ARF Kicks Off 'Attention Validation Initiative'

In New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has begun the process of mapping the pool of attention measurement providers, to create an 'Attention Atlas' as part of its ARF Attention Validation Initiative.

Announced last year, the initiative is an empirically-based evaluation of the marketing of attention measurement and prediction solutions that is being conducted in three phases. Following the development of the Attention Atlas, phases two and three will focus on 'Creative Attention' and 'Media Attention' solutions. This preliminary mapping of the market - who the players are, what and how they measure - will be published during the ARF's annual audience measurement conference, AUDIENCExSCIENCE, next month.

Supporting the initiative is both an Academic Advisory Committee and a Brand Steering Committee, which include senior researchers and practitioners from Coca-Cola, LinkedIn/Microsoft, MARS, McDonalds and The Attention Council, among others. The committees devised the RFI questionnaire used to collect information on all the methodologies, approaches and business practices from the attention measurement ecosphere. Scott McDonald, ARF CEO and President, says the initiative will provide details about new attention measurement services, and Atlas will be the first step in helping marketers make more informed decisions around choosing a method and supplier.

Ethan Rapp (pictured), Director of the ARF Attention Validation Project, adds: 'In order to compile this Atlas, we hope to hear from all the suppliers of novel attention measurement, or products that compete in that space, to create a full picture of the ecosystem. We encourage research suppliers, media companies or agencies that have created their own novel approach to measuring or predicting attention in any advertising media to participate in our initiative'.

Web site: www.thearf.org .