Across membership, the most frequently asked topic involved advertising and marketing best practices during times of economic stress, especially in periods of recession and/or inflation. The following are some sample questions on this topic:
- What are consumer price sensitivities and shifts to white label products during periods of recessions or inflations?
- How should marketers adapt their strategies for inflation?
- How should retailers advertise during a recession?
Our research shows that it’s important to acknowledge the unprecedented, economic whiplash consumers face, with record-high inflation, continuing supply chain issues, fears of a potential recession and the ongoing pandemic. In the past, store brands have traditionally proliferated when a recession or inflation spurs consumers to spend more conservatively. However, price is not the only driving factor. Here are some key learnings:
- Private label risk to brands is high when differentiation and loyalty are low, and the financial incentive for both shoppers and retailers is strong.
- Rethink your product propositions—use messaging to help customers justify paying for a quality product and highlight a product’s multiple purposes.
- Premium brands offer an experience of escapism that consumers may pay more for.
- Case studies highlight the benefits of brand support during a recession, as well reinforce the idea that consumers value more than just a deal during difficult times.
The following are additional popular topics and examples of research questions ARF members asked the Knowledge Center in 2022. As with previous years, 2022’s questions tended to be unique to the specific business needs of that member, but many also fall under the following broader categories.
Marketer Questions:
ARF advertiser and marketer members were most interested in marketing issues, marketing & media research and media issues & platforms.
- What is the impact of price changes, especially promotions, on brand strength of equity?
- Which media metrics matter?
- What is the optimal ad load in digital advertising?
Agency Questions:
ARF agency members were most interested in marketing issues, media issues & platforms and creative issues.
- How effective are influencers in the marketing mix?
- What are best practices for flighting?
- What are best practices for humor in advertising, especially in B2B?
Media Questions:
ARF media members were most interested in media issues & platforms.
- Do you have an overview of cross-platform media advertising/promotions planning based on deduplicated reach and frequency, including vendors?
- How does advertising context (environment) affect attitudes towards advertised brands?
- How big is brand safety a priority for advertisers?
Research Questions:
ARF research members were most interested in marketing issues and media issues & platforms.
ARF-MSI Questions:
ARF-MSI members were most interested in marketing issues and marketing & media research.
- How should we evaluate the consumer value of personalized advertising?
- What is the long term vs. short-term impact of different marketing vehicles?
- How do you measure the impact of social media influencers?
Have a research question? You can submit your questions here after you are signed in at the ARF.org.
You can also always email the knowledgecenter@thearf.org