The ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council's event on “Cross-Cultural Insights Strategies for 2025” brought together industry experts to discuss the evolving landscape of cross-cultural marketing in the wake of recent developments in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The four panelists – Jasper Snyder (Founder and CEO of MAPS Insights), Erika Digirolamo (Senior Director, Global Media & Analytics at Circana), Jason Klein (COO and Co-Founder of SeeMe Index), and Ola Mobolade (Chief Strategist at Omnivore) – began with brief presentations of their recent research. They then engaged in a rich round-table discussion moderated by Janelle James, Head of Cultural Intelligence at Ipsos North America and Co-Chair of the ARF Cultural Effectiveness Council. A recurrent theme was the necessity for organizations to be consistent and transparent in their DEI approaches to mitigate backlash while navigating the ever-changing demographics and consumer expectations. Additionally, the event underscored the need for brands to measure and benchmark their inclusive marketing efforts continually. The roundtable discussion also stressed that diversity is an inevitable aspect of future market compositions, particularly with Gen Z's increasing influence as consumers and employees.
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On May 1, the ARF hosted a panel discussion to provide more insight to creating a standout ARF David Ogilvy Awards application. The panel included moderator, Kerry Benson, SVP and Creative Lead at Kantar, Lindsay Franke, Group President at Ipsos and member of the ARF Board of Trustees, and Ed Gunn, EVP of Strategy at Mischief. They emphasized practical takeaways for strengthening award submissions, including importance of a clear, cohesive narrative that connects research, insights, creative execution, and measurable impact, while also emphasizing the need for simplicity, originality, and honesty in submissions.
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In this AI session, Laura Denton Carter, Travis Gossen, and Doug Horn unveiled a set of AI-powered tools developed by Google that streamline the creative development process and enhance targeting capabilities. Paul Donato of the ARF moderated the subsequent question-and-answer portion. The presentation focused on how these tools optimize campaign efficiency and creative performance. Real-world use cases illustrated how AI can drive personalization, audience segmentation, and dynamic content creation across platforms. The session also emphasized the importance of ethical considerations and human oversight when implementing AI in advertising.
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Is last-click performance reporting deeply embedded in your organization—and holding your brand back. On April 10, panelists from OptiMine and NP Digital broke down the risks of last-click measurement and discussed another way forward. Attendees learned about a proven framework to transition from outdated attribution models and how to align the right tools with the right questions for better insights.
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