future state

The ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 1 Report Updated

  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Attention metrics have drawn a high degree of energy in the last few years, for many reasons, including the loss of behavioral signals due to privacy restrictions, growing frustration with ad viewability and its perceived limitations, attention metrics’ impact on the cross-platform measurement debate and that biometric technologies can now be applied “in the wild,” rather than just in labs. The ARF’s Attention Measurement Validation Initiative aims to describe the attention measurement space in detail, illuminating this nascent sector. The Phase One findings include a comprehensive literature review and a report that maps out the vendor landscape in this increasingly diverse specialty. The report includes two sections. The first section describes what methods are being used, what these companies report and how and what they measure, be it ad creative or the media environment. The second section includes in-depth overviews of the 29 participating attention measurement companies. The Phase One Report is a must-read for anyone interested in attention metrics or what companies are operating in the space.  

Member Only Access

AUDIENCEXSCIENCE 2024

The ARF’s annual AUDIENCExSCIENCE conference highlighted the most critical audience measurement issues. Through keynotes, panels, debates and rigorously peer-reviewed research presentations, attendees learned about a wide array of new and evergreen industry topics, endemic to our industry changes. World-class thinkers joined us in NYC to share their perspectives on the future of advertising research and measurement, and how tomorrow’s technologies and data trends will impact advertising and media.

Member Only Access

Forecasting & Optimizing Reach in a PII Compliant Measurement Ecosystem

Spencer LambertVP, Product & Partnership Success, datafuelX

Matthew WeinmanSr. Director, Advanced Advertising Product Management, TelevisaUnivision

Reach and frequency planning requires access to unique viewership data, which has become increasingly restricted due to identity restrictions. However, challenges exist with panel-only measurement, including the undercounting of Hispanic and Spanish language coverage, stated Matthew Weinman (TelevisaUnivision). Panel data undercounts Hispanics audiences by upwards of 20%, even for broad demographics. The benefits of big data exist across audience planning, viewership measurement and outcomes. Excessive frequency can be limited while maintaining or expanding reach, as well as improving ROAS. However, there are barriers to working with big data, including PII compliance. Additionally, the size and scale of big data leads to lengthy ID forecast times and computing costs. Spencer Lambert (datafuelX) presented details of their approach to ID-level forecasting which included their reach and frequency clustering methodology. Key takeaways:
  • Advantages of clustering methodology over identity methodology for reach and frequency:
  • Efficiency and accuracy: Delivers comparable accuracy metrics
  • Lower error rates: Seven percent for cluster reach forecasts vs. 20% error rate on identity-scaled reach forecasts
  • Cross-platform reach and frequency: By scaling cluster assignments to digital IDs, this methodology can empower cross-platform management and optimization
  • Lower compute time and costs
  • PII compliant: Preserves the use of identity-level planning

Download Presentation

Member Only Access

How AI Will Make Us Smarter

During a recent ARF Town Hall, Professor Russel Neuman explained why he thinks AI will have primarily positive effects. It will make us smarter and more productive. Furthermore, he does not think new regulations are needed to protect humanity from negative consequences of AI development. Read more »

Next Generation Artificial Intelligence

  • TOWN HALL

Professor Russ Newman of New York University does not believe that AI will cause humanity’s extinction. Instead, it should help enhance human intelligence and productivity and our quality of life. After putting the AI revolution into historical context, Prof. Newman discussed aligning AI with human values. At our current stage, he believes the regulatory mechanisms in place are sufficient. He explained how large language models work, what allowed them to come into existence and their future impact, describing the effect on marketing and advertising, as well as what the individual user experience will be like. A democratizing, hyper-personalized experience could take place where AI agents advocate on their owner’s behalf and negotiate each transaction with their owner’s preferences in mind. Over time, he sees a great diversification of models coming into being. Historically speaking, each groundbreaking technology that changed the world has been a net gain for humanity. What makes AI different is that if applied correctly, it could make us smarter. The question is, if AI gives us exceptional advice, will we take it?

Member Only Access

Future-Proofing the Analytics and Insights Function

  • By Chenyu Wang
  • ANALYTICS COUNCIL

On February 6, Analytics Council Organizational Working Group members Shelley Yang (Director, Insights Activation at Ipsos Creative Excellence) and John Baro (Manager, Market Research & Insights at Spectrum Reach) shared a summary of their learnings from a set of 21 in-depth interviews (IDIs) conducted with ARF members to understand what insights and analytics departments should do to future-proof themselves. Then, a panel of senior researchers -- Helen Katz (EVP, Research at Publicis Media), Michelle Gibb (Vice President, Global Insights & Analytics at Mondelez International), and Jed Meyer (SVP, Media Solutions Leader of Kantar) -- and an industry observer, Simon Chadwick (Managing Partner at Cambiar LLC) joined Shelley to share their perspectives on the topic.  Their conversation was moderated by Steven Millman, Global Head of Research & Data Science at Dynata.  The presentations and panel touched on AI, outsourcing, skill sets, and mindsets.

Member Only Access