ABC has today issued the first industry-wide report and certification for online ad viewability measurement products. The new report compares the capability of products to measure viewability “simply and equally, delivering trust and transparency” to what is deemed a complex and often contentious area.
Currently, there are various products in the market that count viewable impressions. However, following “confusion over the differences in results outlined by these new products”, the industry asked ABC to deliver an “impartial and independent” report on what these products actually do.
The hope is the ABC report and certificates will help the industry to better understand viewability products and compare their capabilities – allowing agencies and advertisers to make “more informed” purchasing decisions.
The first companies with viewability products to receive an ABC “stamp of approval” include comScore, DoubleVerify, Integral AdScience and Moat. OnScroll has also signed up to the scheme but is currently undergoing testing.
“There has been a lot of confusion in the online ad industry about how viewability products actually work, and any points of difference that may exist between them,” said Steve Chester, director of data & industry programmes, IAB.
“ABC’s new report will provide much needed clarity regarding their capabilities, allowing advertisers, media buyers and media owners to make informed decisions about their choice of viewability product provider, to facilitate online media buying and trading decisions.”
Nigel Gwilliam, consultant head of media, IPA added: “Understanding how viewability products work is crucial for agencies and advertisers to get value for money from their online media campaigns. ABC has helped the industry move towards a more transparent digital trading environment and we look forward to more companies joining this scheme.”
The first round of testing took place on Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 11.
Download the full report from the ABC here.
