Google has announced more stringent, independent audit tactics as it tries to win back the trust of advertisers.
Given measurement is top of mind for brands and in light of a batch of the recent questionable metrics from some of the industry's powerful digital media giants, such as Facebook, Google has now hit the market with a range of tougher measurement processes.
Since 2015 Google's online video service has completed integrations with Moat, Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify to allow third-party viewability reporting on YouTube. Now, it says each of these integrations will undergo a “stringent”, independent audit for Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation.
The audit will validate that data collection, aggregation and reporting for served video impressions, viewable impressions, related viewability statistics and General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) across desktop and mobile for each integration adheres to MRC and IAB standards.
In short, it says advertisers will have even greater confidence in the metrics returned by these third party partners about their campaigns on YouTube.
“We believe that the industry needs metrics that are trusted, transparent and easily verified,” Google's senior director of product management, analytics solutions and measurement, Babak Pahlavan, says.
Last year a media ratings watchdog suspended Google over the way it measures mobile web served impressions for publishers; Facebook admitted to multiple metrics errors and huge overhaul of metrics and transparency and even Nielsen admitted to 18 months of YouTube online ratings mistakes.
The issue also came to a head when P&G's chief brand officer, Marc Pritchard, questioned the transparency and effectiveness of digital media and threatened to roll back investment in digital channels.
YouTube's brand safety has also been placed under the spotlight after The Times and AdNews revealed advertising was unwittingly being placed around content posted by terrorism sympathisers and white supremacy groups.
Pritchard welcomed YouTube's announcement in a Google blog posted by the online video giant.
“Google’s announcement to bring more media transparency is important progress that will help move the industry forward,” Pritchard said.
“At P&G, we are encouraged by Google’s actions, which should make a positive impact on creating a clean and productive media supply chain,” Pritchard says.
President and CEO of the US advertising peak body Association for National Advertisers (ANA), Bob Liodice, says Google’s announcement that it is undertaking an independent audit of its third-party viewability reporting integrations is a positive step forward for marketers.
“At the ANA, our goal is to create transparency for the advertising supply chain. This action from Google today demonstrates their commitment to partnering with us to deliver this goal."
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