How to Restore Competition in Digital Advertising Markets and Protect Users

After a careful analysis, the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded that Google and Facebook dominate many online markets, including search, social media, search advertisement, display advertising, and open display advertising. The agency also concluded that while some of this concentration is due to specific market failures, these companies’ dominance is also due to a series of artificial barriers to entry and expansion of competitors that “if addressed through appropriate remedies could profitably sustain competition between a number of” players.

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Skillsoft

Skillsoft is the global leader in corporate learning, delivering beautiful technology and engaging content that drives business impact for modern enterprises. Skillsoft comprises three award-winning solutions that support learning, performance and success: Skillsoft learning content, the Percipio intelligent learning experience platform and the SumTotal suite for Human Capital Management.

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Retargeting

Streaming is the mainstream: what that means for UK advertisers

Article | July 20, 2022

In the last year, streaming adoption has grown throughout the UK. We spent more time at home, and many of us turned to new, digital forms of entertainment. But even now with the UK open, many consumers continue to appreciate some of the habits they adopted over the last 16 months, including streaming. Through a recent Kantar study, we learned that 84% of Amazon customers surveyed in the UK are either cord-stackers (viewers who watch both streaming and broadcast or satellite content), or cord-cutters (viewers who only stream content). This sends a clear message. It’s not just early adopters streaming content. It’s the majority. Furthermore, video gaming and e-sports are also on the rise—consumers in 600,000 households started playing console games on their TV in 2020 in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, according to Kantar’s Worldpanel ComTech data. In the UK, e-sports is increasingly popular with nearly 1 in 4 TV viewers streaming e-sports. And where are many gamers watching other gamers? On Twitch. There are now 30 million average daily users on Twitch from 230 countries. Consumers in the UK are also streaming more podcasts, music, and other audio content, year over year.

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Advertiser Platforms

AdTech Vs MarTech: What’s The Difference?

Article | August 2, 2022

The difference between advertising and marketing is clear as day. Advertising is a specific subset of marketing that focuses on promoting products or services. On the other hand, marketing is a business practice that aims to identify, interact, and engage with customers. While it is easy to distinguish marketing from advertising and vice versa, new concepts have risen to confuse marketers and advertisers alike. AdTech and MarTech are two relatively new terms that some people use interchangeably. In reality, AdTech and MarTech are different, even if the differences are slightly noticeable.

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Advertiser Campaign Management

YouTube, auditor spar over transparency of ads

Article | July 19, 2022

Google wants to substantially limit the information a key auditor of YouTube can share about the risks of advertising on the video service, according to people familiar with the situation, highlighting tensions between the tech giant and Madison Avenue. The auditor, New York-based OpenSlate, is refusing to sign a contract that would prevent it from reporting to clients when ads have run in videos with sensitive subject matter, including hate speech, adult content, children's content, profanity, violence and illegal substances, according to an email the firm sent this weekend to ad agencies.

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Advertiser Campaign Management

