Teams & Talent

Discover the latest and most impactful research on teams, talent, training and organizational design here. All the research listed comes from the ARF or one of its subsidiaries: The Journal of Advertising Research (JAR), the Marketing Science Institute (MSI) or the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM). Feel free to bookmark this page, as it will be updated periodically.
Learn About the Benefits, Limitations and Dangers of Using LLMs in Advertising Research

Learn About the Benefits, Limitations and Dangers of Using LLMs in Advertising Research

  • By ARF
  • Knowledge at Hand

This report offers an abridged version of the cumulative 2025 AI handbook, exploring the benefits, limitations and dangers of generative AI models when employed in various tasks associated with marketing and advertising research. This report sums up the insights from several experiments where ARF researchers tested AI's capabilities in survey design, sentiment analysis, coding open-ended responses, language translation and addressing AI risks.

Member Only Access
The ARF Member AI Workshop

The ARF Member AI Workshop

The ARF Member AI workshop introduced members to the potentialities of various AI platforms and tools to boost their work productivity. The workshop covered how LLMs such as Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude can be employed in three main areas: presentations and reports, advertising research and meetings. Issues such as privacy and security of using AI, as well as the current limitations and challenges of the technology were also discussed. The hands-on, interactive workshop was an opportunity for all those interested in best practices and guidelines for using AI to learn how to interweave such programs into their daily work processes.

Member Only Access
The ARF Diversity Report

The ARF Diversity Report

  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The 2020 US census revealed that the United States is far more diverse and multiracial today than ever before in its history. Approximately 38% of the population belong to racial minority groups. The trend is expected to continue, which has resulted in companies increasing their focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), both internally and in their marketing efforts. In order to inform member companies of where we are as an industry, as well as to offer best practices and actionable insights in their own DEI efforts, the ARF has put together The Diversity Report.

Member Only Access
How Does the Digital Environment Impact Advertising Creativity?

How Does the Digital Environment Impact Advertising Creativity?

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Does the digital environment support or constrain advertising creativity? The answer is both. But how? Researchers in Australia relied on two seminal methods—the rigorous Delphi recruitment method through which research queried creative experts worldwide, and the Four P’s model of creativity. These were applied to investigate “place” (the digital environment) and its impact on the remaining P's: process, person and product. What they found was that technology both enhances and represses creativity.  

Member Only Access
Are Marketers Using the Right Metrics?

Are Marketers Using the Right Metrics?

  • MSI

Which is more efficient when it comes to advantageous decision outcomes, marketing-mix metrics or financial metrics? Researchers in this award-winning MSI working paper investigated this question, basing their research on a behavioral framework and statistical model. On average, according to their sample, marketing-mix metrics are more effective than financial. Even so, managers seem more eager to use financial metrics, possibly, because they are easier to understand across the organization.

Member Only Access
  • Article

MSI: Fields of Gold -- Web Scraping for Consumer Research

"Combining AI speed and researcher judgment delivers the best results. AI can assist in drafting and ideation but remains limited in fully automating high-quality survey design."
This Knowledge at Hand report delves into the multifaceted capabilities of AI in marketing and advertising, as well as its shortcomings. It begins with an examination of AI's ability to design effective surveys, highlighting the improvements seen when models are provided with contextual examples. The report then moves on to sentiment analysis, comparing AI accuracy to human coders and noting the strengths and weaknesses of various models. Another section focuses on coding open-ended responses, where AI models show promise in structuring and synthesizing qualitative data but fall short in capturing emotional nuances and cultural context. The report also includes a study on AI translation capabilities, revealing that while AI can save time, manual correction is often still necessary for nuanced texts. Finally, the report addresses the dangers of AI, emphasizing the importance of human oversight in mitigating risks such as bias, privacy violations and misinformation. The findings underscore the need for a hybrid approach, combining AI's speed and efficiency with human judgment and strategic insight.

Download the Knowledge at Hand: LLMs: Benefits, Limitations and Dangers

 

The 1st Annual Organizational Benchmark Survey—The Consultancy Report

The 1st Annual Organizational Benchmark Survey—The Consultancy Report

  • THE ARF

The Organizational Benchmark Survey investigates the changes in advertising and marketing research over the past year. This is the first of an annual series. The consultancy report covers a variety of subjects, including the names of their research departments and their structures, whether they are centralized or decentralized, their spending and KPIs, what skills researchers need and what tools they employ, and how satisfied they are with their department.

Member Only Access
  • Article

MSI: No Silver Bullet with AI -- Blending in Firm Culture and Capabilities with AI Marketing Investment for Enhancing Firm Performance

"Combining AI speed and researcher judgment delivers the best results. AI can assist in drafting and ideation but remains limited in fully automating high-quality survey design."
This Knowledge at Hand report delves into the multifaceted capabilities of AI in marketing and advertising, as well as its shortcomings. It begins with an examination of AI's ability to design effective surveys, highlighting the improvements seen when models are provided with contextual examples. The report then moves on to sentiment analysis, comparing AI accuracy to human coders and noting the strengths and weaknesses of various models. Another section focuses on coding open-ended responses, where AI models show promise in structuring and synthesizing qualitative data but fall short in capturing emotional nuances and cultural context. The report also includes a study on AI translation capabilities, revealing that while AI can save time, manual correction is often still necessary for nuanced texts. Finally, the report addresses the dangers of AI, emphasizing the importance of human oversight in mitigating risks such as bias, privacy violations and misinformation. The findings underscore the need for a hybrid approach, combining AI's speed and efficiency with human judgment and strategic insight.

Download the Knowledge at Hand: LLMs: Benefits, Limitations and Dangers

 

  • Article

JAR: Why Do Great Creative Ideas Get Rejected?

"Combining AI speed and researcher judgment delivers the best results. AI can assist in drafting and ideation but remains limited in fully automating high-quality survey design."
This Knowledge at Hand report delves into the multifaceted capabilities of AI in marketing and advertising, as well as its shortcomings. It begins with an examination of AI's ability to design effective surveys, highlighting the improvements seen when models are provided with contextual examples. The report then moves on to sentiment analysis, comparing AI accuracy to human coders and noting the strengths and weaknesses of various models. Another section focuses on coding open-ended responses, where AI models show promise in structuring and synthesizing qualitative data but fall short in capturing emotional nuances and cultural context. The report also includes a study on AI translation capabilities, revealing that while AI can save time, manual correction is often still necessary for nuanced texts. Finally, the report addresses the dangers of AI, emphasizing the importance of human oversight in mitigating risks such as bias, privacy violations and misinformation. The findings underscore the need for a hybrid approach, combining AI's speed and efficiency with human judgment and strategic insight.

Download the Knowledge at Hand: LLMs: Benefits, Limitations and Dangers

 

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