JUNE 7 @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT • NEW YORK | Fordham University, 113 W. 60th St. 10023, NY NY | Program: 10am – 4pm; Reception: 4-5:30pm | In-person and streaming

AGENDA

9:00 – 10:00am
Registration & Breakfast

10:00 – 10:15am
Opening Remarks

Scott McDonald, Ph.D. — President & CEO, ARF
Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D. — Dean of the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University

10:15 – 10:30am
Roundup of Issues Debated at AUDIENCExSCIENCE

Many companies tend to agree that attention is complex, but they disagree on the best definition, which tools and measures are most suitable for measuring and predicting attention and the pros and cons of measurement in a lab vs. “in the wild.” Most use more than one tool and metric in their research. Learn about the key issues raised at ARF’s recent AUDIENCExSCIENCE event and why advancing attention measurement is a priority issue for the industry.

Horst Stipp, Ph.D. — EVP, Global Research, Quality & Innovation, ARF

10:30 – 10:50am
From Attention to Outcomes: How Mars Uses Attention Metrics to Drive Business Impact

Marc Guldimann – Founder & CEO, Adelaide
Amanda Zaky – Associate Media Director, Mars Wrigley

10:50 – 11:10am
Decoding Digital Attention by Environment in the Wild

Attention metrics are a powerful tool for understanding consumer behavior. But understanding and interpreting visual attention metrics is extremely complex—even more so when looking at these metrics across different surfaces in the media plan. This presentation will look at evidence from a large-scale experimental study to draw out key nuances and watchouts when analyzing attention in the wild, across different digital media environments.

Bill Harvey – Executive Chairman, Bill Harvey Consulting, Inc.
Sophie MacIntyre – Ads Research Lead, Meta

11:10 – 11:30am
Beyond Attention: The Power of Ads That Sell

The effectiveness of advertising is often measured by the amount of attention it can grab from the target audience. However, attention alone does not guarantee a successful marketing campaign. The real power of advertising lies in its ability to persuade and convert consumers into paying customers. “Ads that sell” are designed to not only capture attention but also to drive actual sales and generate more revenue for businesses. Learn about a TikTok case study and system 0 technology on how measuring consumer behavior in the natural environment delivers consumer behavior of the whole POS funnel to know which ads drive maximum conversions.

Jeff Bander – President, eye square USA

11:30 – 11:50am
Why We Should Be Looking Closer at GSR as a Measure of Impression Quality

Learn about (further) data on the sensitivity of the GSR signal to the emotional/attentional demand aspects of the content, and how these transfers into higher responses to advertising. You will also hear about advances in MindProber’s attempts to isolate and model effects of context and creative on the GSR response to advertisements.

Pedro Almeida, Ph.D. – CEO & Co-Founder, MediaProbe

11:50am – 12:10pm
Understanding Attention as the Absence of Both Inattention AND Distraction

This presentation continues the conversation beyond MediaScience’s presentation at the recent ARF AudienceXScience conference – this time focusing on the role of ‘distraction’ in the attention construct. Dr. Varan will share insights from a large body of research conducted by MediaScience and others clarifying what distraction is, what its effects are, how to best measure for it, and most important, MediaScience’s discovery of the ‘cognitive bridge’, a remedy for distraction associated with media multitasking.

Dr. Duane Varan – CEO, MediaScience

12:10 – 12:30pm
Moderated Discussion: Getting Perspective on Differing Perspectives

The morning presenters will discuss the current and future state of attention and emotion measurement. Where do we find alignment and common ground? Can we move toward standardization in definitions? How can we best capitalize on current interest to move the field forward?

Pedro Almeida, Ph.D. – CEO & Co-Founder, MediaProbe
Jeff Bander – President, eye square USA
Marc Guldimann – Founder & CEO, Adelaide
Sophie MacIntyre – Ads Research Lead, Meta
Dr. Duane Varan – CEO, MediaScience
Moderator: Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF

12:30 – 1:30pm
Lunch

1:30 – 2:00pm
Keynote
Watching People Watch TV

What do we know about what proportion of TV ads air to empty rooms and what type of ads retain consumer’s attention the most? This research uses novel measures of viewer in-room presence and viewer attention to identify which TV viewers are actually exposed to ads, and whether these new measures predict important outcomes for advertisers.

Matthew McGranaghan, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Delaware

2:00 – 2:20pm
TikTok’s POV on Attention Metrics

Learn about attention on TikTok from a set of comprehensive studies they have developed across the globe, over the past three years. Hear arguments, supported by data, that advocate the use of attention metrics as a tool for optimizing ads, and to better understand how advertising works on different channels.

Esteban Ribero – Global Research Leader, TikTok
Meredith Zhang – Measurement Partner, TikTok

2:20 – 2:40pm
Fireside Chat
From Fragmentation to Precision: Why Person-Level Measurement is Critical

Fragmentation in TV means more choices for advertisers, but also presents challenges such as duplication of audiences across platforms and excessive frequency. Person-level data is key to overcoming fragmentation and advancing cross-platform measurement and currency. This granularity enables advertisers to maximize incrementality across platforms and minimize wasted spend on oversaturated audiences. Learn about co-viewing behavior and data, how it differs among streaming and linear audiences, and how to incorporate person-level measurement into your ad strategy.

George Castrissiades – VP of CTV Product, iSpot.TV
Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF

2:40 – 3:00pm
Afternoon Break

3:00 – 3:20pm
The ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 1 Readout

As reported at AUDIENCExSCIENCE in April, the first phase of the ARF’s Attention Measurement Validation Initiative aims to provide a descriptive “map” of the dynamic space of attention measurement. The ARF issued a detailed Request for Information from firms engaged in aspects of attention measurement and received 23 usable responses by the submission deadline. The results are being compiled into a detailed guidebook comparing the tools, methods, data definitions and overall approaches—as well as the various ways that attention measurement fits into the product/service suites of responding companies. This presentation will review highlights of the findings and observations about the state of the field.

Scott McDonald, Ph.D. – President & CEO, ARF

3:20 – 3:35pm
The History of Attention Research

In this session gain a review of the history of attention research as it applies to advertising. Not that long ago, the only tools were to survey subjects on awareness and recall. But today, biometrics such as eye tracking, are available at scale and in home. How has this changed the importance of attention as an advertising KPI?

Tracy Adams, Ph.D. – Research Project Manager, ARF
Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF

3:35 – 3:55pm
Q&A Roundup

Take this opportunity to ask your questions and share your point of view about what you’ve heard throughout the day.

3:55 – 4:00pm
Closing Remarks

Scott McDonald, Ph.D. — President & CEO, ARF

4:00 – 5:30pm
Cocktail Reception