For years now, issues with disappointing rates of viewability for most types of ads has been a major concern for brands and marketers. With a viewability rate for some types of ads coming in at below 50%, it is clear why there is so much attention given tot his subject. A new study released by the World Federation of Advertisers, however, has found that while the viewability rates are still lower than most would like to see, there is some modest improvement.
When comparing the viewability of more than 20 of the largest ad markets (for both mobile and desktop), the study found that display ads had their viewability go up by .6%. This is small to be sure, but at least it is a move in the right direction.
For video ads, the numbers were somewhat more significant, bringing in a 4% increase. The level of improvement also varies widely based on which market is being looked at. Norway, for example, has the biggest improvement, with a bump of 16% over the year.
When one considers the fact that brands are spending billions of dollars per year on their digital marketing, even these relatively small percentage increases can lead to huge savings.
Matt Green, who works with the World Federation of Advertisers, said, “Global viewability levels associated with the MRC’s definition of 50 per cent of surface area are not advancing particularly fast, but we expect this to change as more global marketers and national advertiser associations specify a higher basic viewability threshold. Ultimately, brands should be able to trade on whatever viewability level delivers the required outcome at the right cost. It’s worth also remembering that viewability is important but ultimately meaningless if the ‘viewer’ was not human. Advertisers should seek to ensure that all impressions are viewable, seen by a human and in a brand-safe environment.”