X Marks Sweet Spot For ARF, Research Group Takes Over IAB's XMOS Studies

by Joe Mandese, Sep 21, 2004, 12:00 AM

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The Advertising Research Foundation has quietly taken the reins of one of the online industry's most ambitious research initiatives - the Interactive Advertising Bureau's XMOS research - and plans to develop the format into an industry standard methodology for conducting cross-media case studies. As part of the effort, the ARF is developing six new XMOS projects, each of which is expected to cover areas and categories not analyzed by previous XMOS studies, including those for marketers in the "retail, financial services and entertainment categories," Bob Barocci, president-CEO of the ARF tells MediaDailyNews.

Perhaps most significantly, the ARF has been entrusted by the IAB to license the XMOS methodology to third-party researchers and to certify that they are adhering to the standards of the XMOS process. XMOS, which is owned by the IAB, was developed by marketing researcher Marketing Evolution, which so far is its sole licensee. But the ARF's Barocci says the method is sound enough to be utilized as an industry standard, and that the ARF and the IAB came to the conclusion that the ARF was a more neutral and objective authority for developing that than an industry trade association that advocates a specific medium.

"XMOS changed marketers view of online completely," explains Greg Stuart, president of the IAB. "The marketers that did the studies tell me their view of offline was radically altered by XMOS insights. I look forward to the ARF putting some attention on that for the good of advertising overall."

In fact, Stuart is offering to license the XMOS methodology to new researchers for "free" so long as they pass the ARF's certification process.

The ARF's Barocci says the XMOS project is one of about four or five major initiatives the ARF will undertake over the next year as a trade association. And that the XMOS project is in keeping with its new strategic direction.

"It is some of the most important learning going on. That's why we like it," he says.

The move represents another interesting industry development by putting the ARF in the position to certify and accredit a media research method. That historically is a role that was given to the Media Rating Council, a group that was originally created by Congress in the late 1960s following the TV industry's game show and TV ratings scandals.

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