Reddit doubles down on ad verification with Oracle deal

Why is this important?

• Reddit is reaching out to third parties to verify ad views as its advertiser and user base continues to grow, reaching 52m daily active users at the last count - a 44% increase on the year before.

• Moat by Oracle Data Cloud is Reddit's first port of call, serving as an additional independent voice on viewability and reach.

• Emphasising transparency the integration has been carried out at a server level and custom-designed for Reddit's needs, an approach which has already borne fruit with the news aggregator claiming to have beaten Moat's in-view rate benchmark by as much as 17.2% in early testing.

• As of right now, only a limited number of partners are able to share in this data trove but the service will become more broadly available early next year.

• Cited benefits of the partnership include greater clarity and precision in measuring ad viewability coupled with more insightful analytics on campaigns for brand partners.

Reddit looks to demonstrate its value

• Reddit is on a mission to prove its worth to advertisers who are in turn eager to draw the attention of 430m users.

• What at first would seem a match made in heaven has proved trickier for Reddit to realise in practice, beset by controversies relating to its free speech ideals and a community which is vocal in its opposition to advertising.

• Keen to demonstrate to recalcitrant advertisers that it has turned a page Reddit culled over 2,000 subreddits in June following a tightening of its policies on hate speech.

• Time has also blunted aggravations against advertising with many Redditors having become inured to the sight of in-stream ads and sponsored posts.

• Mindful that it still has a lot of work to do in this area Reddit launched three new tiered ad inventory options earlier in the year which seeks to provide varying degrees of protection against unsavoury content for brands seeking peace of mind when running promotions.

• Explaining the need to reach out to third-parties Jack Koch, global head of marketing sciences at Reddit, said: “Third-party verification is an important part of campaign measurement and we want to ensure our advertisers have the tools they need to feel confident and satisfied with their investment in Reddit.

• Koch adds: “Ad viewability is a fundamental metric to assess overall campaign success and we’re excited to bring an added layer of transparency to our advertisers to help them maximize their results.”

• Mark Kopera, head of product for Moat by Oracle Data Cloud continued: “Verified, third party measurement is the foundation of meaningful campaign reporting and we’re committed to helping brands of all sizes understand and optimize their advertising spend."

• To further placate advertisers Reddit has spearheaded a British charm offensive which seeks to dispel perceptions that it is a 'dystopian Craigslist' but an upstanding pillar of the social web.