Future States

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Shoppers Like Explicit Donation Links in Cause-Related Marketing Ads

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Companies increasingly target nonprofit web and social media followers by using cause-related marketing display ads on the websites of charity or nonprofit organizations. Two key formats are used: either transactional (representing an explicit donation amount that a consumer can make to the nonprofit) or nontransactional (representing online cause sponsorship). Which one is more successful? A new study has some answers.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

Understanding Biases in Panel and Census Research Using AI/ML

• ARF

There are a number of different biases that can impact panel and census research and big data sets which utilize artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML). The attached Knowledge at Hand identifies over two dozen unique biases. It discusses how they might occur and what mitigation options researchers should consider to account for them.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

The ARF Universe Study of Device & Account Sharing: The How and Why

• The ARF

In the digital age, it is difficult to measure media usage on the individual level. Users may share multiple devices and have several profiles across and even within service categories. People share usernames and passwords with others to allow them access to their streaming media or e-commerce accounts. As a result, providers of digital services and research lack a consistent, reliable and efficient way to parse out the digital world at the user level. Now, a new study by the ARF provides a solution.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

Attention and Ad Impact: New Insights from New Research

• ARF Knowledge at Hand; CMO BRIEF

One of the essential goals of advertising is to get customers’ attention. However, a lot of campaigns approach this simplistically. More “attention” does not necessarily mean an ad is more effective. Attention is a much more complex phenomenon than that. While attention is a prerequisite for ad impact, the term is ambiguous, complex and difficult to measure. Moreover, “attention” does not necessarily indicate a positive response, and a high level of attention is not always a sign of a positive ad impact.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

Web Scraping for Consumer Insight “Nuggets”

• MSI

One technique that offers a treasure trove of insights into consumer behavior is “web scraping.” Although worthwhile, using it to gather data requires a specific, methodological approach. Otherwise, validity is threatened. This MSI working paper addresses how researchers should go about web scraping in order to ensure design transparency, analytic reproducibility, analytic robustness, replicability and generalizability of effects.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Voice-Activated Shopping Can Boost Sales for Some Consumers & Categories

• MSI

Do you ask Alexa from your smart speaker to purchase items for you? Research shows that voice-activated, AI-enabled devices are becoming increasingly important for online retailers. They can increase search and even purchase, especially among younger consumers and for categories of high purchase frequency or low substitutability. Rather than cannibalizing other channels, use of such devices creates positive spillover, since shopping is integrated into other, consumer routines.

• Article

JAR: Understanding AI Advertising from the Consumer Perspective

One might expect consumers to respond differently to ads created using artificial intelligence. But what’s behind these differences? Using multiple scales, a new study examines various factors that drive people’s reactions. Its findings can inform smart AI-ad creation and strategies. Read the JAR article.

• Research & Data Quality
• Article

Best Practices in Media and Market Research Studies

• Dr. Horst Stipp, EVP, Research & Innovation, the ARF
• KNOWLEDGE AT HAND; CMO BRIEF

Surveys are a necessary tool for exploring consumer behavior, attitudes and intentions. They provide valuable data to help make informed business decisions. However, quality matters and ignoring best practices impacts the validity and reliability of findings, which might make the data unusable.

• Article

MSI: Regulating Privacy Online -- An Economic Evaluation of the GDPR

Analyzes data from a diverse set of 1,084 online firms to understand the implications of the GDPR for the online economy. Early in adoption, there are small reductions in pageviews and revenue from users who click on a display ad or a marketing email, but economic consequences may increase with greater enforcement and compliance. Read the Working Paper.

• Article

JAR: Why Do Some Ads Get Shared More than Others?

Why do some ads get shared more than others on social media? This study used facial coding algorithms to quantify the facial expressions of thousands of individuals in response to video ads. The findings help advertisers predict how different emotions influence sharing, and provide a deeper understanding of the complexities between emotion and transmission. Read the JAR article.