Audience & Media Measurement

Binge-Watching and Advertising: When Streaming Habits Challenge Ad Effectiveness

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Binge-watching dramatically reshapes how consumers respond to advertising on video-on-demand platforms. Drawing on psychological reactance theory, this study reveals that binge-watchers perceive ads as more intrusive and irritating, harming platform loyalty and boosting ad avoidance—unless the ad is highly likeable, which can soften negative reactions and protect platform engagement.

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Evaluate Identity Resolution Effectively with this Council Guide

  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Identity resolution (IDR) is crucial in media measurement and advertising, connecting media messaging to individuals. This guide, produced by the ARF Identity Resolution Working Group (of the ARF Cross-Platform Measurement Council), explores different units of analysis in IDR beyond individuals, such as households, geography and cohorts and their implications for matching quality, targeting and marketing success.  

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7th Annual (2024) Privacy Study

  • ARF Original Research

The ARF's 7th Annual Privacy Study surveyed 1,242 American consumers to understand their attitudes towards online privacy, data sharing and trust in institutions. This impactful perennial survey for the first time this year even gauged people’s feelings on AI. The study revealed a decline in perceived knowledge about online privacy, with only 40% of respondents feeling well-informed, down from 46% in 2023. Trust in media and brands also declined, particularly among younger demographics, while medical and financial institutions retained higher trust levels.

The study also highlighted increased resistance to data collection, even when tied to personalization or improved ad experiences. Consumers showed a growing aversion to sharing sensitive information and a heightened sensitivity to data breaches. Emerging concerns about AI and its impact on privacy were also noted, with AI platforms ranking among the least trusted institutions.

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AUDIENCEXSCIENCE 2025

ARF’s annual AUDIENCExSCIENCE conference returned March 25-26 to explore 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. World-class thinkers shared their perspectives on the future of advertising research and measurement and revealed how tomorrow’s technologies and data trends will impact advertising and media. Please continue to check this page. More content will be added shortly.

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Big Data and Advanced Audiences

  • Insights Studio Series

On March 12, the ARF hosted an Insights Studio exploring actionable strategies to improve audience segmentation, refine measurement practices, and deliver better campaign results. Nielsen shared an update on how data-driven insights enhance advertising effectiveness. DatafuelX and TelevisaUnivision unveiled general and specific findings about the value of Nielsen Panel & Big Data for data-driven linear campaigns.

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Learn How to Train LLMs to Identify Implicit Consumer Needs

This study explores the potential of large language models (LLMs) to revolutionize marketing research. By partnering with a Fortune 500 food company, the authors replicated qualitative and quantitative studies using GPT-4. The findings indicate that LLMs can effectively generate synthetic respondents, moderate in-depth interviews and perform data analysis tasks, matching or even surpassing human performance in certain aspects. The study highlights the benefits of a Human-LLM hybrid approach, where LLMs assist in various stages of the research process, from study design to data analysis. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also uncovers new insights that might be overlooked by human researchers alone.

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