Research & Data Quality

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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The Age of Acquisition Effect Has a Small Impact on Brand Recognition

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Things learned early in life are recognized faster and more accurately, according to the age-of-acquisition effect, a phenomenon studied widely in psychology research. A new study recently published in the Journal of Advertising Research explores how this effect works in the context of brand names. It finds that brand exposure frequency and usage recency have a much greater effect on recognition than the age of acquisition itself.

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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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The ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 1 Report

  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Attention metrics have drawn a high degree of energy in the last few years, for many reasons, including the loss of behavioral signals due to privacy restrictions, growing frustration with ad viewability and its perceived limitations, attention metrics’ impact on the cross-platform measurement debate and that biometric technologies can now be applied “in the wild,” rather than just in labs. The ARF’s Attention Measurement Validation Initiative aims to describe the attention measurement space in detail, illuminating this nascent sector. The Phase One findings include a comprehensive literature review and a report that maps out the vendor landscape in this increasingly diverse specialty. The report includes two sections. The first section describes what methods are being used, what these companies report and how and what they measure, be it ad creative or the media environment. The second section includes in-depth overviews of the 26 participating attention measurement companies. The Phase One Report is a must-read for anyone interested in attention metrics or what companies are operating in the space.  

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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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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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Advertising Effectiveness: Performance Measurement in the New World of Privacy and Tools

  • Insights Studio

On July 26, measurement practitioners discussed how to adapt to this new era of privacy with tools for measuring ad performance effectiveness. Panelists explored new considerations for existing methods, such as marketing mix modeling (MMMs) and multi-touch attribution (MTAs), and discussed the pros and cons of various privacy enhancing technologies (PETs), including multi-party computation, clean rooms, and more.

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A Guide to Validating Marketing Performance Models

Over the last dozen years, marketers have seen numerous analytical models surface to help guide data driven decision-making. Yet, many remain unsure of how trustworthy such models are. That’s why the Attribution Working Group of the ARF Cross-Platform Measurement Council put together this guidebook to help arm all stakeholders with a basic understanding of marketing performance model validation issues. This paper includes a set of considerations and questions that encourage and facilitate dialog between end clients and model providers about the performance of marketing performance models.

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