Advertising Research Foundation

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The Journal of Advertising Research, one of the Advertising Research Foundation's publications

The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) is a nonprofit industry association for creating, aggregating, synthesizing and sharing the knowledge in the fields of advertising and media. It was founded in 1936 by the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Its stated mission is to improve the practice of advertising, marketing and media research in pursuit of more effective marketing and advertising communications. Its membership consists of over 400 advertisers, advertising agencies, research firms, media companies, educational institutions, and international organizations.^[1]

The ARF conducts several research initiatives. It publishes the Journal of Advertising Research, a peer-reviewed academic periodical. It also sponsors a variety of advertising-related marketing research endeavours and hosts periodic conferences on advertising and media related topics. The ARF operates the Roy Morgan Information Center as a clearinghouse for advertising research, promulgating industry standards and guidelines, provides training and administers the annual David Ogilvy Awards Program.

During the 1990s the ARF spearheaded notable primary research in studies such as the Copy Research Validity Project, which redefined the area of copy testing, and the ARF/Ad Council Study to determine the impact of public service advertising.^[2] More recently the ARF has pioneered efforts to define advertising engagament and to measure consumers' emotional response to advertising.^[3]