ARF Elects New President

The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has a new president / CEO -Robert L. Barocci, a veteran advertising and marketing executive, was elected on Wednesday. Barocci succeeds Jim Spaeth, who left recently to create his own consulting company.

Barocci is a former president of Leo Burnett International, and founder/CEO of McConnaughy Barocci Brown advertising in Chicago. In the 1990s he helped transform Young & Rubicam into one of the leading advertising agency networks in Central & Eastern Europe.

Bruce Goerlich, chairman of the ARF, says his team has confidence in Barocci's ability 'to demonstrate the real value of the ARF to the media industry. Bob's unique background as a global marketing and advertising executive with more than 25 years of management experience makes him the singular choice to help refocus the ARF's mission to strengthen the role of advertising within the marketing mix'.

The election has already been greeted with enthusiasm by top agency executives. David Bell, chairman and CEO of Interpublic Group, said 'I've known Bob since his first day of work. He was and is filled with intellect, passion and drive. He knows marketing better than most groups of 5 and his love of research was evident then and is now. What a great and what an obvious choice!'

Joe Plummer, EVP, director of research and insight development for McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, said: 'Bob has extensive experience in working with blue chip advertisers, and in transforming complex research work into action items that CEOs can understand'.

Barocci himself is looking to raise the profile of the organisation, commenting that 'There's never been a greater need for The ARF to take the leadership on mission-critical issues facing today's marketing world'.

The ARF is headquartered in New York and is the USA's leading professional organisation in the field of advertising, marketing and media research.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.