ARF Launches RCT Cross-Platform Ad Impact Study

In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has launched a collaborative research initiative designed to establish methods for applying randomized control testing (RCT) to cross-platform ad impact analysis.

RCT is a scientific method that attempts to eliminate sources of bias in analysis, by comparing outcomes for a pre-determined exposed group to a pre-determined non-exposed group. The initiative aims to help advertisers pinpoint the contributing factors to digital and TV campaign effectiveness, and has been launched in conjunction with TV ad impact measurement company 605; Central Control, which offers a tech system to run randomized controlled trials for measuring ad campaign performance against objectives; and automated RCT market matching system developer Bill Harvey Consulting.

The study, named RCT21, will apply experimentation methods to measure incremental ROI (return on investment) of large ad campaigns run across multiple media channels at once - including addressable linear TV and multiple major digital media platforms. It will aim to demonstrate how such methods can complement and enhance current observational approaches such as marketing mix modeling and multi-touch attribution. The ARF-led team is actively recruiting advertisers to participate in the study, which is due to commence in Q3 of 2020, and should be completed by Q1 2021.

ARF CEO Scott McDonald (pictured) comments: 'Digital platforms have championed the value of random control tests and have made them a cornerstone of their success. 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'.

Web site: www.thearf.org .