Google's report shows difference in viewability and ad fraud across markets
The seriousness of ad fraud and viewability varies greatly, depending on the exchanges being used and the market where ads are delivered. Google's Global State of Play report for video said that spam rates vary across the top ad exchanges, requiring advertisers to exercise more vigilance in terms of the exchanges they use. The report also highlighted the drastic way in which video was changing, with a wide number of devices being used to consume content. At the same time, brands are exploiting a range of different ways to buy video.

Google has released its Global State of Play report for video and has found that there are significant disparities in how serious the issues of ad fraud and viewability are, depending on what exchanges are being used and in what market the ads are delivered.

From an ad fraud point of view, the report revealed that “Spam rates vary significantly across the top ad exchanges, requiring broadcasters and advertisers to evaluate the exchanges they use to sell and buy inventory”.

With many marketers hoping automation will be a panacea to an already complicated advertising landscape, news that more vigilance is evaluation is needed will no doubt be frustrating.

However, there are improvements being seen and Google used the report to highlights its own anti-spam efforts. It used previously released data to reveal the volume that was is being caught, with some 780m ads being blocked for violating spam rules in 2015 by the business.

Exchanges also had huge differences in viewability rates, according to Google. The report said, “Average domain viewability and median domain viewability rates vary dramatically across the top seven exchanges where DBM buys video ads. Only one exchange has a median rate over 70 per cent, and four exchanges are under 40 per cent.”

From a viewability point of view, location also played a huge part and within APAC there was almost a 20 per cent different between markets. Viewability scores were as low as 62 per cent in Australia but rose to 81 per cent in South Korea and Thailand.

Another purpose of the report was to look at how drastically video was changing, with many screens and devices being used to consume the content. Likewise, brands are shifting to many different ways to buy video, either via auctions or reserved.

Google said there had been an increase in brands and publishers turning to programmatic direct as a way of buying ads. Overall, Google says programmatic video buys increased 30x on its platforms last year.

"A few years ago, advertisers turned to programmatic advertising because it offered an affordable way to reach their audiences at scale across the digital web. While TV remained a premium media buy made directly between publisher and advertiser, programmatic advertising was the opposite - cost efficient and auction-based.

The data featured in our State of Play report shows how programmatic video is bringing together the things brands love about digital with what they love about TV. Access to high quality inventory and private marketplaces are both attractive options for brands investing in programmatic video ads," said a Google spokesperson.