Skeptical marketers turn to Facebook audits in the wake of fake news & dodgy metrics
Increasing skepticism about the veracity of ad tech metrics, fake news and fraud prompted by a wave of scandals concerning metrics, fake news and fraud has led 40% of marketers to say they plan to introduce Facebook Audits.
The eye-catching figure was contained in an Advertising Perceptions survey which found that a full half of all advertisers say they won’t open their wallets to spend on platforms they perceive to be risky, which in the world of search advertising excludes everyone except Google.
The report found that confidence in digital and social media outlets is below 50% with the survey making particularly grim reading for Facebook, with 66% asking questions of their investment on the platform and 40% set on executing an independent audit of the platform’s audience and ad delivery.
Kevin Mannion, chief strategy officer at Advertiser Perceptions, said: "Facebook can't go whistling in the dark now. While they've built up too much goodwill and success for the metrics restatements to automatically erode spending, they need to take the lead in third-party verification."
In all some 40% of advertisers said they would spend more in 2017 on Facebook and Google but the lions share of this capital looks to be heading Google’s way with 36% saying they would spend more with Google and not Facebook versus just 8% who were leaning the other way.