Consumer Attitudes

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Influencer Partners a Must for Branded ASMR Content

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

How can brand managers maximize their engagement with tingle-inducing ASMR videos? A new study, recently published in the Journal of Advertising Research, offers evidence that brands risk being perceived as “inauthentic intruders” when advertising within ASMR communities. They should instead consider collaborating with ASMR influencers, especially those who are highly visible and/or terrific at building emotional connections with viewers.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

The Age of Acquisition Effect Has a Small Impact on Brand Recognition

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Things learned early in life are recognized faster and more accurately, according to the age-of-acquisition effect, a phenomenon studied widely in psychology research. A new study recently published in the Journal of Advertising Research explores how this effect works in the context of brand names. It finds that brand exposure frequency and usage recency have a much greater effect on recognition than the age of acquisition itself.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Utilizing FOMO to Increase Engagement with Your Brand

• MSI

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a phrase that social media has given rise to. Those who follow others on such platforms can be made anxious about their own life choices and use of free time when following friends and their activities online. If brands can properly understand this phenomenon, however, they can find ways to engage with customers, including through the content and events consumers most care about. Researchers in this Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper find that those who are most attracted to a brand are the ones who become the most engaged through such a strategy.

• Audience & Media Measurement
• Article

The 6th Annual Privacy Study

One of the ARF’s most popular reports for membership and the press, the 6^th Annual Privacy Study has now been released. The study surveyed 1,329 American consumers in the spring of 2023 on a Qualtrics online sample and platform. The report contains perennial questions regarding device usage, trust in institutions and how well privacy terms are understood. Last and this year’s versions also investigated what changes in information the public is willing to share and under what circumstances they are willing to share it. A new aspect to this year’s study is that it contains longitudinal findings across all six years.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

Here Are Some Unintended Consequences of Privacy Regulations

• MSI

The intention behind recent privacy regulations is to protect consumers from unauthorized use of their data. However, this Marketing Research Institute (MSI) working paper finds unintended consequences that are not good for the consumer or the marketplace. Researchers found such regulations reduce satisfaction with search results and increase search costs. The personalization in products and services is thus degraded, as many smaller and midsize firms are no longer able to provide the level of efficiency and personalization they once could. Larger firms, however, benefit from increased search activity which leads to increased purchase activity. As a result, such regulation leads to unintended market concentration.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Consider Arousal Level when Picking Cover Images for Pre-Roll Video Ads

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Cover images—the preview images that provide a glimpse of the content to be shown in pre-roll video ads—can determine whether or not someone clicks on the ad, depending on the level of arousal in those images and how well it meets their sensational needs, new research shows.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Which Gen Z Mobile Users Should Retailers Retarget?

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Even though it is a common practice in the industry, researchers so far have not reached a uniform conclusion about how or even whether retargeting works. But a new study focused on Gen Z mobile users offers insight into the early stages of decision making, and a multitude of factors that influence these consumers’ perceptions when viewing luxury fashion ads for a second and third time.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Targeting Aids Consumers at Different Stages of their Purchase Journey

• MSI

Although firms invest much in targeted advertising, little is known about when it is most effective. A new Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper now shows that such advertising helps facilitate the purchase journey along different stages. While targeting on social media is found effective for consumers during the early stages of that journey, retargeting is best served for consumers who are closer along the line to making that purchase. Another important finding was that cross-platform targeting does not motivate consumers who are unfamiliar with the product or brand.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Does Having Multicultural Marketing Mean Your Brand is Inclusive?

• MSI

Multicultural marketing is popular today. Its aim is to increase inclusion through consumption. But does propagating such marketing make a brand inclusive? An inclusive brand is one that creates, communicates and delivers offerings that serve underrepresented communities, say researchers in this Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper. In this way, such brands enhance lives through increased equality, acceptance, respect, belonging and empowerment.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

How Best to Advertise During a Recession

• ARF Knowledge at Hand, CMO Brief

Even though the U.S. economy has some bright spots, economists warn a recession is still possible due to stubborn inflation. Advertisers want to be prepared as a result. While there is no failsafe advertising playbook to follow, as individual brands and businesses have nuanced needs and branding, there are some best practices and guidelines, which the following ARF Knowledge at Hand report gleans from some of the best research on the topic. The report covers the impact of “going dark,” the often-overlooked opportunities a recession can bring, how to maximize media spend effectiveness and how to frame appeals that are most attractive to customers during tough economic times.