IAB Europe’s new Digital Measurement Priorities Report demonstrates that the priorities for driving brand investment into digital still lie in cross-media measurement and quality metrics.
The Report draws on a survey of 700+ buy and sell-side stakeholders from across Europe. The results echo the findings of the first IAB Europe Digital Measurement Priorities Report2 highlighting that industry-wide solutions are to be found across these areas. This is particularly important in the context of the fact that digital ad spend now leads TV by over €7bn3 and investments in programmatic advertising continue to increase. The top three priorities coming out of the 2017 survey are:
- Cross-media measurement
- Integration with programmatic tools
- Viewability and brand safety for underpinning quality digital advertising
Cross-media measurement
Both buy and sell-side stakeholders indicate that cross-media evaluation and a better understanding of how digital works in combination with other channels are important to drive more digital investment. In this context and as large advertisers continue to shift their brand advertising money into digital, stakeholders want to be able to measure TV and digital more than any other media combination.
IAB Europe’s efforts to drive effective cross-media measurement are focused on enabling cross-industry discussions and facilitating the development of common best practices and standards across Europe’s borders via our Measurement Organisations Forum.
Integration with programmatic tools
Programmatic advertising has continued strong growth over the past few years and is now a €5.7bn market. More than 90% of stakeholders state that is it important for industry-agreed digital audience and effectiveness studies to be available in programmatic trading tools alongside measurement and trading data.
IAB Europe’s efforts in advancing programmatic trading across Europe are focused on enhancing transparency and education in key areas such as mobile and data.
Viewability and brand safety for underpinning quality digital advertising
As per ongoing industry discussions, viewability and brand safety are top of mind when it comes to determining contact or environment quality. All stakeholders agree that a move towards viewable rather than served impressions is important and in terms of contact quality, measuring the length of time an ad is in view, particularly for video, is top.
IAB Europe is working with EACA and WFA in a cross-industry European Viewability Initiative4 which aims to address improving the accuracy and consistency of measuring the viewability of delivered impressions which will be a vital step towards identifying realistic brand exposure levels and will help to make digital advertising more directly comparable with TV where ‘opportunity for the consumer to view’ or ‘opportunity to see’ an advertisement is the accepted tenet for brand advertising.
Townsend Feehan, CEO, IAB Europe, said: “It is now more critical than ever to reinforce the quality of the digital advertising environment to ensure that advertisers have strong confidence, and underpin the delivery of free content. Ensuring that viewable impressions are measured correctly and consistently across all markets in Europe is a key first step and the aim of the cross-industry European Viewability initiative.”
Bethan Crockett, Digital Risk Director, GroupM, said: “GroupM welcomes IAB Europe’s research which validates the need for ongoing industry focus on digital measurement and, in particular, full alignment and integration of independent measurement across all digital advertising technology and platforms.”
Ben Ward, Commercial Director, Mothercare Ireland, commented: “Mothercare Ireland warmly welcomes the research results from IAB Europe, the need for group studies and measurement is a key tool in assisting retailers, publishers and advertisers alike in better understanding the market and where best to focus their attention and budget. We find huge benefits in such collaborative studies and the learnings around their results form a key part of our digital decision making process.”
Daniel Bischoff, Marketing Director, RTL AdConnect said: “The IAB Europe research shows that we need to better understand, evaluate and present the real impact of ‘Total Video’. In order to unlock the vast potential of the ‘Total Video’ ecosystem for advertisers, the key tasks for our industry will be to enhance understanding of the effects of combining TV and digital video, to find smart ways of using data in digital purchasing processes and to realise that quality matters in digital as much as in any other media.
To find out more about IAB Europe’s work in these key areas join the following events:
- IAB Europe panel at dmexco – Measurement and the Future of Digital Trading, 14th Find out more here: http://bit.ly/2wC130K
- IAB Europe Virtual Programmatic Day, 9th Find out more here: http://bit.ly/2wBMsCl
Methodology
In order to understand stakeholder priorities for digital measurement, IAB Europe has undertaken the second Digital Measurement Priorities survey. The first survey was undertaken in 2014 and so the report shows how some of the priorities have shifted.
The survey asked about the following areas:
- Priorities for driving more brand advertising spend into digital channels
- What is important for determining a quality ‘contact’ or ‘environment’
- Cross-media and cross-device priorities
- Priority of key performance indicators
- Organisation of digital audience measurement surveys and effectiveness surveys
Source : www.iabeurope.eu