attribution

Creative Effectiveness 2026

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.

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What Buyers Expect from Retail Media Measurement

  • ARF; The Advertising Club of New York

As retail media expands across onsite, offsite and in-store environments, buyers are looking beyond basic attribution to determine whether advertising is actually driving incremental sales. In a guest article for The Advertising Club of New York, Tracy Adams, PhD, ARF Senior Director of Research & Insights, examines findings from the second phase of the ARF Retail Media Network Standardization Project, revealing what advertisers and agencies say they need to make retail media measurement more comparable, transparent and trustworthy.

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Analytics & Forecasting 2026

  • Analytics & Forecasting

AI is transforming how organizations generate insights and forecast outcomes, but questions remain about reliability and the need for human oversight. On September 14-15 in NYC, industry and academic leaders gathered to discuss integrating AI into analytics workflows and maintaining transparency.

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Saturation Curves Are a Relic: How Large Causal Models Are Replacing Linear Projection with True Marketing Optimization

  • INSIGHTS STUDIOS

On September 10, DATA POEM introduced interconnected, non-linear optimization using Large Causal Models, which enable real-time, granular decision-making across all marketing levers and market scenarios. This session was designed for leaders who suspect their current optimization framework is leaving significant value on the table—and want to understand what the architectural alternative looks like in practice.

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Making Sense of Open-Source Marketing Mix Modeling

  • ARF; MSI

As privacy changes make it harder for marketers to track individual customer journeys, media and marketing mix modeling (m/MMM) is experiencing renewed interest. Open-source tools from Meta, Google and the PyMC ecosystem promise to make these methods more accessible, particularly for organizations without the resources for customized proprietary models. In this MSI working paper, Julian Runge and Koen Pauwels evaluate the leading open-source approaches, examining their capabilities, differences and tradeoffs. Their analysis shows that while automation can democratize sophisticated marketing measurement, using these tools responsibly requires careful attention to model assumptions, diagnostics, calibration and validation.

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