ARF Names New CEO Amid Growing Industry Conflict
Posted in: Uncategorized
The Advertising Research Foundation has named Scott McDonald, a longtime researcher with Conde Nast and Time Inc., to fill its vacant CEO post as the industry’s foremost research organization navigates growing conflicts over measurement and media deals.
Mr. McDonald joins the ARF at what he acknowledges is a contentious time. The group’s parents the Association of National Advertisers and 4A’s, which came together to establish the ARF in 1936 — have been fighting for two years now over the issue of how transparent media agencies are in handling marketers’ money. And the ARF’s work is at the heart of another contentious industry issue the demand by Procter & Gamble Co. that leading digital platforms such as Google and Facebook have their audience metrics verified by third-party research firms accredited by the Media Rating Council.
“I think of the ARF as the Switzerland of the industry,” or one of the few neutral places, Mr. McDonald said. Sources of information about media and marketing have become far more varied and complex in recent years, he said. “We’ve had a crisis of confidence because of that. It’s the perfect time for research to be done to make our industry more fact based.”
Post a Comment