Knowledge Center – 2020 Top Member Questions
The following are the most popular topics and examples of research questions ARF members asked the Knowledge Center in 2020. As with previous years, most member questions tend to be unique as they are understandably specific to the member’s own business needs, but there were some noticeable trends.Marketer Qs:
ARF advertiser and marketer members were most interested in creative development and optimization, marketing best practices, brand strategy & voice, and media planning & issues.- What is the impact of adding a sound cue/jingle to advertising, specifically television commercials?
- What is the optimal balance between branding vs. promotion (e.g., Les Binet’s 60/40)?
- What is the impact of social cause marketing?
- What is the latest thinking on wearout/wearin, especially digital?
- What do we know about 6-second ads?
Agency Qs:
ARF agency members were most interested in media planning & issues and insights around specific media/platforms:- What are the benefits of a multi-channel approach?
- Do frequency recommendations vary by channel, audience, or category?
- Is there risk for advertisers in placing spots in television news?
- What is the current state of data privacy and its implications for our clients?
- What is the value of utilizing ecommerce capabilities in social?
Media Qs:
ARF media members were also most interested in media planning & issues, insights around specific media/platforms, but specifically through the lens of a recession/crisis.- How do you develop marketing plans during and/or coming out of a crisis?
- Can you share evidence that advertising in a recession is a good idea?
- What happens to media behavior when habits are disrupted, such as during a large scale quarantine?
- What are digital marketing best practices, particularly around driving effectiveness and efficiency of digital marketing buys?
- What are viewership trends for set-top box VOD?
Research Qs:
ARF research company members were the most varied and unique in their questions as they were more likely to ask about specific studies or resources. Below are examples of more generalizable research questions asked in 2020.- What is the current identity resolution landscape?
- What visual elements work and don’t work in terms of how video influences behaviors and how creative changes perceptions of brands?
Overall, top topics in 2020:
Social Media was the most often asked media/platform:- How do users engage with TikTok and ads?
- What is the impact of 5G on Augment Reality (AR), especially on social?
- What are the new selling models on social (i.e., social-selling)?
- What is the optimal frequency?
- What are the benefits of a :30 or :60 over a :15 or shorter spot?
- What are best practices for marketing research during times of national upheavals?
- How are brand communications impacted by COVID?
- COVID is changing the world and digital habits – what are the long-term implications for social media usage?
- Why is branded content important, especially during a recession/crisis?
- What are the latest industry initiatives for measuring D&I in advertising?
- What is the data that casting for diversity and showing contemporary representation of families is well received by consumers?