World's largest ad media firm in beta trials for 100% viewability

The world's largest ad media firm, GroupM, has signed a deal with Twitter in a bid to deliver 100% viewability in its ad campaigns, with beta trials for clients Paramount Pictures and Kathmandu set to track viewability across all Twitter services including video ads. The results will be analysed using a set of ROI metrics including Twitter's performance relative to other marketing channels. The media firm also joined forces with Moat earlier in 2016 to monitor viewability, brand safety and the risk of fraud and claims to have analysed 2.6 billion lines of viewability data per month over the last 18 months.

GroupM has joined forces with Twitter to kick off beta trials of its first 100 per cent viewability campaigns on the social media platform.

The trial is being rolled out with initial clients, Paramount Pictures and Kathmandu, and will see the agency tracking viewability across all Twitter ad products, including video. Findings will then be analysed against a range of ROI measures, including Twitter’s performance against expectations and other channels.

GroupM announced earlier this year that it was committed to lifting ad viewability standards for its clients and partnered with verification firm, Moat, to track viewability as well as brand safety and ad fraud.

GroupM said it had analysed 2.6 billion lines of viewability data per month for the past 18 months in its global quest, and is working with a host of publishers, including Ninemsn, MCN and Guardian, to ensure ads meet its stricter definitions.

As of 1 January, the group has stated that digital ads must be within view and on screen for at least one second in order to be counted as viewable. When it comes to video ads, at least half of the video must be played in order to gain the same viewable stamp.

“The importance here for GroupM is the fact that this is a third-party accreditation and it has to be; players can’t be the referees,” said GroupM’s head of digital, John Miskelly. “This deep and independent insight into the data strengthens GroupM’s position in regards to viewability and will give our clients yet another unfair advantage to further boost the performance of all their campaigns.”

Ad viewability has become a major focal point for the industry as digital marketing effectiveness and optimisation become a reality through technology and programmatic buying. According to this year’s Media Quality report for Australia by Integral Ad Science, only 42 per cent of the local inventory can be classified as viewable.

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