3MS Founders Discuss the Viewable Impression Metric and Its PSA Video Competition [POV]

Duke Fanelli is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and George Ivie is the executive director and CEO of MRC (Media Rating Council). They are a part of the 3MS initiative, which was founded along with with the 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies) and IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau). 3MS recently launched a PSA video competition to increase education around the viewable impression metric.

Why was Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS) founded?

3MS was created to revolutionize the way digital media is measured, planned, and transacted across the advertising industry to make it more valuable for everyone involved in brand advertising. The initiative is driven by a need across the industry for clear and standards-based metrics for interactive advertising that are comparable to traditional media and based on the opportunity for consumers to see online ads.

http://youtu.be/k6LZier3CQ0

What are the viewable impression guidelines?

Ivie: The Viewable Impression Measurement Guidelines define specific parameters for how viewable impressions should be measured.

They state that 50 percent of pixels (whether video or display) must be in the viewable portion of an internet browser for a specific minimum amount of time: at least 1 continuous second for display ads, and at least 2 continuous seconds for video ads. The guidelines do not apply to mobile ads, although this is something the MRC is exploring this year. These thresholds are supported by a substantial amount of research, some of which existed prior to the development of the concept of a viewable impression, and other research that was developed specifically in conjunction with the viewable impression initiative.

It is important to note that the guidelines are not intended to create metrics for a user's engagement with a display or video advertisement; the guidelines only standardize the minimum criteria for the opportunity to see an advertisement. It is likely that buyers and sellers will negotiate, at times, more demanding conditions (additive criteria) for viewable ads that increase the likelihood of the user getting the brand's message — a situation dependent on factors such as the user's persistency in remaining with the ad, the publisher's content around the ad, ad clutter and the quality of the ad creative itself. These additive criteria can be highly variable (based on the ad strategy, brand purpose, organization of the ad, ad message, etc.) and are considerably more difficult to standardize - this was not the project objective.

The Media Rating Council only recently accredited this metric in March 2014.Why was it hesitant to recommend the Viewable Impression metric?

Ivie: The metric isn’t “accredited,” per se. Rather, the Media Rating Council (MRC) is responsible for conducting audits and accreditation assessments against the guidelines, for organizations that voluntarily seek MRC accreditation of their products.

The development of the Viewable Impression Guidelines was a process that took several years. Business leaders participating in the initiative proposed that the industry would define the viewable impression for display ads as an ad 50% in view for one second. After that, the definition was tested on live campaigns by the Media Rating Council (MRC) and was found to be sound. However, this test also found viewability was not measureable for many display ads. The primary reason for non-measurability at the time was cross-domain iframes. The MRC published an advisory suggesting that companies wait to transact on viewable impressions until this and other technical problems could be solved.

On March 31, 2014, the MRC lifted its advisory on the Viewable Impression Guidelines for display ads. At that point, the advertising ecosystem was able to start transacting on the viewable impression for the first time. To provide the industry with an opportunity to prepare for the more recently introduced viewable video guidelines, the MRC extended a gating period for transacting on viewable impressions for video until June 30, 2014.

How will these guidelines foster a better relationship between advertising agencies/media agencies and their clients?

Fanelli: The viewable impression is the key to making digital media measurement comparable to that of legacy media. In television, radio, and print, the consumer has the opportunity to see the ad. Television commercials are rendered on screens. Radio ads are broadcasted. This is not the case with digital media. Foundational industry technologies only measure if an ad has been served, not how fully it rendered on the screen or how long it was present. The shift from a “served” impression to a viewable impression standard will allow clients a more accurate way to quantify their investment and agencies to deliver increased value for all parties involved in brand advertising.

With the viewable impression, marketers will have assurance that their ad has had the opportunity to be seen, and they will also be encouraged to purchase digital media because of its comparability to legacy media. This is an essential shift in order for marketers to be able to more intelligently allocate their budgets between digital and other media, invest more confidently in digital media, and increase accountability, performance, and marketing budgets overall. Additionally, the brand impact of digital media will improve by definition, because unviewed impressions — that people could not see and therefore could not be influenced by — are removed from the calculation.

http://youtu.be/fBuOWI7WjwI

3MS recently launched two PSAs to bring awareness to the issue, and it announced a PSA Video Competition for the industry. What are you hoping to accomplish through this initiative?

Fanelli: This competition is a way for us to continue to educate the industry on the Viewable Impression Guidelines and 3MS’s important work and the value of standard metrics in general. We are using the power of video – a medium the industry understands and appreciates – to get the message out in a fun and creative way.

Why is accountability in digital advertising so important?

Fanelli: It starts with industry need. Brand marketers want to increase spend on interactive advertising, but to do so, they need metrics that are comparable to legacy media and based on the fundamental opportunity for consumers to see the ads they place. Brand marketers also want to be able to assess the value of interactivity in their cross platform media plans and buys. Sellers want to satisfy the desires of marketers, but haven’t previously had the tools to do so. There is clear need for an industry-wide, transparent, and standards-based solution to the measurement challenge—and the trade associations came together to address it.

The result is the Making Measurement Make Sense initiative and the Viewable Impression Guidelines issued by the MRC. Our goal is to define and drive, across the marketing ecosystem, clear standards-based metrics for interactive advertising that are comparable to existing media. This is based on the fundamental need for consumers to see online ads in order for brands to accurately assess the value of all media as they strive to reach the right consumers for their marketing goals. But the shift from a “served” to a viewable impression is only the first of the Five-Part Digital Marketing Measurement Solution; 3MS will be establishing audience currency next to introduce an online Gross Ratings Point metric, providing reach and frequency reporting of viewable impressions.