Traditional marketing message test methods often rely on choosing the most popular wording, best design, or strongest call-to-action. This can highlight what grabs initial attention – but it doesn’t always reveal whether your messaging aligns with what truly matters to your customer.

The Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework digs deeper by asking a simple, powerful question: "What job is the customer trying to get done when they seek out a product like yours?" In this context, ‘job’ refers to the progress your customers are trying to make – whether it's as simple as saving time, or as emotional as gaining peace of mind.

The Value of a Job-Based Message Test

Job-based message testing allows marketers to evaluate not just what people react to, but why they react that way. This approach uncovers motivation behind action, helping you better match your messaging to actual customer intent.

• Deeper relevance: Messages tied to real-world customer needs feel more personal and resonant.
• Stronger differentiation: Understanding what makes your solution uniquely capable of doing the job sets you apart from competitors.
• Clarity across teams: When everyone is aligned on the customer’s job, message development becomes more focused and purpose-driven.

When used in market research, JTBD grounds message testing in context – like when, where, and why someone might consider your offering. It's not about which line sounds the best in isolation, but which message speaks to the customer's situation, pain point, or desired outcome.

Example: JTBD in Action

Imagine a travel company launching a campaign. Traditional ad testing might pit two headlines against each other like: "Save 20% on Flights" vs. "Book Now, Travel Later." But a job-based approach reframes the task from choosing the most enticing offer to understanding, "What job is our traveler trying to get done?"

Maybe the real job is "Restore balance and take a mental break without financial stress." With that understanding, a marketing team can test messages that directly speak to that job – not just any discount or buzzword.

SIVO Insights brings this depth to custom message research, ensuring clients don’t just get data but truly actionable consumer insights.

In short, using JTBD helps move marketing from assumption to alignment. And when your messages align with what people are really trying to do, results follow more clearly.

In a digital world driven by quick stats – clicks, likes, shares – it’s easy to mistake attention for alignment. But when evaluating a marketing campaign message, it's not enough to know what catches the eye. The better question is: Does this message speak to what your customer needs?

This is where JTBD shines. Instead of using short-term engagement as the sole success metric, the JTBD framework focuses on understanding what drives a customer’s long-term decision-making. It asks: What progress is your customer trying to make? And how does your message help them get there?

From Reactions to Relevance

Click-through rates tell us which message gets attention. JTBD tells us which message gets remembered – and more importantly, which one moves a person to act in ways that sustain business growth.

• A user might click on a “50% off” ad – but that doesn’t mean the message addressed their underlying need for value, trust, or convenience.
• Another may scroll past a message that was poorly timed, even if the idea behind it matched their job perfectly.

With JTBD, you're not just seeing what resonates, but why. This insight makes future message development more accurate and efficient.

Job-Focused Marketing Analytics

Embedding JTBD into your marketing analytics transforms the way you interpret test results. Instead of trusting performance metrics alone, you're evaluating creative based on its job-fit: Does it reflect the situation, trigger, or desired outcome that defines your audience's job?

Putting It into Practice

This shift isn’t about abandoning A/B testing – it’s about enhancing it. For example, in a message research project, you might still compare two headlines, but you’ll categorize and assess them based on job alignment:

• Functional jobs: Does the message help the customer get a task done faster, cheaper, or more easily?
• Emotional jobs: Does it make them feel more secure, competent, or in control?
• Social jobs: Does it help them gain credibility or avoid embarrassment in front of others?

Using this lens, a jobs to be done message test becomes far more than a copy comparison. It becomes a way to see how well your brand is actually delivering on what the customer wants to achieve.

At SIVO, we’ve seen how consumer message testing with JTBD brings clarity to even the most complex value propositions. Whether you’re crafting B2C ad copy or shaping B2B campaign strategies, JTBD offers markers of success that go beyond reaction – directly into relevance.

And in an era where buyers have more choices and less patience, alignment with need isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s how brands grow.

Applying the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) framework to message testing may sound complex, but it follows a clear, logical process. Rather than just asking which ad “sounds better,” you’re looking to uncover which one truly speaks to the job a consumer is trying to get done in their life. Here’s how to bring that lens into your message research.

1. Define the Job Your Audience Is Trying to Get Done

Start by clearly identifying the functional, emotional, and social jobs your target customer is hiring your product or service to help accomplish. For example, a busy parent isn’t just buying a frozen meal – they’re hiring convenience, peace of mind, and a few extra minutes of family time. Jobs discovery can come from previous market research or new qualitative work (like in-depth interviews).

