Advertising Research Foundation

Our definition of Advertising Research Foundation: 

Headquartered in New York City, the ARF’s principal mission is to improve the practice of advertising, marketing, and media research in pursuit of more effective marketing and advertising communication.

The Advertising Research Foundation was founded in 1936 as a cumulative project of the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies, this nonprofit association now consists of over 400 advertisers, agencies, media companies, schools, and international partnerships.

The main goal of the Advertising Research Foundation is to facilitate research, and the ARF has been the forerunner of researching copy writing issues and public service announcements, as well as studies to determine the actual engagement level of consumers to advertising. The Advertising Research Foundation operates the Roy Morgan Information Center as their central research facility. They strive to learn more about advertising guidelines, market research, media and trends. And they share their findings and new developments with their many member organizations through the periodic publication of the Journal of Advertising Research, a prestigious and peer reviewed work.

The Advertising Research Foundation also has a secondary goal of providing training to those wishing to become professionals in the Advertising world, and also those professionals wishing to hone their skills. The participants of these trainings are invited to the special David Ogilvy Annual Awards Program, held each year to honor the spirited advertising legend who they are named for. They are also a major participant of Advertising Week in New York City, teaching workshops and hosting forums about industry trends and the impact of advertising and media on certain population segments as well as on society as a whole.

The Advertising Research Foundation regularly reaches out to their members to form a give and take of sharing for resources, news and educational tools. The Info Center is a place where members can go to find out information on a wide variety of topics, as well as share their own findings and writings with others. This structure has been successful, and has helped to formulate many successful partnerships and councils.