The mission of Research Services has always been to connect you to critical information as quickly as possible. Increasingly, that means proactively making information available online. To that end, we have been refocusing our energies in several ways to enhance value to members, and to put even more answers at your fingertips. New service enhancements will include:

• ProQuest®, an easy-to-use, full-text database of articles from thousands of journals, on companies, industries, business management, marketing topics, and regional business news, will join our existing suite of research databases available for direct access by members on the 4A’s Web site. It will exponentially increase the amount of content available at no charge to members.
• Web site content, Version 2.0. Members will find an expanded range of topical information and improved navigation in the retooled research section of the 4A’s Web site. Look for dramatically increased and reorganized content in the coming months, including insights provided by our growing number of research partners and some other surprises in the works.

Fees. For those members requiring more customized service, starting April 1, we will charge a nominal transaction fee of $25 per project for requests that entail in-depth research. This charge will be payable by credit card, and will not apply in cases where a member is already paying existing rush fees ($200 for same-day; $100 for next-day service).

Off-the-shelf research and quick reference questions will continue to be handled at no charge, as will access to these key resources that are currently available:

• “Research Insights” thought leadership reports. These are crafted internally or through contributions from eminent research providers, such as Mintel and the Futures Group. Recent additions to this series have been pieces on emotional vs. rational messaging, baby boomers, best practices in online creative, the application of behavioral economics for marketers and a data-filled report on innovation and new product success factors.
• Research databases. Agencies can conduct their own research at the 4A’s Web site, using the suite of research database tools we’ve arranged to make available to members at no charge. Current offerings are:
• AMIGO (Advertising-Marketing-Industry-Global-Online): trade press articles on marketing strategies and advertising campaigns dating back to 1994
• BUDDY (BUsiness Demographics and Data for You): demographic and household spending reports and forecasts
• CREW (Creative Running Everywhere Worldwide): more than six million ads from more than 52 countries in five media. 
• Current Web site content. The Research Insights section of the Web site is a resource full of statistics and facts on the industry and in-depth research reports on current advertising and marketing topics. This is designed for 24/7 access, enabling members to find critical pieces of information the agency needs to make decisions, grow the business, support recommendations to clients, justify an advertising budget, or help in the development of a new campaign.

We are confident that these changes will be a valuable enhancement to member service.