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Survey: Expect Advertisers to Demand More Accountability Online
Last month, ABC released the results of a survey titled Online Accountability: Gauging the Growing Demand for Audited Web Metrics. To gain a better understanding of the online marketplace, ABC asked advertisers and advertising agencies involved in the buying and selling of online advertising to identify some of the key issues and trends in this rapidly growing area.
“Just as publishers and print advertisers require accuracy and credibility in traditional media information, we’re seeing increased demand for transparency and accountability online,” said Michael J. Lavery, ABC president and managing director. “We hope sharing these findings with our members will foster a dialogue between publishers and marketers about the growing online advertising market and the need for accurate, credible data to support a medium rich with potential.”
Below are a few of the survey’s key findings:
- 83 percent of respondents plan to increase online ad spending in 2007; more than half expect double-digit budget increases.
- Respondents indicated two areas where audited Web metrics are useful: 91 percent said it’s important to audit ad impressions and delivery, while 89 percent felt it’s important to verify Web site traffic.
- New media may benefit from audits. More than half of the survey respondents said they would be more likely to advertise on blogs, podcasts, streaming video, and mobile media if audited by an independent firm.
- Advertising buyers said the primary benefits of audited digital media include more reliable data, better post-buy analysis and evaluation, more confidence in media buys, more effective media plans, and more trust in Web site properties.
- Younger ad professionals appear to be less skeptical: 75 percent of respondents under age 25 said they trust the metrics provided by online publishers, compared to 22 percent of those in the 55-64 age category.
The entire Executive Summary is available on ABC’s Web site.
Recommendations
ABC supports the Interactive Advertising Bureau's (IAB) development of industry measurement, campaign reporting and audit guidelines. The IAB has called for all ad-serving applications - both the counting methods and the surrounding processes and controls - to be independently audited in order to produce reliable, certified measurements. The American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers have also publicly supported this approach.
To meet the growing demand for online accountability, ABC recommends its members consider the following steps:
For Publishers
- Commit to regular audits of Web site traffic activity. This will allow you to provide media planners and prospective advertisers with independently verified data based on your Web log files.
- Use ad-serving software from a firm that has had it independently certified. In addition, you should have your internal processes and controls audited annually. Process auditing evaluates the publisher's infrastructure surrounding order entry, ad delivery and measurement, and billing. This is recommended to produce "certified" numbers for billing purposes, according to the IAB guidelines.
- For publishers using off-the-shelf or internally developed ad-serving software, your technology and surrounding processes should be fully and independently audited.
For Advertising Agencies
- Encourage Web sites to continually monitor discrepancies between third-party ad-server reporting and their own internal log files.
- Agencies that rely on their own third-party ad-serving numbers for client billing should verify that the ad serving technology has been audited and also commit to a process audit to have related internal controls and procedures evaluated.
- Because of the growing importance of digital across all platforms, educate planners and buyers across the spectrum about the intricacies of online reporting and ad-serving technologies.
For Advertisers
- Examine the processes and procedures your advertising agency uses to measure, report, and bill for your online media campaigns to ensure that appropriate technologies and controls are audited.
- Consider a campaign specific audit to verify that ad activity (impressions, click-throughs, conversions, etc.) is accurately measured during a specific period.
For More Information
ABC can help you better understand the key trends and issues in online auditing. For more information on ABC's interactive audit services, members are encouraged to fill out our online request form, or contact ABC's
manager, sales and marketing at (720) 324-0558.
Related Links:
Survey: Online Accountability: Gauging the Growing Demand for Audited Web Metrics
ABCi Online Request Form
A Primer on the Growing Demand for Online Accountability
Glossary of Interactive Auditing Terms
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