How The ARF Helps Research Make
A Difference
Cassandra Bates, Chief Business Officer, The ARF
July, 2009
A strategic inflection point?
“Research as we know it will be on life support by 2012”
--Kim Dedeker, Procter & Gamble
“My God, we’re all having the same conversations”
--Donna Goldfarb, Unilever
The Research function is evolving and it can lead change
at the marketing organizations they serve, and the ARF is
guiding the transformation. ARF members stay ahead of
the curve.
The ARF: a 360 perspective on media and
marketing from 400 members …
How can we work together to effectively
and efficiently add value to people’s daily lives?
MEDIA
AGENCY
Med
ADVERTISER
RESEARCH
The ARF…rising
» Only organization where conference attendance and
sponsorship are up
» We beat our new membership goals for the year by February
» The industry is betting on the ARF to create an industry
solution regarding online data quality
» The research transformation initiative is the industry’s leading
effort to redefine the function
» The ARF is defining the new media and marketing model in a
360 world, where social media has changed everything
» “I now see the ARF as a lean-forward organization”-CEO, TNS,
North America
Some big achievements from the ARF in
2009
» Social media bootcamp
» “Stories inspire” workshop
» “Research as a brand” workshop
» ARF’s morning coffee
» Live biometrics and social media feedback at our San
Francisco Industry Leader Forum
» Executive interviews of Research Leadership
» 2012 planning assumptions about media and marketing
landscape
» Version 1.0 industry solution regarding online data quality
Knowledge sharing and networking
» Council
Webcasts
quarterly
JAR
Info.
Center
Councils
MEMBERSHIP
Conferences
Special
Primary
Research Workshops
attendance up 79%
this year
» Upcoming big
PowerSearch
IL Calls
deliverables;
• Online research
knowledge briefs
• V1.0 of an industry
solution for managing
online data quality
• Research Vision
• 360 ARF media and
marketing model
6
The ARF helps to equip members for a brave
new marketing world
Research
Transformation
» New mission/vision,
“Research as a brand”
» Drive innovation:
» Listening Lab
» Research as a
profession
»
»
»
»
»
360 Media and
Marketing
Research
Excellence
Planning
Testing
ROI
Accountability metrics
New ARF media
model
» Online research data
quality initiative
» “Foundations of
Quality is the largest
research on research
learning project
regarding online
research in US history
(well over $1MM)
» Version 1.0 of industry
solution by September
14 Industry councils, consortium-based initiatives,
knowledge dissemination, member services team
ARF council program
» We maintain a portfolio of councils that
address a diverse array of interests
represented in membership. Our focused
forums facilitate the setting of standards,
preparation of guidelines, and discussions on
cutting-edge issues faced by all of our
members.
» Councils meet 4 times per year. Web
conferencing available.
» Meetings occur both physically (at our offices
usually) and virtually
“The Power of Knowledge
Increases When Shared”
» 360 Media and Marketing
» ORQC
» Research Transformation
» Multicultural
» Shopper Insights
» Advertising Effectiveness
» Engagement
» Digital Media
» Attendance will be over 3,000 this year
» Print Research
» Plenty of opportunity to share thoughts,
» Audio Research
learn, and network
» Video Electronic Media (VEMC)
» Youth Research
8
9
A personal note of closing
» I have given presentations and blogging for Fast Company
which I never could have a year ago. What happened? I
joined the ARF! I took advantage of the councils, library,
journals, conversations with people here and the leaders who
pass through our doors…something any member could pretty
much do.
» The power of absorbing such knowledge is enormous.
» The experience is transformational.
» Research’s ability to make a difference will be fueled by shared
knowledge that convenes regularly at the ARF.