Don't let lockdown loosen your ad spend

Article | December 10, 2020

Where’s the nearest click and collect? What time does our local store close in light of the latest COVID-19 restrictions? Where can I order that toy car he/she wanted for Christmas? Our bet is Google is your first port of call for an answer to any of these questions. If it is, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that Google processes 5.8 billion user searches per day. And, even though there are other search engines out there, like Bing and Yahoo, it is by far the most popular. So, with so many potential customers – because let’s face it, of those 5.8 billion there are bound to be a few thousand searching for your specific products or services - businesses simply cannot overlook advertising on Google. And even more so now thanks to restrictions on physical stores across the world being put back in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Nate Burke, CEO and founder of Diginius, an ecommerce solutions provider that specialises in digital marketing PPC management, explains how you can get the most out of your Google advertising activities. The first round of lockdowns during the spring and early summer saw many businesses with physical outlets grind to almost a complete halt. Going digital was the only option for many in order to have some chance of survival. This saw restaurants offering online order services, more retailers moving into ecommerce and professional services conducting remote meetings via video calls. Despite some easing of restrictions, many have kept digital their focus. For example, video meetings such as Microsoft Teams, which grew by 894% between February to June in 2020, are now prevalent as the office’s new best friend. And restaurants for instance, have advanced their minimal contact table service, allowing customers to order and pay for food on their phones by scanning a QR code or downloading an app. But now, with lockdown restrictions being re-enforced in Britain and many other parts of the world, businesses looking to maximise their sales and earnings ahead of the Christmas period, and before the New Year begins, can’t ignore the advertising opportunities available on Google. PPC PPC advertising is perhaps the most obvious opportunity. It’s the best way to guarantee that your brand is put in front of an audience and can help generate a spike in traffic and leads. Paid Search identifies “buyers” immediately. People who have typed in and are clicking a specific keyword tends to already be in buying mode, even if only at the research stage of the journey, which is so powerful compared to the rest of the marketing mix This is because searchers seek convenience. We have come to expect the first listing on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) to provide an answer to our query. If it doesn’t, we are more likely to change our search than scroll through pages and pages of results. Therefore, getting your brand on that all-important first page is crucial for success on Google, which is exactly why paid advertising is beneficial. Not only can it promise a guaranteed spot here, if, the price is right for you, but it could also, potentially, provide you with the number one position. As well as SERPs, ads can be created for the display network, utilising visual aids in the form of graphics and videos to attract leads on the Google Shopping network, which is particularly beneficial for ecommerce businesses looking to increase sales. However, to ensure your ads are shown to people who will add value to your business, PPC activity must be strategically mapped out and effectively managed. Account set-up, keywords and bidding strategies must be considered, monitored and then adjusted to ensure your activity is effective and a return on your investment is achieved. This requires dedicated personnel, time and budget – for both ad spend and management practices for either training, wages or outsourcing the task to an agency. But, despite the capital required to get started, there are a number of ways to ensure you yield results that make it worthwhile. For example, remarketing can help minimise lost leads and maximise budget by targeting potential customers who have already shown an interest in your product or service. Automation strategies are another. Bidding and ad copy can be altered automatically, depending on factors including the time of day, location and the user’s specific query wording, for instance. This lessens the chance of clicks from users with little intention of purchasing or submitting an enquiry, and, consequently, reduces wasted budget. Another common way to get more out of search advertising is to replicate campaigns across Microsoft Ads, where there is typically less competition, cheaper clicks, and a better return on investment, albeit lower search volumes. Local strategy One of the greatest benefits of the internet is its ability to connect businesses and customers no matter the physical distance between them. And, with lockdown enforcements, an online offering presents an opportunity to reach an even wider customer base than a shop or physical facility that is restricted by location. However, the internet is a big, old place. It houses greater competition than what many businesses are used to in the physical realm and, as result, it’s easy to become lost, especially if you are in the early stages of establishing an online presence. So, no matter whether you’re a retailer offering click and collect or running business as usual albeit remotely, keeping things local is your best bet for online success. In fact, Google uses a Relevance, Distance and Prominence model to determine search results. Those most relevant, the closest in distance to the searcher and most prominent or popular are more likely to be ranked higher on results pages. In order to maximise your chances of ranking highly for those searching for your products and services in your local area, you should make the most of tools, such as Google My Business and reviews. As well as providing potential customers with vital business information, such as your address, contact details and COVID-adjusted opening hours, you can also instil trust and confidence in them by presenting a business that appears to be well established and organised. This is particularly important as those consumer sentiments have declined due to the pandemic. So far, businesses have done well in adapting their processes to changing customer needs in such a short amount of time and under incredibly difficult circumstances at that. With the coronavirus crisis far from over and many facing an online future, the only thing we can be certain of at this point is that businesses and retailers must act now to grasp opportunity. By utilising platforms such as Google and Microsoft, business owners are not simply making the best of a bad situation but are more so positioning their brand at the forefront of their chosen industry, gifting a significant advantage when markets reopen in their newly digital-focused form.

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Spotlight

Skillsoft

Skillsoft is the global leader in corporate learning, delivering beautiful technology and engaging content that drives business impact for modern enterprises. Skillsoft comprises three award-winning solutions that support learning, performance and success: Skillsoft learning content, the Percipio intelligent learning experience platform and the SumTotal suite for Human Capital Management.

