An impressive body of work is building in attention measurement. The three winning-papers sessions preceding this panel revealed a work in progress with shared goals as well as differences in approaches. Moderator Earl Taylor of the ARF’s MSI division asked the speakers about their views on barriers to the process, and opportunities for further improving attention measures.
Realeyes uses software solutions for measuring human attentional and emotional response to advertising. Max Kalehoff explained the importance of attention measurement as a gauge of brand performance. He urged companies, particularly those with latent sales, to incorporate it into their business models.
This presentation focused on the implications of attention for advertisers, and how we can start applying these insights from a planning and buying perspective. Although viewability has become a proxy for attention, just because an ad is considered viewable does not mean eyes on ads. Viewability isn’t necessarily a true indication of attention – it can be quite arbitrary, and we need to go beyond that to the better and more accurate representation of those natural attention behaviors.
Two researchers call for a new approach to marketing.
Will an ad that makes fun of the very consumers it targets offend or appeal to them? So-called “audience-targeted negative advertisements” (ATNAs) are the subject of new research that examines ATNAs through the lens of empathy. It also tests their effectiveness for promoting low- and high-status products.
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Does direct persuasion still work in advertising? Two seasoned advertising research academics don’t think so. In an essay backed by empirical evidence, they argue—given the major changes in the ways consumers interact with brands today, such as online and through social media—that advertisers should shift from a direct persuasive strategy, to providing experiences that blend entertainment with more indirect persuasion.
Member Only AccessOn November 1, 2022, the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council hosted a discussion on ways that brands have gained an edge by focusing their insights and subsequent marketing on traditionally under-represented communities. Speakers from General Mills, Vevo, and muliti-cultural agency Alma shed light on the kinds of research they find helpful in uncovering valuable inclusive insights and the potential rewards of this strategy. They cited examples of those insights and discussed the societal trends that underlie them. The session was moderated by Council Co-Chair Janelle James of Ipsos.
This ARF Pharma Council event followed up on the Council’s podcast episode on “Inclusive Futures of Humancare,” focusing on the importance of inclusiveness in pharma research and marketing with respect to both demographic characteristics and health conditions. Four speakers delivered brief presentations, followed by a discussion moderated by Pharma Council Co-Chair Marjorie Reedy of Merck.
At this Insights Studio, authors from three different continents showcase their recently published work—including the JAR Best Paper 2022 on how advertising expenditures drive consumers’ perceptions of ad and brand quality. Also featured are studies on deepfakes and AI reshaping the advertising industry, the success of using product endorsers who are actors known for roles portraying despicable characters, and KPI patterns of social media influencers across several platforms. Talking points in the concluding Q&A span the future of AI in advertising and influencer marketing, machine-driven decisions for choosing endorsers, and factors (product- and economic-related) affecting consumer perceptions of quality in TV ads and engagement in user-generated content.
Member Only AccessMSI’s Earl Taylor moderated a panel discussion regarding art and science in ad creative. The diverse panel of industry leaders provided feedback, commentary and viewpoints on a variety of topics presented on day two of AUDIENCExSCIENCE 2022. Areas of discussion included category disruption, ad currency, drivers of interactive video, opportunities from disruption and ad length effectiveness.