March 25-26 | NYC

Featured Speakers

Rex Briggs

Chief AI Officer, Claritas
Co-Author, The AI Conundrum

Caleb Briggs

Co-Author, The AI Conundrum

Kate Scott-Dawkins

Global President, Business Intelligence, GroupM

Prof. Rachel Kennedy

Associate Director (Product Development), Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science

Overview

ARF’s annual AUDIENCExSCIENCE conference will bring to light the most critical audience measurement issues. Through keynotes, panels, debates and rigorously peer-reviewed research presentations, attendees will learn about a wide array of new and evergreen industry topics, endemic to our industry changes.

World-class thinkers will share their perspectives on the future of advertising research and measurement, and how tomorrow’s technologies and data trends will impact advertising and media.

CALL FOR CONTENT

New research will be shared on AI, attention and impression quality, audience diversity, changes in audience behavior, the new state of video measurement and traditional media. This featured work was selected from a call to the industry on new developments and innovative content, through a rigorous committee review. Learn more about the selected sessions

Our Board of Curators lends their insight and expertise to determine which submissions will be presented at the conference. View our Board of Curators.

Click on the images below to learn more about each theme.

AUDIENCExSCIENCE 2025 conference themes are now available, and the entry window is open. Submit your best research for the opportunity to present in front of your peers at this defining industry audience measurement event.

Submissions are free to enter and open to ARF members and non-members. 

View Conference Themes

Submit Your Work

Resources

In order to better prepare your application, we’ve included helpful resources below. Still have questions? Reach out to sara@thearf.org.

Access Best Practices

Download Call for Content Form


Hear directly from past and current Board of Curators on what makes a successful submission.

THEMES:

All submitted content must fall under one of the below topics.

Privacy-Induced Changes in Audience Behavior

With Google’s decision to keep cookies but allow consumers to opt-in or out, how will marketing on the open web adapt? Depending on opt-out rates, what will replace or supplement cookies to support audience targeting, activation and impact measurement? How much advertising will shift away from the open web? What are best privacy-first options for marketers and media? What are latest results on obtaining consumer consent?

AI & Marketing: Its Use, Role, Impact, Benefits, and Dangers

Online social shopping and gaming platforms are growing in popularity and may redefine the role of social influencers, who might increasingly be AI bots. Some academic research suggests there are limits to how far AI can replace or extend human actors without losing authenticity, though generational shifts may alter these dynamics. How is this mode of marketing and advertising affecting other segments of the industry?

Impression Quality and Attention Measures

Direct measurement of “attention” has been a big topic for the past few years, but the broad “attention” label covers many processes that are not purely cognitive. This is especially true when the measures track emotional or affective responses to messages and media environments. How far have we come in our ability to measure the quality of an ad impression or of the media environment in which it is served? Can these metrics provide a reliable enough signal to help determine the market value of an impression?

Marketing to Diverse Audiences

What are the best practices in marketing to diverse audiences? With the upcoming presidential election potentially influencing these efforts, how might the increasingly polarized polity affect diversity in advertising? Could “diversity” in this context extend beyond demographics to include differences in political points of view and media consumption?

The Rise of Retail Media Networks

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) have emerged as a major new advertising category and are growing rapidly as alternatives to established media channels. However, as the market expands, consolidation is likely, with a few large players dominating. Is traditional media planning still feasible in a landscape of proliferating and mutually exclusive walled gardens? How are reach and frequency managed in this environment? What issues exist around measurement standards, comparing RMNs, whether their premium pricing can be justified and how they can be integrated with other channels?

The New State of Video Measurement

AI-assisted measurement enables larger-scale and faster-turnaround video measurement, making it possible to “mid-course correct” in near real-time. However, the pace of technological advancement may outstrip the ability of agencies and companies to execute. How have privacy concerns and data signal loss affected video measurement, particularly in the integration of CTV and linear platforms as well as streaming? How future-proofed are integrations that depend on “deterministic” identity matching systems? How accurate are more privacy-compliant “probabilistic” systems? How are deals between Big Data owners and individual measurement companies working to provide a holistic view of the audience? Is the integration of panels, probability samples, and Big Data proving to be a viable approach?

New Developments in Traditional Media

Research indicates that new media tends to supplement, rather than replace, traditional media. As “drive time” radio gives way to Internet-connected cars and the popularity of podcasts grows, “on the go” media consumption remains relevant. How will traditional media adapt in response to the shift towards on-demand media consumption, and what role will it play in an increasingly overloaded media environment? In terms of OOH advertising, the market for in-app and in-game advertising is growing rapidly. This emerging trend warrants attention as it may significantly impact the future of media consumption.