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Advertiser Platforms

AlgoriX & LiveRamp Partner to Accelerate Addressability for the Mobile Advertising Ecosystem

ExchangeWire | October 25, 2023

AlgoriX and LiveRamp have announced a multifaceted partnership to accelerate the cookieless transition for the digital advertising ecosystem. AlgoriX will enable global customers of its demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) to transact on LiveRamp’s RampID, as well as incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK to accelerate the mobile app ecosystem’s deployment of Authenticated Traffic Solution. More than 450 of the world’s leading advertisers activate campaigns on RampID through LiveRamp’s data collaboration platform. AlgoriX joins more than 165 DSPs and SSPs that have integrated with LiveRamp’s solutions globally, enabling reaching high-value audiences at scale and delivering personalized experiences across browsers, mobile devices, and CTV. As advertisers look to address signal loss on mobile, authenticated inventory offers a powerful solution that can deliver results for publishers and marketers that often surpass what they were generating with cookies and mobile device IDs, said Frederic Liow, AlgoriX SVP for revenue growth & strategy. LiveRamp has helped lead the market in advancing authenticated identity as a viable alternative to help the ecosystem prepare for a post-signal loss future, and integrating our solutions will provide a powerful boost to our customers and developers. Additionally, AlgoriX will incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK, enhancing the offering for developers looking to accelerate their success in the mobile and in-app advertising space. Leveraging AlgoriX’s SDK, these developers can now quickly leverage and deploy LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution, increasing the addressability of their opted-in app users, and improving monetization of their inventory. “Consumers in APAC are mobile-first, which made it a natural fit to partner with AlgoriX given their history as a leader in the region and in the mobile app space,” said Travis Clinger, SVP, activations and addressability, LiveRamp. “LiveRamp has proven it can drive results for mobile developers, and as the market experiences more signal loss, with these new partnerships there’s no excuse for stakeholders to delay benefitting from the superior results authenticated identity can drive.” About AlgoriX AlgoriX is an independent global media and technology company. Backed by investments from top international venture capitalists, its core team is equipped with years of experience from global leading internet and ad tech companies. Through our team’s expertise, AlgoriX is able to bring to our partner's best-in-class technology solutions and know-how to effectively scale their revenue and deliver results.

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Ad Tech and Martech

IAS Launches New Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-Driven Site Detection and Avoidance Technology

Integral Ad Science | October 19, 2023

Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a new Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-driven site detection and avoidance product. The company's MFA site technology aims to improve transparency into advertiser campaign quality, identify where spend is being allocated, and inform optimizations to minimize waste on MFA sites. MFA sites are web pages featuring low quality content (e.g. spam sites, or ad farms) created solely to serve ads, and are optimized to perform well against traditional verification metrics, such as viewability. However, advertising spend on these sites does not drive meaningful outcomes, such as conversions or brand lift. IAS's new product leverages AI to uncover MFA sites at scale, allowing advertisers to take back control of their media quality and cut down on wasted spend. During Alpha testing, IAS delivered comprehensive campaign analysis demonstrating superior MFA site identification for some of the world's largest advertisers and agencies. IAS's product supports the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) recent definition of MFA sites and incorporates characteristics such as ad-to-content ratio, ad refresh rate, and the source of the traffic coming to the site to classify a site as MFA. According to the ANA's Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study, 21% of all advertisement impressions measured were served on MFA sites. Our MFA product was built to deliver unprecedented transparency to advertisers and provide them with the ability to both detect and avoid MFA sites in order to redirect their ad spend to publishers that drive a return, said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer, Integral Ad Science. The industry faces a significant challenge in combating MFA sites. By leveraging AI, we have developed a scalable way to identify these low quality sources of inventory and improve overall campaign performance. Advertisers and their agencies need confidence that the industry is converging on agreement about the specific websites that compose the MFA category. By training its model against Jounce Media's widely adopted list of MFA domains and incorporating signals from Sincera, IAS has developed the industry's first pressure tested solution for detecting and blocking MFA at scale. "Advertisers should recognize that MFA websites can account for a significant portion of their overall campaign and should determine, independently, if MFA sites fit with their brand suitability standards for content and user experience. We applaud IAS for taking action after we released the findings from our programmatic transparency report and for supporting our definition of MFA," said Bill Duggan, ANA group executive vice president. "We have found that awareness of MFA sites among the ANA community of media professionals to be limited – which is surprising. We look forward to further developments from IAS around MFA site identification and ad spend optimization to help better educate and inform buyers." The IAS MFA product completed alpha testing in early October 2023, and is available now as a beta measurement offering for select customers. General availability is expected to expand to all customers in early 2024. About Integral Ad Science Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry's most actionable data to drive superior results for the world's largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS's software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

