Analytics & Data Science

Cross-Platform Measurement Options from an Agency Perspective

Audience measurement is changing at an unprecedented rate. Concurrently, identifiers such as cookies are fading, and traditional models and incumbent suppliers are being questioned. In reaction to all these happenings, new measurement initiatives and a new Joint Industry Committee (JIC) have risen to establish a path toward a new video measurement framework. In 2023, the Online-Offline Metrics Working Group, within the ARF Cross-Platform Measurement Council, conducted anonymous, in-depth-interviews (IDIs) with eight key decision-makers from major agency holding companies. The IDIs focused on three major issues involving the metric situation confronting the advertising industry. This report summarizes the learnings from those interviews.

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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?

How to Leverage the Video Game Ecosystem for Marketing Analytics

  • MSI

Online video gaming is a channel that has grown significantly in popularity in the last decade and the trend is likely to continue. Due to a massive group of highly engaged gamers, marketers can use this channel to understand this segment and their needs much better. However, this ecosystem, along with providing unique opportunities, also comes with unique challenges. This Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper offers a roadmap.

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2023 Attribution & Analytics Accelerator

The Attribution & Analytics Accelerator returned for its eighth year as the only event focused exclusively on attribution, marketing mix models, in-market testing and the science of marketing performance measurement. The boldest and brightest minds took the stage to share their latest innovations and case studies. Modelers, marketers, researchers and data scientists gathered in NYC to quicken the pace of innovation, fortify the science and galvanize the industry toward best practices and improved solutions. Content is available to event attendees and ARF members.

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Navigating the Evolving Media Landscape

  • OTT 2023

The media landscape continues to evolve, arguably at a faster rate than ever. Leading media and measurement experts presented research-based insights on how viewers use different forms of TV/video on various platforms. Attendees joined us at the Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in California and via livestream to understand the latest data and discussions of the data’s implications.

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The ARF Handbook for Using AI in Advertising Research

Significant developments in AI have occurred in the last two years, allowing it to be used in various places in the advertising industry. One area that has received little attention however is advertising research. Recognizing this, the ARF has conducted a significant number of its own research. The product of this effort is an AI handbook that offers practical advice in several key aspects of using AI for advertising research. Moreover, an interactive function allows experts to leave comments that, once verified, will be integrated into the report, making it a living, breathing document that continues to evolve as AI advances.

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Minimizing Risk and Inspiring Innovation When Using GenAI and LLMs

Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) have reached a point in their development where they have become tools so powerful, they will quickly become too important to ignore. Proper use can drive greater efficiency, productivity, better automation and even become new revenue drivers, according to this concise, how-to guide written by Steven Millman, ARF board member and Global Head of Research & Data Science at Dynata. It describes best practices and potential pitfalls in data privacy and security, protecting IP, oversight and more.

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MSI Blue Ribbon Report Preview Charts the Future of MMM

  • MSI

The practice of marketing mixed modeling (MMM) is increasing, research finds, partially because of the implementation of privacy restrictions. Today, finding appropriate providers to optimize marketing investments remains challenging. This was the impetus behind the Marketing Science Institute (MSI)’s Blue Ribbon Report on MMM. This free preview of the full white paper outlines what best practices to employ in a rapidly changing landscape. It identifies challenges for MMM veterans and ways to meet them. It also introduces executives to the opportunities that exist when introducing MMM into their firm. The report preview provides a brief overview of the top-level findings found in the full report, which is only available to MSI members.

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