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CMO Briefs

A one-page summary of ARF research, white papers, Knowledge at Hands, and perspectives on relevant topics.

CMO Briefs: 2019 Organizational Benchmark Survey, The Research Company Report

Curious to see what changes have occurred in advertising and market research in the last few years? Want to know how companies collect research data? What departments they have to do it? If they are centralized or decentralized? What tools and techniques they use and how satisfied stakeholders are with their department? Many ARF members have inquired about such things. So many in fact that the ARF Analytics Council decided to develop a research project around these questions. The results are the very first Organizational Benchmark Survey of the industry. Read more

CMO Briefs: 2019 Organizational Benchmark Survey, The Agency Report

Motivated by a number of member inquiries, the ARF Analytics Council recently investigated the vast changes that have taken place in marketing and advertising research over the last few years. The results are significant, culminating in the first Organizational Benchmark Survey of the industry. The study reveals a number of different aspects surrounding these changes, such as what departments are conducting research, what they are called, if they are centralized or decentralized, if small agencies differ from larger ones, the tools and techniques that are used and much more. Read more.

CMO Brief: Elements of a Successful Brand Purpose Campaign

What do we really know about a purpose campaign? We know that eliciting an emotional response and sustainability are strategies that can deliver greater brand strength and appeal. Beyond that, there’s little else. So little, in fact that the industry hasn’t even agreed on how to properly define a purpose campaign.

The ARF and Kantar set out to uncover those defining characteristics. The result is Cracking Brand Purpose, a study completed in late 2019 that establishes a best-inclass framework that can be used to inspire, develop and evaluate purpose campaigns.  Read more.

CMO Brief: 2019 Organizational Benchmark Survey, The Advertiser Report

Advertising and market research have seen significant changes in the last couple of years. ARF members have been inquiring about different aspects of these changes. To answer their questions, the ARF Analytics Council developed the very first Organizational Benchmark Survey of the industry. The aim was to see how companies collect research data, what departments conduct research, how they organize around research and data, and, if small advertisers differ from large ones. Read more.

CMO Brief: What Happens When Brands Go Dark?

In the winter of 2018, the ARF composed a Knowledge at Hand report called “When Brands Go Dark.” This covered the impact of brands scaling back on advertising spend or eliminating it altogether. With a recession looming due to the coronavirus pandemic, economic jitters once again have many companies considering “going dark.” What are the short and long-term implications of such a move? Read more.

CMO Brief: The Short and Long Advertising Game

Has real time feedback made marketers short-sighted? Charles Young thinks so. The CEO and founder of Ameritest, Young argues in a recent article that marketers should refocus on long-term goals, such as brand building and creative. One way to do that is to think about how human memory works and apply those insights to a brand’s long-term plans. Since human memory is such a complex phenomenon, Young breaks it down using computer memory as an easy to understand analogy. Read more.

CMO Brief: Getting Better Creative from Data and Insights

We have access to more data and research than ever before. But how well are they being used? It’s apparent to many in the advertising industry that there’s a gap between the research/data and creative/strategy communities, in terms of using data and insights effectively. To investigate this divide, the ARF Creative Council conducted a quantitative and qualitative research project, which has led to the publication of a new CMO Brief entitled: How to Get Better Creative from Better Insights. Read more.

CMO Brief: Oracle Data Cloud Tackles Audience Quality

In 2018, $57 billion was spent on digital display advertising. That doesn’t mean those resources were used wisely. One crucial issue is the need to focus on audience quality. Failure to do so can lead to consumers being buffeted with messages or confronted with irrelevant ones. As a result, they become frustrated and turned off. This equates to missed opportunities and wasted resources. Read more.

CMO Brief: What’s the Most Effective Length for a TV/Digital Video Commercial?

This question of what TV commercial length is most effective oversimplifies the matter. What’s most important is telling an engaging and motivating brand story, research shows. It’s critical to align the message with your objectives as well. Creative and placement each impact effectiveness, too. In truth, compelling advertising can range from five seconds to a few minutes. Read More.