Is TV still a crucial part of the media mix for brands today? What are the best ways to integrate Linear TV and other traditional media into modern marketing plans?

Approaches to Marketing Measurement

What is your understanding of the current marketing measurement landscape and what are steps to achieve better measurement? We are looking for submissions that include research-backed strategies that can quantify the impact of ad campaigns.

Too Many Audience Metrics: Which Matter Most to Marketers?

In media today, not everything that is measured matters and not everything that matters is being measured. There is widespread confusion in the industry regarding the capabilities of media, which influences the choice of evaluation methods. What metrics deserve to be optimized, depending on the goals of the marketer and the details of the market into which a campaign is being launched?

THEMES

AI and New Ad Formats

AI and Marketing

AI & Marketing: Its Use, Role, Impact, Benefits, and Dangers
Online social shopping and gaming platforms are growing in popularity and may redefine the role of social influencers, who might increasingly be AI bots. Some academic research suggests there are limits to how far AI can replace or extend human actors without losing authenticity, though generational shifts may alter these dynamics. How is this mode of marketing and advertising affecting other segments of the industry?

AI and Marketing

audience diversity

Marketing to Diverse Audiences

What are the best practices in marketing to diverse audiences? With the upcoming presidential election potentially influencing these efforts, how might the increasingly polarized polity affect diversity in advertising? Could “diversity” in this context extend beyond demographics to include differences in political points of view and media consumption?

Audience Diversity

audience behavior

Privacy-Induced Changes in Audience Behavior

With Google’s decision to keep cookies but allow consumers to opt-in or out, how will marketing on the open web adapt? Depending on opt-out rates, what will replace or supplement cookies to support audience targeting, activation and impact measurement? How much advertising will shift away from the open web? What are best privacy-first options for marketers and media? What are latest results on obtaining consumer consent?

Audience Behavior

Impression Quality

Impression Quality

Impression Quality and Attention Measures

Direct measurement of “attention” has been a big topic for the past few years, but the broad “attention” label covers many processes that are not purely cognitive. This is especially true when the measures track emotional or affective responses to messages and media environments. How far have we come in our ability to measure the quality of an ad impression or of the media environment in which it is served? Can these metrics provide a reliable enough signal to help determine the market value of an impression?

Impression Quality

Traditional Media

Traditional Media

New State of TV

New State of TV

audience diversity

Marketing to Diverse Audiences

What are the best practices in marketing to diverse audiences? With the upcoming presidential election potentially influencing these efforts, how might the increasingly polarized polity affect diversity in advertising? Could “diversity” in this context extend beyond demographics to include differences in political points of view and media consumption?

THEMES

AI and New Ad Formats

AI and New Ad Formats

FUTURE AND PRESENT IMPACT ON AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT

In today’s complex advertising landscape, countless questions surround Artificial Intelligence and the multiple roles it plays in creative, measurement, and future influence on the industry. New (or “new-ish”) ad formats are also expanding as audiences interact with evolving tech such as video games, podcasts, voice-assistants, and the metaverse. Influencers also are affecting consumer behavior. Research is invited on experiences in these formats, including but not limited to:

  • Do these formats require new measurement approaches? How do our existing tools adjust to audience behaviors that are specific to these new environments and formats?
  • Demand is growing for more direct connection between consumers and brands—how do audiences respond to influencer vs. conventional advertising?
  • How is AI used in content creation and scheduling? What about targeting, content optimization and insight generation? What are best practices to use AI in research/measurement? How can we use it along with existing technologies? Will AI create new black box solutions that defy traditional quality audits? How can AI increase efficiency and impact, reduce costs, enhance consumer choice and experience? Will it open audience measurement to higher levels of fraud and manipulation? What new safeguards are companies introducing to realize the benefits of AI and limit the liabilities? Success stories and use cases are encouraged.

AI and New Ad Formats

Impression Quality

Impression Quality

ARE ALL IMPRESSIONS EQUAL? IF NOT, HOW DO WE MEASURE QUALITY?

New cross-media measurement initiatives are looking to provide advertisers with a better understanding of reach and frequency across different pools of inventory. But some industry participants argue that equivalizing all impressions is a mistake, suggesting that content quality and context are critically important. Research is invited on the following themes but not limited to:

  • What metrics should we value most in measuring impression quality? Why? Can quality be objectively measured? Does high quality content really drive superior outcomes and better ROI or are all impressions effectively equal? What tools are available to effectively measure attention (and in-attention)? Which are superior? You are invited to share more on the validity, reliability, and predictive power of attention. How can different types of companies benefit from understanding impression quality measures (Advertiser vs. Publisher?)

