On February 19, 2026, the ARF Attribution Working Group hosted a deep‑dive session focused on the rapidly evolving landscape of Shoppable Ads, exploring how new formats are emerging, how they function across platforms, and how measurement practices are adapting. The discussion delved into shoppable ads across retail media networks, social platforms, display inventory, and connected TV environments, highlighting how these formats are redefining the relationship between media exposure and commerce outcomes.
The conversation built on the Working Group’s broader initiative to evaluate five emerging advertising channels, an effort informed by industry interviews and an agency/advertiser survey. The session was moderated by Chip Godfrey (Director, Data Strategy, J.D. Power, and a member of the ARF Attribution Working Group). The panelists were Yannick Koger (Sr. Manager, NA Retail Measurement Solutions, Pinterest), Jared Oliver (Manager, Advanced Analytics & Modeling, Ocean Spray and a member of the Attribution Working Group), and Phil X. Jackson (Director, Global Digital Marketing Effectiveness & Innovation, Haleon).
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As consumers increasingly expect brands to “open their doors,” companies respond by offering behind-the-scenes experiences, such as factory tours, visitor centers and brand museums. This MSI working paper shows that these encounters are not simple acts of openness, but carefully staged performances of transparency. Drawing on a multi-method, longitudinal investigation of four brand backstory sites, the authors conceptualize brand backstories as selectively disclosive narratives enacted in space. They demonstrate how brands strategically balance revealing and concealing to create the illusion of insider access—an experience that can strengthen authenticity perceptions when executed skillfully, but easily fracture when the performance breaks down.
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Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how consumers discover, research and evaluate products, creating a hybrid search ecosystem where traditional engines like Google remain dominant while GenAI tools increasingly shape mid-funnel decision-making. Shoppers turn to AI for clarity, comparison and confidence, yet still validate information before purchase, altering the structure of the journey and the expectations placed on brands. As AI-driven search and shopping become more influential, the implications for marketers and retailers are profound, demanding new approaches to trust, data accuracy, discoverability and optimization for agent-driven environments. This Knowledge at Hand and CMO Brief reports show how AI is reorganizing the consumer path to purchase and what this means for the future of brand visibility and retail marketing.
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Can arrogance work in advertising? New research shows that visually arrogant expressions—such as confident, unsmiling, upward-tilted faces—can significantly increase consumer attention and brand recall. But attention alone doesn’t guarantee sales. Whether arrogance helps or hurts purchase intention depends on how well it aligns with a brand’s positioning. When arrogance reinforces a brand’s sense of leadership or distinctiveness, it can drive stronger buying intent. When it doesn’t, it can backfire.
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