The qualitative advertising communication check. You know the drill: Someone, either at the agency or the client company, must decide which of several advertising campaigns to produce. Or, for little-known political reasons, somebody wants to "run the advertising by some consumers" prior to a final decision. Alternatively, the advertising decision has already been made, and must be justified with support for the sale. Whatever the reason, a communication check generally means that unknown consumers are summoned to referee a creative play-off, to smooth the often ruffled feathers involved in the creative decision.

No one is particularly fond of this process. Creative’s fear their best work will be reduced to a lowest common denominator – the "public as art director." (as in "If only they would darken that typeface a little.") Clients worry that they are basing a multimillion-dollar decision on the whims of a handful of housewives in Stanford. Agency planners and moderators are concerned that their objectivity will be compromised in the 4ll political fallout. Focus group facilities cringe as they face the inevitable tight turnaround ("We need to talk to 30 women with children under age 6,who use our 3 percent incidence brand daily, by tomorrow.").

In any marketing research career, you will inevitably be asked to participate in this process. So here are 10 rules I have found to be invaluable in my many years of advertising communication work. I follow them because good creative work is too priceless to sell short with shoddy techniques.