Impression Quality

Traditional Media

Audience Metrics

New State of Video Measurement

Retail Media Networks

Speakers

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Unknown Male

Toastmaster Alumni

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Unknown Female

Toastmaster Alumni

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Unknown Male

Toastmaster Alumni

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Unknown Female

Toastmaster Alumni

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Unknown Male

Toastmaster Alumni

Who Should Attend?

C-Suite executives, senior and mid-career leaders and young professionals hailing from marketer, media, agency, research companies as well as academia will benefit from the breadth and depth of research shared. Industries include automotive, beauty, CPG, finance, food and beverage, hospitality, pharma, retail, and technology.

Ad Measurement
Ad Sales Research
Analytics and Insights
Audience Impact
Consumer Insights
Data Insights
Data Science
Digital Research
Marketing Analytics
Marketing Effectiveness
Marketing Science
Measurement
Media Analytics
Media Research
Research
Strategy

Platinum Sponsors

Circana
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Gold Sponsors

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Waner Bros. Discovery

Host

Board of Curators

AUDIENCExSCIENCE is the ARF’s largest annual conference, with a broad focus on audience measurement. The event’s Board of Curators lends their insight and expertise to determine which submissions, entered during an industry-wide call for content, will be presented at the conference. This committee represents all of the ARF’s member constituents — Research, Marketers, Media, Agency, and Association/Academics. 

Tracy Adams, Ph.D.
Advertising Research Foundation

Masa Aida
Applecart

Vassilis Bakopoulos
MMA

Aarti Bhaskaran
Snap

Terrie Brennan
Beatgrid

Colin Campbell
Journal of Advertising Research

Josh Chasin
Knot Simpler, Inc.

Shari Cleary

Tina DeSarno
MarketCast

Paul Donato
Advertising Research Foundation

Mike Follett
Lumen Research

Justin Fromm
Samsung Ads

Bharath Gaddam
DataPoem

Rouzbeh Gerami
Nielsen

Chip Godfrey
Analytic Partners

Vijoy Gopalakrishnan
Circana

Abhi Gupta
Google

Lisa Herdman
RPA

Helen Katz
Publicis Media

Taylor Locke
TVision

Jay Mattlin
Advertising Research Foundation

Carl Mela, Ph.D.
Duke University

Steven Millman
Dynata

Claudia Oberlin
Ipsos

Kara Pellegrino
PepsiCo

Lisa Pezzuto
Dotdash Meredith

Amy Rask, Ph.D.
MediaScience

Eric Sherman
GSTV

Aaron Slotnick
Neustar/Transunion

Keith Smith, Ph.D.
Marketing Science Institute (MSI)

Sunil Soman
Blue Moon Media Research

Alyson Sprague
Wondery

Horst Stipp, Ph.D.
Advertising Research Foundation

Rachel Sweet
St. Jude

Earl Taylor
Marketing Science Institute (MSI)

Michael Vinson
Comscore

Jon Watts
Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement

Jaclyn Williams
TikTok

Leslie Wood, Ph.D.

David Tice

Hub Entertainment Research

Matt Voda

Optimine

no photo available

Monica Wood

Herbalife

Related Content

AUDIENCExSCIENCE 2024: Past Event Highlights

ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 2 Report (2nd Edition)

Cross-Platform Measurement Options from an Agency Perspective

How to Calculate Reach and Frequency Using Virtual IDs (VIDs)

Pricing

In-Person

$ 1,199 Member
  • Non-Member: $1,399

 

Livestream

$ 699 Member
  • Non-Member: $899
  Early Mover
2/2/24
Standard
3/20/24
IN-PERSON    
Member

$1,099

$1,199

Non-Member

$1,299

$1,399

  Early Mover
2/2/24
Standard
3/20/24
LIVESTREAM    
Member

$599

$699

Non-Member

$799

$899

For information about hotels near the AUDIENCExSCIENCE venue click here.

Related Content

AUDIENCExSCIENCE 2024: Past Event Highlights

ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative: Phase 2 Report (2nd Edition)

Cross-Platform Measurement Options from an Agency Perspective

How to Calculate Reach and Frequency Using Virtual IDs (VIDs)

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practice of advertising and marketing

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