2. Translate the Job Into Messaging Themes

Once you've identified your key jobs or unmet needs, you can translate those into messaging territories. These are different ways to express how your offering fulfills the job. Are you solving for speed, simplicity, affordability, or reducing emotional friction? Each angle can become a different message to test.

3. Design the Messaging Test

Build your marketing message test using real-world language options linked to each job. Your test shouldn’t just ask “which do you prefer?” but should go deeper:

• Which message best explains how this product would help you?
• Which feels most relevant to your needs?
• Which would you be most likely to consider or act on?

Here’s where using the JTBD framework really shifts the focus of your message research – from which ad is liked to which message serves the job people care about most.

4. Analyze with a “Job Fit” Lens

Once data is in, apply marketing analytics focused on job alignment. Segment responses by customer group, need state, or context to reveal which messages work best across different scenarios. This is more than an overall “winner”; it’s insight into what matters most and when.

Consumer insights rooted in jobs help you refine your copy and creative direction with purpose – not guesswork. In competitive markets where attention is scarce, precise messaging fit can turn curiosity into conversion.

To truly understand how message testing using Jobs To Be Done makes a difference, let’s walk through a simple example that contrasts traditional testing with job-based evaluation. These snapshots show how shifting the lens can uncover deeper insight into what matters to your audience.

Scenario: Launching a New Fitness App

You’re testing two marketing messages for a new fitness app:

• Message A: “Built-in workouts from top trainers – anytime, anywhere.”
• Message B: “Finally, a fitness plan that fits your life – even the busy days.”

Traditional Preference-Based Testing

Respondents are asked which message they prefer or find more appealing. Message A may win because it sounds exciting or aspirational. But preference doesn’t always equal performance – or relevance.

JTBD-Based Message Testing

Using the jobs to be done approach, you first identify key jobs:

• “I want to stay healthy without reshuffling my schedule.”
• “I need motivation when I’m short on time or energy.”

Then, you evaluate each message based on its alignment with those jobs. In this case, Message B directly addresses the “fit into my life” job – even if some may initially prefer A’s style.

With JTBD testing, Message B reveals stronger resonance with the underlying consumer need, especially among time-pressed users. This insight can guide everything from ad copy to UX flow in the app itself.

Why Fit Beats Flash

There’s a big difference between messages users like and messages that motivate. When you test campaign messages using the job-fit lens, you uncover what truly drives behavior – leading to more meaningful, effective communication strategies.

Job-based message testing for marketers results in:

• More relevant and actionable creative briefs
• Message clarity across diverse consumer segments
• Greater alignment between product value and audience need

Thanks to the JTBD in marketing research, click-through rates become one of many indicators – not the only measure of success.

While ad copy testing using Jobs To Be Done can work across many campaign types, it’s especially powerful in certain pivotal moments. By pinpointing and aligning with the actual job your customer is trying to accomplish, JTBD testing gives your messaging the clarity and impact needed to cut through.

Use JTBD Message Testing When You’re:

1. Launching a New Product or Service

When entering uncharted territory, simply relying on assumptions or industry jargon can miss the mark. JTBD-based ad testing helps ensure your launch message connects with the specific outcomes your early users are seeking – whether it’s saving time, managing stress, or improving results with less effort.

2. Repositioning Your Brand

If you're shifting how your brand is perceived, you'll need to understand what job you want to be hired for now – and test messaging that authentically delivers that promise. A message research approach grounded in JTBD can highlight misalignment early, before roll-out.

3. Targeting a New Audience

When expanding your product to serve a new demographic or need state, consumer message testing with JTBD helps define what success looks like for them – and which words signal that understanding. This is especially helpful if you're entering a crowded or competitive category.

4. Facing Flat or Underperforming Campaigns

If your current messaging isn’t converting, it may not be an execution issue but a relevance one. Testing your marketing message for job alignment reveals if you’re speaking to a job that no longer exists or is being met elsewhere.

JTBD Isn’t a Replacement – It’s a Lens

JTBD doesn’t replace other market research methods – it enhances them. It helps you frame consumer feedback in terms of needs and progress, not just opinions. So whether you're using qualitative interviews or quantitative message testing, this approach can uncover the “why” behind the responses.

At SIVO, we often combine JTBD insights with other tools – like segmentation analysis or campaign tracker studies – to provide a full picture of message effectiveness. The key is knowing when depth and clarity are most needed, and applying the right lens to unlock them.