Skip to content
Brands, nonprofits and government agencies come to the Ad Council for our knowledge, expertise and assistance in communicating the right message by the right messengers through the right channels to ignite public action in this ever-changing climate. The core tenet of our work is and has always been research, as it’s vital to first understand the public’s knowledge and attitudes in order to move them to act.

With the launch of Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI), we are leveraging our insight-driven approach to examine some of the most important social issues of our time.

Signature ACRI Poll

Pulse: Gun Violence in America

As the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-17, what are Americans’ perceptions of gun violence in the U.S.?
February 23, 2024

Signature Public Study

988_suicide_lifeline_research.jpg

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Formative Research

What do populations at higher risk for or disproportionately impacted by suicide know, think and feel about 988 and how can these insights be used to reach those who need it most?
November 9, 2023

Our Focus

Building upon years of research expertise, ACRI works with brand, corporate and nonprofit partners and clients in four ways:

AUDIENCE

We conduct research to gain a deeper understanding of the public’s perceptions, attitudes and willingness
to act on key social issues.

COMMUNICATIONS

We develop and test messaging and narratives for social good campaigns and corporate philanthropic initiatives.

INFLUENCE

We help build new knowledge on the role influencers or trusted messengers (such as online ambassadors, athletes, artists, celebrities, faith and community leaders and content creators) can play to move the public to act.

EVALUATION

We identify key performance indicators for communications initiatives, and the tools through which to measure, assess and optimize them over time.

2024 Research Agenda Intro

Our 2024 Research Agenda


Each year, ACRI defines areas of clear need for communications research. This agenda reflects key topics and issues affecting Americans and where deeper insights on target audiences, communication and messaging, and trusted messengers would help marketers at brands, causes and government agencies excel in their work. These areas also reflect our focus in the coming year beyond ACRI’s public and private studies with partners.

Within our agenda, we envision creating action-oriented communications insights, reports and toolkits with recommendations for the field, including:

  • Knowledge benchmarks by target audiences
  • Beliefs, bias and attitudes to address
  • Individual, family and peer engagement approach
  • Messaging do’s and don’ts by topic
  • Persuasive message frames, phrases and terminology
  • Motivating calls-to-action by population segment
  • Sentiment and perception analysis of climate actions and impact
  • Trusted messengers and most influential in nudging the public to act

For recent examples of our work, see our studies on Extreme Risk Protection Orders, substance use disorders, trust in the voting process and more.

Past Public Research

Extreme Risk Protection Order Study Header

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) Study

What do Americans and law enforcement in the 21 states and D.C. with ERPOs know, think and feel about these laws and how they can be used to prevent gun-related tragedies?
April 25, 2023

Substance Use Disorders Study

Who is most impacted by or at risk for substance use disorders, and what would motivate them to explore resources and recovery?
May 30, 2023

(Dis)Trust in Elections Study

Amid high distrust in the U.S. elections process, how can we—organizations, government entities, election boards and officials—have a better understanding of how to build it back up?
May 10, 2023

Issue Pulse

A quarterly pulse check on Americans' top issues.
June 17, 2022

CREATIVITY. CAUSES. AND YOU.

Together we can do so much. Let’s talk about how we can partner to help change the world.

ACRI Research Leadership