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Ad Tech and Martech

VIOOH & Yahoo Partner to Explore the Value prDOOH Delivers Within Multichannel Campaigns

ExchangeWire | October 17, 2023

Today, VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform in partnership with Yahoo Advertising has released a whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns. As outlined in VIOOH’s annual State of the Nation report, a key request from advertisers is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns, and how to best measure its impact. Analysing a series of case studies, the report outlines the best way for advertisers to maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. Findings indicate that prDOOH’s inclusion in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness. Two key outcomes are clear: 1: Including prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect - DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels. 2: prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium. The report also outlines how advertisers can optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI. Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH said, This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness. Alice Beecroft, senior director, global strategy & partnerships at Yahoo said, “In today’s digital media landscape, programmatic digital out-of-home provides advertisers with the crucial ability to adapt in real-time. This adaptability is essential for effectively engaging their audience within a comprehensive omnichannel campaign. The results in the whitepaper show how prDOOH as part of the digital marketing mix drives incremental value where a connected bridge is formed with other channels to reach consumers wherever and whenever it matters most.” About VIOOH VIOOH is a leading premium global digital out of home supply side platform. Launched in 2018 and with headquarters in London, VIOOH’s platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. Led by a team of digital OOH and programmatic tech experts, VIOOH is pioneering the transformation of the OOH sector, championing its role in enhancing omni-channel digital campaigns through the use of programmatic capabilities and data. VIOOH currently trades programmatically in 19 markets, with more to follow.

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Advertiser Platforms

AlgoriX & LiveRamp Partner to Accelerate Addressability for the Mobile Advertising Ecosystem

ExchangeWire | October 25, 2023

AlgoriX and LiveRamp have announced a multifaceted partnership to accelerate the cookieless transition for the digital advertising ecosystem. AlgoriX will enable global customers of its demand-side platform (DSP) and supply-side platform (SSP) to transact on LiveRamp’s RampID, as well as incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK to accelerate the mobile app ecosystem’s deployment of Authenticated Traffic Solution. More than 450 of the world’s leading advertisers activate campaigns on RampID through LiveRamp’s data collaboration platform. AlgoriX joins more than 165 DSPs and SSPs that have integrated with LiveRamp’s solutions globally, enabling reaching high-value audiences at scale and delivering personalized experiences across browsers, mobile devices, and CTV. As advertisers look to address signal loss on mobile, authenticated inventory offers a powerful solution that can deliver results for publishers and marketers that often surpass what they were generating with cookies and mobile device IDs, said Frederic Liow, AlgoriX SVP for revenue growth & strategy. LiveRamp has helped lead the market in advancing authenticated identity as a viable alternative to help the ecosystem prepare for a post-signal loss future, and integrating our solutions will provide a powerful boost to our customers and developers. Additionally, AlgoriX will incorporate LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution SDK into the AlgoriX SDK, enhancing the offering for developers looking to accelerate their success in the mobile and in-app advertising space. Leveraging AlgoriX’s SDK, these developers can now quickly leverage and deploy LiveRamp’s Authenticated Traffic Solution, increasing the addressability of their opted-in app users, and improving monetization of their inventory. “Consumers in APAC are mobile-first, which made it a natural fit to partner with AlgoriX given their history as a leader in the region and in the mobile app space,” said Travis Clinger, SVP, activations and addressability, LiveRamp. “LiveRamp has proven it can drive results for mobile developers, and as the market experiences more signal loss, with these new partnerships there’s no excuse for stakeholders to delay benefitting from the superior results authenticated identity can drive.” About AlgoriX AlgoriX is an independent global media and technology company. Backed by investments from top international venture capitalists, its core team is equipped with years of experience from global leading internet and ad tech companies. Through our team’s expertise, AlgoriX is able to bring to our partner's best-in-class technology solutions and know-how to effectively scale their revenue and deliver results.

