social media

Growing ROI with YouTube ABCDs Creative Effectiveness Guidelines

Creative is the dominant ROI driver across all media platforms according to Nielsen Catalina Solutions: creative 49%, media 36%, and brand 15%. However, creative is challenging to measure. The speakers provided an ABCD insights framework for building effective ads on YouTube based on the key creative elements that drive sales as proven by Google’s partner, Nielsen.

  • Attention: Hook viewers and sustain attention with an immersive story.
  • Branding: Brand early, often, and richly.
  • Connection: Help consumers think or feel something.
  • Direction: Ask consumers to take action. Call-to-action has a disproportionate impact.

Track the Success: TV vs. Other Video Advertising Platforms

This presentation described the findings of a major ethnographic study (conducted in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) that compared the impact of video advertising on various platforms: TV, BVOD (VOD provided by commercial broadcasters), YouTube and Facebook.  The study used eye-tracking devices to assess attention to ads and unaided recall as impact measure.

2022: A Media Universe Big Bang

Sharing his latest “Media Universe Map,” which describes the rapidly changing media landscape, Evan Shapiro conducted a discussion based on the map to exemplify the swiftly developing and competitive media ecosystem. Noting the “war for attention” in the new media landscape, he indicated that the largest media companies (“The Death Stars”), such as Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia, will play a direct or indirect role in what happens to smaller or emerging companies. Other drivers of the media ecosystem include the balance of single unit and subscription sales, generational effects, and the emergence of the creator content economy.

FORECASTING 2022: How Can Scenario Planning Improve Agility in Adjusting to Change?

On July 12, 2022, forecasting, and product experts shared frameworks and strategies for participants to consider as they plan amid disruptions in the industry. Presenters discussed techniques marketers could use to drive consumer action and advocacy — as well as econometric models for search trends, insights on holistic analytics programs, reflections on gold standard probability methods — and new forecasting techniques in the wake of the pandemic and more.

Evaluating the Drivers of Attention Across Media and Creative

According to Britt Cushing of OMD, we need to make sure that creative and media “sit hand in glove” as everyone battles for attention in a sea of clutter that is diluting effectiveness. Sixty-five percent of media impact actually comes from the creative. OMD has been looking at attention for planning through years of empirical testing (across 25 brands, 10 categories and seven different markets). They found that attention drives mental availability and is fundamental for brand growth. In this presentation Britt discussed OMD’s approach to leveraging attention from planning to activation to garner competitive advantages for brands.

Virtual Reality: Is It Real This Time?

With the development of emerging technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in recent years, changes to the advertising and marketing landscapes have followed. Experts from Meta, Snap, Inc. and Influencer joined the Social Council on July 27 to demonstrate what this exciting new medium looks like and expound on what it can do for brands.

Context Adjacency: A Data-Driven Approach to Concerns Around the Risk of Content Adjacent to Ads

On October 12, 2022, experts from Meta, the Brand Safety Institute and the ARF discussed brand risk for ads placed near unsuitable content on social media feed platforms. Meta researchers presented their data-driven measurement approach and their conclusions that there is minimal-to-no association for content adjacent to ads and that ad adjacency to risky content does not impact brand value.

The process for Certification of the Meta Project by the ARF was outlined. Additionally, the panel considered how consumers engage with ads on a feed platform differently than they engage with ads on more traditional platforms with different potential outcomes for ads adjacent to risky content.

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ATTENTION 2023

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.

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Do I Have Your Attention? Banner Blindness Tactics, Roadblock Ads and Influencer Cues

At this Insights Studio, speakers on four different continents presented their work published in the JAR, with common themes of attention and frequency. Two presentations focused on banner blindness tactics: one compared the effectiveness of personalization and extreme creative strategies, while the other showed how unexpected ads like pop-ups and floaters drive attention and shape attitudes. A study on roadblock advertising tackled the question: Is this attention-getting tactic worth the substantial cost? And lastly: effects of influencer disclosures over time within a framework of consumer skepticism. A lively Q&A discussion explored the roles of attention and inattention in creative and media, contextual nuances, frequency effects of roadblock advertising and influencer disclosures, differences in attention factors across cultures, and the need for more research overall in the area of attention.

Evidence-Based Research for Effective Marketing

On November 9, 2022, industry leaders joined us to share highlights from EffWorks Global 2022 — a week-long celebration of the best new thinking and evidence-based decision-making research for marketing effectiveness. Topics of discussion included: marketing in the post-Covid economy, effective advertising in unprecedented times, the value of Share of Voice/Share of Attention/Share of Search in terms of effectiveness and commercial decision making, and more.