Brand safety is a hot topic in programmatic advertising, which is lauded for its efficient distribution but comes with big risks—particularly the unfiltered placement of digital ads next to negative content. New research offers empirical evidence of such risks, including damage to consumers’ perceptions, and calls for brands to do more to protect themselves.
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Highly creative advertising is essential for lesser-known brands, but for familiar ones the effort may backfire, new research shows. If the highly creative ad is perceived as off-brand or forces too much information processing, it can damage consumers’ attitudes toward the familiar brand.
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On July 13, 2023, the ARF Young Pros gathered in New York City to examine the methodologies and insights that make for a better marketing experience. Industry leaders shared their unique perspectives to encourage attendees to reflect on society’s biases and blind spots more broadly, as well as how they echo through the media landscape.
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Does direct persuasion still work in advertising? Two seasoned advertising research academics don’t think so. In an essay backed by empirical evidence, they argue—given the major changes in the ways consumers interact with brands today, such as online and through social media—that advertisers should shift from a direct persuasive strategy, to providing experiences that blend entertainment with more indirect persuasion.
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During the last five years, we have seen an upswing and change in the inclusion of values in advertising, especially the increase in cause-related marketing (CRM) which includes messages about societal goals such as sustainability, ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity/equality and inclusion). Given marketers’ interest in these issues—ranging from wanting to express support for causes to being concerned about a possible backlash—the ARF has reviewed the research on cause-related marketing as well as related issues, such as ads with more general pro-social and altruistic messages. ARF researchers conclude that ads with cause-related messages can be effective, but many are not. Future research should focus on which kinds of messages are most effective among different consumer groups.
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At Europe’s principal conference on advertising research, a sense of urgency prevailed. ICORIA, held in Bordeaux in late June, saw its first-ever writer’s workshop on how to craft research that resonates with practitioners. It also had presentations on hot-button themes like AI, attention, social media and influencer marketing, as well as highlighting academics’ mission to find solutions to some of the industry’s biggest challenges.
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Promoting diversity through creative content is the right thing to do and can be highly beneficial for brands if done correctly. It’s important for the context to be in sync with the changing context of public opinion. The study featured in this latest MSI white paper, found that Black actors’ share of ads can increase purchase intent, but only when the ads were processed peripherally. If the ad’s aim was to increase the public’s attention to inequality, this could actually inhibit the effect.
Engaging consumers on social media platforms is extremely advantageous for firms. Yet, sustaining engagement is not always easy. Usership often drops off. The field experiment described in this Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper shows helpful ways to sustain social media engagement and offers insights into the positive effects of offering certain members power in their online community (OC).