Dagmar Approach is the task of measuring ad effectiveness will not be daunting if we clearly spell out the advertising goals. Russel H. Colley (1961) pioneered an approach known by the acronym DAGMAR – Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results, where to establish an explicit link between ad goals and ad results, Colley distinguished 52 advertising goals that might be used with respect to a single advertisement, a year’s campaign for a product or a company’s entire advertising philosophy.

According to DAGMAR approach, the communication task of the brand is to gain
(a) awareness,
(b) comprehension,
(c) Conviction,
(d) image and
(e) action.

Advertising goals should be consistent with these communication tasks. Later performance on these counts and projected goals is compared. For example, a company setting a goal of 15 per cent increase in sales advertises and achieves this objective. Its ad then is successful and effective.

It presupposes the understanding of the dynamics of consumer behavior without these goals cannot be set. Besides, a thorough acquaintance of market environment is called for. DAGMAR is a planning and control tool. It may guide the creation of advertising. However, as will as appreciated, the basic inputs of DAGMAR are not so easily to formulate and may also inhibit creativity.