Google is rolling out reports on viewability of all ads in its platforms later this year, but there is still an education job to do so that the industry understands what viewability really means.
Google's vice president of video and display advertising, Neal Mohan, announced at CES that it would be offering the reports to inform advertisers whether video ads were seen or not and help them measure “what truly matters”.
Mohan claimed that viewability reporting will help “turbo-charge” video advertising. Viewability reporting will be available to all advertisers using Google's DoubleClick platform including the DoubleClick AdExchange.
It will soon roll out to reserved inventory on YouTube and Google Preferred, including desktop and app views.
In a few months, Google will offer the ability to target viewable impressions and buy only viewable impressions across its display network.
Down the track Google plans to add reporting for audibility, and the total amount of time an ad was viewable.
In December, Google revealed that more than half (56.1%) of ads served on its platforms are not viewable.
The IAB in Australia is making viewability a priority this year, and is working on a set of guidelines and how to roll it out appropriately in the Australian market. But there is a tricky distinction to make with viewability. Just because an ad is not viewable – doesn't mean it's not seen, or valuable and should be paid for by an advertiser, Alice Manners, CEO of IAB Australia told AdNews at the end of 2014. It just means that it hasn't been measured.
It's also worth remembering that no advertising medium has 100% viewability – not outdoor, print, TV or anything else.
The defining thing is that “not measured, doesn't mean not seen” added Ed Harrison, chair of the IAB and CEO of Yahoo7, but a lot of people in the industry view not measured as not seen.
Manners said: “[Viewability] is the right way to go and it's right for the industry but there is still so much that we're learning about it. It's really important for us to make sure that roll out happens in an appropriate way and everyone understands it.”
Google's is sticking to the US industry definition for video viewability as set by the MRC and Making Measurement Make Sense, which means 50% or more of the video being on screen for two seconds or longer.
Mohan said in a blog: “Viewability, though, is just the starting point, not an end in and of itself. With the confidence that their ads can be seen by a real person, marketers can then go on to strive for--and measure--what really matters, impact and engagement.
“I’m incredibly excited about the future of digital video for brand building. No other medium brings together sight, sound and motion - and incredible measurability. This is the start of what we expect will be a year of leaps forward in the industry in making digital work for brand advertisers. So watch this space for more to come.”
For more news:
Google says less than half served ads are viewed: Where does the IAB stand?
Google: 56% of online ads aren’t seen
Publishers face major shift in ad measurement as viewability rolls out
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Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop me a line at rosiebaker@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day. Need a job? Visit adnewsjobs.com.au.