Survey: marketers call for new ad verification models

Mediaocean has published results from its TechValidate survey, highlighting marketers' dissatisfaction with existing ad verification models.

The survey indicates that the ad verification industry is experiencing difficulty due to limited provider choices, increased costs, and a deceleration in innovation, stemming from the dominance of two providers. A significant proportion of marketers, 66%, are advocating for a shift towards positive verification models that are not grounded in site exclusions and negative keywords.

Mediaocean's Chief Development Officer, Ramsey McGrory, commented on the industry landscape, "When it comes to ad verification, advertisers are grappling with limited options, higher costs, and a slowdown in innovation due to concentration with two providers. While Oracle shut down Moat, the space is rich with growth opportunities. Through Protected by Mediaocean, we're bringing technical and business innovations that reward publishers and protect advertisers. This positive verification model encourages collaboration rather than exclusion, strengthening advertiser-publisher relationships and aligning with the expectations of modern consumers."

Survey findings reveal a pressing need to rebuild trust within ad verification practices, with 87% of marketers acknowledging the crucial nature of this endeavour.

The report also shows an increasing focus on brand safety and sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) concerns, which are deemed more critical by 75% and 63% of respondents, respectively, compared to six months ago.

Furthermore, confidence in technology is eroding, as only 43% of marketers are certain they are not incurring costs for SIVT or non-human impressions and clicks.

Current verification models are seen as overly restrictive, with 85% of respondents suggesting that stringent brand safety filters are unfairly affecting publishers.

The demand for a positive verification model is growing, with 66% of marketers favouring solutions that promote positive content engagement rather than relying on site exclusions and negative keywords.

Mediaocean's insights advocate for an advertising ecosystem premised on positive verification methods, benefiting advertisers, publishers, and consumers alike. Such a model encourages the production of quality content and ensures a steady, favourable brand presence while minimising the need for punitive actions.

The survey underscores a rising interest in the Protected by Mediaocean solution, recording a 17% adoption rate among marketers for purposes including viewability, attention, fraud detection, and brand safety. This trend suggests a burgeoning demand for new solutions that transcend traditional models and present practical insights.

Asaf Greiner, General Manager of Protected by Mediaocean, emphasised the necessity of trust-oriented ad verification, "As we navigate a massive shift, and an opening, in the digital landscape, a trust-centric approach to ad verification becomes essential, and marketers are reflecting that. Protected by Mediaocean is leading this shift by offering solutions that champion transparency, collaboration, and value creation, moving away from punitive exclusion models to a positive, more harmonious ecosystem."