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Technology Twitter Transparency

Twitter’s MoPub ups its viewability game with IAS and Moat integration

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By Ronan Shields, Digital Editor

August 31, 2017 | 4 min read

Twitter-owned MoPub has today (August 31) unveiled a new version of its software development kit (SDK), with the update meaning publishers can now use it to offer advertisers better measurement assurances in areas such as such ad viewability, etc.

European viewability standards ads

MoPub is an adtech outfit that helps app developers monetize using the Twitter audience ID

The updated SDK is the result of MoPub, which helps 49,000 app developers sell media space using its software etc, integrating with Integral Ad Science (IAS) and Oracle-owned Moat. This means that advertisers buying inventory on MoPub’s ad exchange can now assess their campaign performance using the measurement providers’ specifications.

With advertisers under increasing pressure to prove and ROI on their media spend, the ability to measure the performance of ads has never had greater currency, and increasingly, advertisers are also asking for third-party verification. This is a trend that has prompted even the most ardent of closed network media owners, ie the walled gardens, to relent from their earlier stance on third-party measurement.

The latest MoPub development was made public in a blog post attributed to Meridith Miller, MoPub, head of commercial partnerships, who said the update was geared towards helping resource-hungry app developers offer advertisers such KPIs.

“In addition, publishers looking to enable viewability measurement for their direct campaigns or mediated network partners can also do so through our integrated SDK,” reads the post. “The metric on desktop that this data is just as valuable to a publisher as it is to a marketer."

The post also contains quotes attributed to third parties which took part in the early testing phases of the integration with The Trade Desk, a demand-side platform used to purchase media in such a way, plus sporting news app TheScore both participating.

Miller’s post contains quotes from The Trade Desk’s Catherine Patterson, senior director of inventory partnerships, claiming that such updates are likely to increase advertisers’ in-app spend. “Our buyers want consistency in measurement across devices and investment is prioritized by where they can measure,” reads her quote.

Meanwhile, Taylor Coulis, TheScore’s director of programmatic, is quoted as saying: “Viewability has become critical for our monetization strategy. It’s helping us deliver the right value and meet the goals of our advertisers, as well as drive an increase in revenue.”

Jason Cooper, IAS, general manager, mobile, is also quoted in the post, commenting that updating to the latest version of the MoPub SDK will help its publishers bolster revenue, as it will equip advertisers with “actionable insights to improve their in-app buying decisions.”

Debate around what constitutes an online ad that has been viewed has been one of the hot topics in the digital media sector in recent years. These efforts have seen several industry initiatives taking place across the globe, with the reduction in discrepancies between measurement methodologies a key priority.

With separate reports claiming that close to 50% of all digital media spend being wasted on ads that were never served in-view, media buying outfits have been keen to underline their efforts in this space.

The trend had also seen measurement providers become highly prized in the digital media sector, with Moat selling to Oracle earlier this year with a reported $800-plus price tag. More recently, DoubleVerify sold a majority stake to Providence Equity Partners for an estimated $300m. Integral Ad Science remains independent, although the industry is rife with speculation that it too will be acquired as part of this ongoing trend.

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