• by Wayne Friedman , July 15, 2010

Veteran media researcher David Marans has joined the Advertising Research Foundation as executive vice president of media.

Marans, whose last position was with A&E Networks in 2009, will join the industry group, which is dedicated to aggregating, creating and distributing research-based knowledge. ARF members include more than 400 advertisers, advertising agencies, associations, research firms, and media companies.

Bob Barocci, president/chief executive officer of ARF, stated: "As the industry evolves, the need for fact-based advertising thought leadership has grown exponentially, reflected by the fact that the ARF has attracted over 100 new members in the past 18 months."

He called Marans a "world-class executive" who is "essential" in order for the ARF to meet its members' demands. "We are very fortunate to have attracted someone of his stature."

Marans worked with major consumer marketers, including Ford Motor, Sears, Pfizer and Unilever, throughout his long career.

He also spent a large part of his career at J. Walter Thompson, through all its agency name changes/mergers. Marans started there in 1988, and was then named media research director in 1994 -- a role he continued when the JWT and Ogilvy media departments merged to form Mindshare. In 2005, he moved to executive vice president at IAG Research, then to A&E Networks in 2009.