Advertisers should be offered 100% viewability says Isba as it unveils fresh digital standard
The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (Isba) has launched a new viewability standard, calling for brands to be given the facility to buy digital display ads in 100% view.
Isba said it recognises that not all advertisers will want to buy against 100% viewability
Many advertisers, including the world’s biggest spender Procter and Gamble (P&G), subscribe to the standard set by US-based body the Media Ratings Council (MRC) that ads should be at least 50% in view.
However, Isba has said it’s own long-term aim is for there to be a market where brands are able to buy their ads “delivered as designed” ie 100% in-view for the full screening duration.
According to the World Federation of Advertisers, in the UK alone almost £600m per-year is believed to be wasted on non-viewable ads, with 63% of members saying they are now only investing in viewable impressions which meet industry standards.
Isba said it recognises that not all advertisers will want to buy against 100% viewability, but argued brands should be able to buy against whatever threshold is best for them, whether it’s 100% or below.
The move from Isba comes just months after Paul Bainsfair, the general director of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) called on Facebook and Google to lead the way in delivering inventory that optimised for 100% viewability.
There is still ongoing conversation around what constitutes as a view, with P&G subscribing to the MRC’s 50% rating and Unilever believing that ads are only worth the investment if they are 100% in view.
Commenting on Isba's announcement, which was announced at its annual conference in London on Tuesday (6 March) Steve Chester, director of media at the trade organisation said: "We are very pleased to have got to this point with viewability.
"Raising the standard is something our member’s want but we also recognise the different needs of our members’ and what we have announced today reflects this. This is a great example of the need for the continued development of standards across the advertising and marketing industry."
Bainsfair added: “We have been pushing for 100% video visibility for a while, and so are delighted with this significant step forward in raising standards. Our IPA research by Les Binet and Peter Field points to video being the most important brand building form online, and so this latest development can only help to further fuel its effectiveness.”