Initiative To Advance Cross-Platform ROI Analysis Through Application Of Randomized Control Trial Measurement

The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is championing a research initiative designed to establish methods for applying randomized control testing (RCT) to cross-platform advertising impact analysis.

The proof-of-concept study, named RCT21, will apply experimentation methods to measure incremental ROI of large ad campaigns run across multiple media channels at once, including addressable linear TV and multiple major digital media platforms.

The ARF is conducting the research in collaboration with 605, Central Control and Bill Harvey Consulting. A select number of national advertisers are also being recruited to join in the project.

Randomized control testing is a scientific method that looks to eliminate sources of bias in analysis by comparing outcomes for a pre-determined exposed group to a pre-determined non-exposed group.

While RCT techniques are already used within the “walled gardens” of large digital platforms, this study will demonstrate their application to the more complex environment of cross-platform campaigns involving both digital and TV.

The study aims to demonstrate how such methods can complement and enhance current observational approaches such as marketing mix modeling and multi-touch attribution. In the process, the ARF hopes to make it possible for advertisers to better pinpoint which marketing elements across all platforms are best contributing to ROI.

“The digital platforms have championed the value of random control tests and have made them a cornerstone of their success,” said Scott McDonald, CEO of the ARF. “ARF has highlighted the scientific progress that has been made on ‘incrementality,’ but we needed to take it farther to have more extensive impact on existing marketing practice.”

To learn more about this seminal proof-of-concept study, see below:

Contact the ARF for more information at RCT21@thearf.org.