As many companies join in Pride celebrations this month (and some deal with backlash), we review the growing amount of research available to inform marketers on how to best market to and in support of LGBTQ+. We recommend these studies, all conducted in 2022 or 2023:
This research suggests that empathy appeals in branding and advertising should be considered. Read more »
The three speakers reflected on the themes that had emerged on Day 1 of the AUDIENCExSCIENCE Conference, particularly Evan Shapiro’s opening keynote:
In this session, Mike Barrett of Supernatural discussed the world of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative effectiveness. Specifically, he demonstrated how AI can be used as a tool to leverage art, copy and strategy. He noted that AI has garnered a lot of attention in advertising and though it’s not used at the level it is in the STEM disciplines, it is gaining traction as a device to enhance productivity. Mike demonstrated the use of AI in advertising with an example from Heinz, which used AI to generate a design for its next ad campaign and an example from Xero which employed a combination of AI software to generate images and copy for an ad. He promoted the use of AI, particularly in the area of stock imagery, which can be used to generate very specific and creative images not available in stock photo banks, in a matter of seconds. Additionally, he touted AI as a tool to help prompt creatives to write great copy. He emphasized that AI is still growing and maturing, with an example of an AI-generated video, but he endorsed AI as an emerging means to create better and more creative ad campaigns. Mike indicated that as different AIs mature and begin to work together, it will yield better and more efficient results.
This MESH Experience webcast focused on how marketers can grow their business and succeed in the new age of customer experience (CX). Experts at Axa Investment Managers and Cox Communications discussed how to build a CX roadmap in the current consumer climate. Attendees were given a toolkit to grow their brand and gained an understanding of how to meet and exceed the demands of their current and prospective customers.
This Insights Studio hosted one of the industry’s brightest minds, Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System1 Group and author of the best-selling book Lemon (IPA, 2019). Wood presented a unique combination of neuroscience, cultural history and advertising research to describe a change in advertising style that has occurred over the last 15 years and link this to falling advertising effectiveness. The event also featured a moderated discussion with Janet Hull OBE, Director of Marketing Strategy at IPA and Scott McDonald, Ph.D., CEO and President of the ARF.
At this Insights Studio, authors from India, Hong Kong and the U.S. showcased their work published in the Journal of Advertising Research on why consumers follow influencers, why people tune out of advertising, what triggers memory and recognition of brands that co-appear in ads, and whether brands are overspending on sport sponsorships. In the concluding Q&A, talking points included parallels of engagement and context effects between the different themes, KPIs in attention and sales outcomes, influencers’ roles as media and creative, and risks for strong brand personalities in sports sponsorships.
On June 7, 2023, attention economy experts came together in NYC to share case studies and participate in engaging discussions on the attention measurement landscape. Plus, attendees heard a recap of the issues debated at AUDIENCExSCIENCE and an update on Phase I of the ARF Attention Validation Initiative, an empirically based evaluation of the rapidly developing market for attention measurement and prediction.
Member Only AccessIn this presentation, Paul Donato, CRO of the ARF, covered findings from the seminal year of the “What Brands Did in 2020” (Brands 2020) project. This project will go on for at least the next two years or until the effects of 2020 are no longer felt. ARF researchers in the Brands 2020 study used IRI and NCS data, Kantar Ad Insights, NCS sales and Nielsen Ad Intel data, between 2017 and 2021. The IRI data was a very deep dive but across three categories: salty snacks, pasta sauce and personal care products. The NCS data was shallower but across 10 broad categories. Using all these data, ARF researchers looked at share of media, media spend and share of market before and after March 2020 (Covid) and before and after March of 2021 (start of inflation).
On March 16, 2023, the ARF Young Pros led an exploration of the ongoing transformation and future trajectory of social media to help organizations navigate the landscape and create more strategic social media plans. Panelists discussed trends, the role of influencers, creative branding campaigns and more.