The ARF Reveals Their Plans for 2020

With research, data and insights commanding media attention today, an organization such as the ARF must keep pace and help their membership understand and navigate the impact. The ARF is well prepared for this task. Its mission is, according to Scott McDonald, CEO and President, “To further, through research, the scientific practice of advertising and marketing.” 

The ARF recently revealed their plans for 2020 to strengthen, “All of the industry C’s – Content, Credibility, Creativity, Consumer and Community,” explained Deborah Kim, Director of Sponsorship and Business Development. The meeting, held in the NYC offices, showcased the full range of 2020 initiatives including new and expanded ways of funding research projects, clarifying and prioritizing initiatives, detailing upcoming projects and revealing a full roster of upcoming events for 2020.

With 400 corporate members ranging from advertisers, agencies, media and research companies, the expectation is that the ARF must be, “The standard bearer for unbiased quality in research,” stated Michael Heitner, Executive Vice President, Member Needs and Value. 

ARF Focus for 2020

McDonald explained that, based on feedback from the membership, the focus in 2020 revolves around content – how it is consumed, tracked, measured, made more effective and valued in the consumer journey.

One of the most important improvements from 2019 is the increased financial effort to support such an all-encompassing initiative. “We are here to help members make smarter decisions and to let us know how they want the funds to be allocated,” he noted. To that end, he established a member driven agenda to drive thought leadership. Now, 10% of the larger corporate membership dues in 2020 will be committed to fund original research, up from 8% in 2019. In addition, smaller companies, once priced out of participation, can now also affordably contribute to the effort.

But how does one start to map out the priorities? “We asked what kept people up at night,” McDonald said and they came up with the following seven areas of need:

    >  Data, Analytics to Insights. How we can leverage data for insights.

    >  Ad Creative

    >  Media Measurement

    >  Marketing Measurement and ROI

    >  Future Methods and the Evolution of Technology

    > Teams, Talent, Training and Organization including how to blend small and big data and how to hire and train new talent

    > Consumer Science and the issues of Privacy. The choices of platforms to source content.

Overseeing these priorities is a Leadership Committee made up of a dozen member companies from across the media spectrum from networks to brands to research companies that, “reflects the diversity of stakeholders in the ARF,” and, added McDonald, “will have a direct hand in setting the research agenda.”

ARF Research Priorities for 2020

For Chief Research Officer, Paul Donato, the ARF’s seven councils will help to focus and drive the overall agenda. The councils relate specifically to the ARF-identified seven areas of need and include:

    >  Analytics - the emerging issues related to the integration and analysis of big data.

    >  Cognition – how advertising works from both neurological and survey based perspectives.

    >  Creative – tools for creative and research.

    >  Cross platform measurement – supporting better cross platform planning and MRC efforts.

    >  Cultural effectiveness – effective marketing strategies that target diverse multicultural and generational groups.

    >  LA Council/TV and Video Content- better measurement to track viewers changing video consumption, recommendation engines, promoting content and program resting.

    > Social – A guide for social metrics and a better understanding of measurement and effectiveness.

ARF Outreach for 2020

But all of these efforts would have a limited range were it not for the many conferences, webinars, salons and outreach efforts to encourage participation, solicit feedback and showcase the results.

The ARF offers a range of sponsorable events throughout the year including one of my favorites, AudiencexScience, to be held on April 19-21, 2020 in Jersey City. There are also more targeted conferences planned including ShopperxScience, SportsMarketingxScience, OTTxScience and DataxScience, all held in locations across the U.S. The ARF also integrates within other conferences such as ARFatAWNY and SXSW while also awarding exceptional research and researchers with the Great Minds Awards, the Erwin Ephron Demystification Award and the David Ogilvy Award. 

In 2020 Kim noted that the ARF is introducing Ogilvy 360, a year-long effort to highlight the findings of the award winners with a Young Pros Event, ARF Salons, Webcasts, regional events and website case studies. “There are benefits of partnerships with the ARF,” Kim concluded, including, “raising the presence among influential thinkers, enabling members to differentiate themselves as a forward thinking company, build on trust by supporting an organization that is appreciated for unbiased quality, enforcing rigorous  standards, methodology and transparency and fostering connections and community.”

It looks like the ARF will be very busy in 2020!

This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com