Viewability
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Viewability has become a hotly debated topic in digital advertising. The document discusses several key points about viewability, including that users exposed to viewable impressions convert at a 8-9% higher rate than impressions not measured as viewable. While viewability impacts performance, it is more foundational in nature and acts as a multiplier for other performance metrics. The author argues that advertisers should move beyond basic metrics and start considering viewability to better measure media buy quality and value.
Viewability
- 1. Viewability – An Ad that is not seen isn’t worth less. It’s worth ZERO! Viewability has become one of the most focused and hotly debated topics in digital advertising in the last few years. You will encounter more than 200000 search results in Google on this topic. I would like to keep it short and just stress on few points: Users exposed to Viewable impressions convert at an 8-9% greater rate than users who are exposed to impressions not measured as viewable Contrary to intuition studies have shown that sites which have almost 100% viewable inventory are the worst performing sites in the programmatic ecosystem Debates are on even with respect to the MRC's viewability standards. A large grey area exists in Viewability and some top Global Brands are just busy redefining the viewability standards that (they perceive) suit their brands. The biggest question is that while measuring viewability makes sense from the advertisers perspective, there is lack of understanding on how one should be reacting to the viewability numbers in absence of clear cut benchmarks ( owing to ever changing standards and each advertiser defining it in his own way). Viewability does impact performance but it cannot be compared with other dimensions’ lift such as behavioural data or site/context data. I feel viewability is more foundational in nature to enable all
- 2. other performance parameters to catalyst a campaign. It acts as a multiplier. In India, I am personally happy that at least the discussion has started with few of the more evolved advertisers/brands already adopting it as an important metric to watch out for. I think advertisers should move beyond basic metrics of impressions/click/CTR and start looking at viewability also to measure the actual quality of Media Buys happening and how it can be bettered month on month. I think there are brands who are even thinking of paying on Viewable impressions since a non Viewable impression does not have any value either for the user or the advertiser/brand. Let us also remember that viewability is closely linked with fraud. An impression is defined as viewable only when a ‘Human’ sees it (and not when a ‘Bot’ sees it). I will take up this in my next article. Ignorance might have been bliss (read “pseudo bliss”) till now but let’s transcend to an actual blissful state by taking control of what we are buying and paying for. We have enough good tools in place now to measure this (across all buys –Display/video –Programmatic or non- Programmatic)with utmost efficiency. This will also prompt publishers to work and improve the quality of inventory being sold or released into ad exchanges (PMPs are the best way in programmatic to cherry pick viewable inventory as a stopgap until publishers re-code their websites such that all ads (or nearly all ads )are viewable. I would like to see all advertisers taking a step forward on this. Let the discussion begin!