Data 21, Mythology 0

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“A research project…with dire-sounding rhetoric about a crisis in advertising has produced calming conclusions.”
– As seen in June 1st Advertising Age   Read article »

June Journal of Advertising Research features 21 Watertight Laws for Intelligent Advertising Decisions

In June 2009, a landmark issue of the Journal of Advertising Research will showcase 21 papers on what is currently known about advertising. Guest Edited by Dr. Wind and Dr. Byron Sharp, Director Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, this valuable collection of knowledge will help marketers navigate the tremendous changes in the advertising environment and enable them to better predict the future through a deeper understanding of what has been seriously proven about advertising. The findings cover fundamental areas of marketing activity such as ROI measurement, 360 degree media planning, and the value of TV and creative execution – and also new actionable insights on what to do in recessionary times and the impact of DVRs.

Robert Barocci, president/CEO of the Advertising Research Foundation, highlights the significance of this special edition of JAR “Considering that we are facing the most difficult economic climate since the Great Depression…Never, in recent history has marketing decision making been filled with so much uncertainty. The 21 papers in this special edition are a strong reminder that we do indeed know much about advertising, and in these times it is more important than ever to reduce your risk by basing decisions on what is known to the greatest extent possible. This issue makes the stand “Data 21, Mythology 0,’ and should find a permanent place on the desk of all decision-makers.”
Each paper documents the evidence for empirical generalizations, that is substantive, generalizable findings that have been evaluated to advance both the science and application of marketing knowledge. The editors and authors of this project will be discussing their findings at the ‘Implications for Management and Measurement’ session at the Audience Measurement 4.0 symposium June 23-24.

Learn more about Audience Measurement 4.0 »

The papers in this special issue were gathered following an invitation-only conference at held at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Advertising Research Foundation and Marketing Science Institute, in December 2008. The conference brought together over 100 thought leaders from industry and academia to present and discuss empirical generalizations about how advertising and media work. The findings from this conference provide benchmarks, predictions and valuable insights that can help advertisers and agencies improve the effectiveness of their marketing.

The gathering of these insights marks the completion of the first step of the Future of Advertising Project. In one of the most extensive research projects undertaken in the field of advertising, The Wharton School’s Future of Advertising Project is designed to impact the thinking and actions of executives in the industry, shape the work of academic researchers, and create a platform for an ongoing dialogue.

The Future of Advertising Project is guided by an advisory board of advertising, media and marketing executives, and academics in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia. These influentials include: Chuck Porter, Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Sebastien Lion, Mars Incorporated; Robert Barocci, The ARF; Jim Oliver, Google, and Marcio Moreira, McCann Worldgroup. These leaders have agreed to identify and provide access to data-based experiments on new approaches around the globe by tapping into the insights of front line innovators within their organizations and their networks.

The Future of Advertising Project looks at the advertising terrain that is emerging from the interplay of emerging new media channels and a world in which consumers are in charge. The Project will offer fresh insights and discover new rules, and help to understand and define advertising landscape. This will involve gathering experiments from around the world and assessing what is known across these many initiatives. What works? What doesn’t? What do we need to study? The Future of Advertising Project will offer a definitive guide, identifying the best strategies for specific advertising challenges, as well as critical insights on the transformation of the field and shape the research agenda. Further outcomes to the Project will be a book as well as a companion online community that will enable these insights to be revised over time as the world changes, and more experiments and findings are shared.

This issue will be available June 15, 2009. To order a copy, log onto MyARF or contact the ARF at 212.751.5656.

For more information about the Future of Advertising Project:

Dr. Yoram (Jerry) Wind
The Lauder Professor; Professor of Marketing, Director, SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management, Academic Director, Wharton Fellows Program, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania,
Phone: (215) 898‐8267, windj@wharton.upenn.edu

Catharine Findiesen Hays
Project Director, The Future of Advertising, SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management, The Wharton School
Phone: (201) 323‐5904, catharine.hays@att.net