NEW YORK, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) today announced the release of the ARF Handbook for Using AI in Advertising Research (2025), a comprehensive guide that explores how artificial intelligence is transforming advertising and marketing research practices.
Spanning six in-depth chapters and seven case studies, the 2025 edition examines how generative AI, synthetic data and large language models (LLMs) are reshaping the industry’s core methodologies—from survey design and analysis to campaign evaluation and creative strategy.
“AI is redefining how we gather insights, build models and even interpret human behavior,” said ARF Chief Research Officer Paul Donato. “This handbook offers a clear-eyed look at what’s possible with AI—and what still requires human judgment and oversight.”
A Practical Guide for a Changing Industry
The handbook synthesizes contributions from ARF researchers, MSI academics and executives from leading organizations including Ipsos, Kantar, Nielsen, Publicis and TikTok. Topics include:
- Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG): How hybrid search models boost accuracy and reduce hallucination in LLMs.
- Synthetic Research: Opportunities and limitations of AI-generated data in market modeling and concept testing.
- Consumer Trust and Ethics: Deep dives into privacy, transparency and algorithmic bias.
- Emerging Trends: Forecasts on hyper-personalization, autonomous campaigns and the evolving role of AI in brand visibility.
Real-world experiments included in the report benchmark the performance of GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Gemini Advanced across seven advertising research tasks, offering practical takeaways for researchers and strategists alike.
A Must-Read for Journalists and Analysts
With GroupM forecasting that 90% of advertising will be AI-enabled by 2029, the ARF AI Handbook arrives at a critical moment. It is both a research-driven resource and a strategic tool for understanding how AI can be responsibly implemented in media, branding, and consumer insight work.
The handbook is available exclusively to ARF members. Media professionals may request a review copy or interviews by contacting Philip Perry at pperry@thearf.org.
About the ARF
Founded in 1936, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has emerged as the preeminent authority on unbiased quality in advertising, media and marketing research. With over 400 member companies, ARF’s powerful knowledge, unified standards and best practices have proven invaluable, time and again. The ARF continues to drive continuous improvement in advertising and marketing practices by fostering collaboration and innovation, shaping the industry’s future.
For more information contact:
Philip Perry
Senior Content and Communications Manager
The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)
Email: pperry@thearf.org
Phone: (212) 751-5656 ext. 5757
SOURCE The Advertising Research Foundation