On October 22, 2026, the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council hosted “More than a Moment: Unlocking the Power of Women’s Sports and Fans,” bringing together researchers from Nielsen, Spectrum Reach, Kantar, and NBCUniversal to examine the growth of women’s sports through the lenses of audience behavior, fandom, media consumption, sponsorship effectiveness, and brand opportunity. Presenters Charlene Polite-Corley (Nielsen, member of the Council), Erin Roston (Spectrum Reach), Sara Nettesheim (Kantar), and Albert Alcaraz (NBCU) shared data demonstrating that women’s sports have moved beyond a cultural moment to become a significant and sustainable business opportunity for media companies, advertisers, and sponsors. Following the presentations, moderator Jackie Day (WPP Media), Co-Chair of the Council, led a discussion focused on how brands can build meaningful, long-term relationships with women’s sports fans.
Member Only Access
On October 14, the ARF Creative Effectiveness conference dove into the challenges shaping creative strategy today. Industry experts explored how marketers can balance short-term results with long-term brand building, measure creative impact, and leverage AI and commerce media without sacrificing brand equity. Attendees heard perspectives on what’s working, what isn’t, and how to connect creative strategy to measurable business outcomes. Following the conference, the ARF David Ogilvy Awards were held to celebrate research- and insight-driven advertising.
Member Only Access
This compendium report highlights all of the ARF research reports and resources produced in 2025 and 2026 to date, including ARF original research reports, Psychology of Gen AI series, Council reports, podcasts and infographics, along with Knowledge at Hands.
Member Only Access
At this event, the ARF Social Council presented research on how creators and influencers are reshaping the social media landscape and what these shifts mean for brands’ media, creative, and measurement decisions. The three speakers from Dynata, Kantar, and SmithGeiger moved from consumer behavior (who follows creators, where they spend time, and how trust translates to purchase) to marketer strategy (how creator work is being deployed and how to evaluate its effectiveness at scale) and finally to a category-specific deep dive in entertainment (what creator marketing does differently than traditional marketing for Gen Z and Millennials). Their presentations were followed by an engaging moderated discussion. All of the speakers and the moderator were either members of the Social Council or colleagues of Council members.
Member Only Access