Read More

Ad Tech and Martech

IAS Launches New Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-Driven Site Detection and Avoidance Technology

Integral Ad Science | October 19, 2023

Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a new Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-driven site detection and avoidance product. The company's MFA site technology aims to improve transparency into advertiser campaign quality, identify where spend is being allocated, and inform optimizations to minimize waste on MFA sites. MFA sites are web pages featuring low quality content (e.g. spam sites, or ad farms) created solely to serve ads, and are optimized to perform well against traditional verification metrics, such as viewability. However, advertising spend on these sites does not drive meaningful outcomes, such as conversions or brand lift. IAS's new product leverages AI to uncover MFA sites at scale, allowing advertisers to take back control of their media quality and cut down on wasted spend. During Alpha testing, IAS delivered comprehensive campaign analysis demonstrating superior MFA site identification for some of the world's largest advertisers and agencies. IAS's product supports the Association of National Advertisers' (ANA) recent definition of MFA sites and incorporates characteristics such as ad-to-content ratio, ad refresh rate, and the source of the traffic coming to the site to classify a site as MFA. According to the ANA's Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency Study, 21% of all advertisement impressions measured were served on MFA sites. Our MFA product was built to deliver unprecedented transparency to advertisers and provide them with the ability to both detect and avoid MFA sites in order to redirect their ad spend to publishers that drive a return, said Yannis Dosios, Chief Commercial Officer, Integral Ad Science. The industry faces a significant challenge in combating MFA sites. By leveraging AI, we have developed a scalable way to identify these low quality sources of inventory and improve overall campaign performance. Advertisers and their agencies need confidence that the industry is converging on agreement about the specific websites that compose the MFA category. By training its model against Jounce Media's widely adopted list of MFA domains and incorporating signals from Sincera, IAS has developed the industry's first pressure tested solution for detecting and blocking MFA at scale. "Advertisers should recognize that MFA websites can account for a significant portion of their overall campaign and should determine, independently, if MFA sites fit with their brand suitability standards for content and user experience. We applaud IAS for taking action after we released the findings from our programmatic transparency report and for supporting our definition of MFA," said Bill Duggan, ANA group executive vice president. "We have found that awareness of MFA sites among the ANA community of media professionals to be limited – which is surprising. We look forward to further developments from IAS around MFA site identification and ad spend optimization to help better educate and inform buyers." The IAS MFA product completed alpha testing in early October 2023, and is available now as a beta measurement offering for select customers. General availability is expected to expand to all customers in early 2024. About Integral Ad Science Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry's most actionable data to drive superior results for the world's largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS's software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

Read More

Ad Tech and Martech

VIOOH & Yahoo Partner to Explore the Value prDOOH Delivers Within Multichannel Campaigns

ExchangeWire | October 17, 2023

Today, VIOOH, the leading premium global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform in partnership with Yahoo Advertising has released a whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns. As outlined in VIOOH’s annual State of the Nation report, a key request from advertisers is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns, and how to best measure its impact. Analysing a series of case studies, the report outlines the best way for advertisers to maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. Findings indicate that prDOOH’s inclusion in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness. Two key outcomes are clear: 1: Including prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect - DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels. 2: prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium. The report also outlines how advertisers can optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI. Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH said, This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness. Alice Beecroft, senior director, global strategy & partnerships at Yahoo said, “In today’s digital media landscape, programmatic digital out-of-home provides advertisers with the crucial ability to adapt in real-time. This adaptability is essential for effectively engaging their audience within a comprehensive omnichannel campaign. The results in the whitepaper show how prDOOH as part of the digital marketing mix drives incremental value where a connected bridge is formed with other channels to reach consumers wherever and whenever it matters most.” About VIOOH VIOOH is a leading premium global digital out of home supply side platform. Launched in 2018 and with headquarters in London, VIOOH’s platform connects buyers and sellers in a premium marketplace, making OOH easily accessible. Led by a team of digital OOH and programmatic tech experts, VIOOH is pioneering the transformation of the OOH sector, championing its role in enhancing omni-channel digital campaigns through the use of programmatic capabilities and data. VIOOH currently trades programmatically in 19 markets, with more to follow.

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