Meet Viewify, a cutting-edge SaaS solution that harnesses the power of machine learning to dynamically optimize ad auctions, resulting in an average ad viewability of 80% or higher.

Viewify is a first-of-its-kind platform designed to help publishers instantly elevate ad viewability above the crucial 80% threshold. This achievement is directly linked to improved CPMs and increased revenue streams. The best part? It promises to offer publishers immediate results without bearing the burden on their end, as Viewify’s integration is streamlined and hassle-free, requiring just a single line of javascript.

With Viewify, gone are the days of complex billing structures tied to ad loads or refresh counts, or the controversial revenue-sharing schemes adopted by many other solutions in the market. Publishers only incur charges when the tool loads on their pages, regardless of the number of ads present, granting them the freedom to concentrate on creating exceptional content, driving user engagement, and maintaining a seamless user experience.

We spoke with Deke Hooper, CEO of diDNA to delve deeper into the features and benefits of the SSP’s new offering, Viewify. We’ll explore how this tool is reshaping how publishers implement and utilize ad tech while unraveling the broader implications for the advertising ecosystem. 

Yakira Young: In what ways can publishers witness an instant enhancement in their viewability metrics by utilizing Viewify?

Deke Hooper: The core technology that makes Viewify so effective is how it optimizes two important (yet often overlooked) metrics: lazy load and ad refresh.

When lazy load is deployed incorrectly or not deployed at all, all ads on a page load immediately, regardless of whether they are on the site, driving down viewability and reducing CPMs based on those signals. 

Enabling Viewify, which includes diDNA’s Enhanced Lazy Load with header bidding through methods like active tab monitoring and viewport proximity, allows for more efficient resource allocation by only triggering auction and render requests for ads when the user’s viewport is close to the ad location, resulting in improved performance by reducing unnecessary network requests and rendering.

Ad refresh acts similarly. While it’s a fantastic revenue opportunity when not set up correctly it can have the opposite effect by refreshing out-of-view ads, reducing viewability, and hurting the overall monetization goals. Intelligent Ad Refresh is part of Viewify that considers Google policy for TTLs, runs tests in the background, and identifies the highest revenue correlated to refresh, with smart timers that optimize by device and ranges.

YY: How does Viewify offer publishers the flexibility to tailor their approach, whether at a granular or global level?

DH: Publishers using Viewify typically fall into one of two categories:

1. Ad Ops and Programmatic Teams who want a tool that works out of the box, maximizing time to value and leveraging diDNA’s smart presets to optimize ad inventory.
2. Teams who want more control and want to customize and build their own rules to find incremental revenue opportunities.

Viewify users typically fall into the first category in the current media landscape. They’re under pressure to do more and hit ad revenue targets with fewer resources. Viewify is a trusted solution to quickly and easily get more out of their existing inventory and automatically do the work for them. 

For teams that want to dig deeper, a powerful customization layer built into the Viewify Editor gives ad tech pros ample opportunity to test and optimize specifics to their site. Users can manually set refresh ranges, lazy load settings, ad render settings, and more, and can be segmented by device type, geo, and user, among others.

Here’s a concrete example: let’s say you’re a publisher who runs a mix of programmatic open market and higher-value direct campaigns. You may want to increase your refresh time on the direct campaigns, or even disable refresh entirely. Doing so generally leads to a higher click-through rate and lower average CPCs, two common KPIs for direct campaigns. To make that happen with Viewify, you simply enter the line item and customize the settings yourself. All other line items would continue to operate with the global settings while optimizing the specific campaign as needed.

YY: We noticed a senior programmatic director in the sports industry expressing his conviction that Viewify is indispensable for his publication. Are you receiving similar feedback from other publisher partners?

DH: We’re hearing a ton of positive feedback from early adopters of Viewify. From positive viewability data and revenue trends to ease of deployment and getting started, overall feedback has been extremely productive.

We implemented Viewify on one of the largest gaming publisher sites in the country last month. The day we turned it on, average viewability increased by 86% and has held steady ever since. Fill rate has increased by 14%, and we’ve seen an average CPM increase of 24%.

One thing to keep in mind is that the core tech that powers Viewify has been packaged as part of our “full stack” monetization program for years now. Thousands of publishers have already benefited from the tool, and we hope for thousands more in the future.

YY: What sets Viewify apart from other solutions in the market?

DH: Simplicity, time to value, and how it increases the value of existing ad inventory.

Simplicity: A single line of javascript installed in the site’s header is all a publisher needs to start. It can be set up and ready to go in less time than it takes to read this paragraph. Once installed, the smart presets are enough to get started and start seeing results instantly. The default settings work so well that many publishers do just that: install Viewify, set it, see the results, and forget it.

Time to value: Viewify integrates directly with a publisher’s existing header bidding strategy and starts optimizing the ad auction the second it’s turned on. Viewability increases within minutes, followed by CPMs and ad revenue.

More valuable ad inventory:  We’ve seen a direct correlation between viewability and CPMs. Low viewability indicates a lower-quality website in both the programmatic ad auction and with higher-value direct deals and PMP campaigns. The overall goal of Viewify is to make inventory more valuable and thus drive up CPMs and revenue. We’ve found viewability to be one of the biggest opportunities to make a significant and immediate impact. Many publishers have viewability numbers in the 40-60% range. Bringing that up to 80% can make a big difference.

The implementation structure and terms are a new approach to the traditional ad tech platforms. We offer qualifying publishers a 30-day free trial to test the tool without taking on risk or long-term contracts. Once a publisher sees the results from Viewify, it’s really hard for them to hit the same performance metrics without it.

Our goal here is to offer publishers flexibility and transparency – neither of which are historically very common in the ad tech space.

YY: How do you envision the trajectory of Viewify over the next five years?

DH: Viewify is the first of a number of SaaS-style tools that complement our roadmap in the next one-five years. We want to be part of moving the industry towards giving publishers more control and customization over their toolkits.

Our new tools will follow a similar structure, focusing on simplicity, speed, and customization. 

YY: Is there any additional information or insights you would like to share about Viewify?

DH: The Viewify engine determines why, when, and how often ads will show based on performance, user behavior, and auction signals — creating a unique user experience every time. 

Minimum thresholds for high-value direct deals, open market, and PMP campaigns are typically 70%. By increasing viewability, publishers can access premium advertisers, ultimately increasing brand value and ad revenue. In addition to optimizing programmatic and open market campaigns, implementing Viewify will help a publisher’s direct sales team sell on higher core metrics, increasing deal sizes and driving more ad revenue.

The post Publishers, Get the Flexibility and Transparency You Need With Viewify appeared first on AdMonsters.

Attention metrics are gaining traction, but one fundamental aspect that continues to hold significant value for advertisers is viewability. While advertisers recognize the importance of capturing users’ attention, ensuring their ads are viewable remains a top priority.

Viewability refers to the measurement of whether users see an ad. In the past, publishers could generate revenue solely by placing ads on their websites, irrespective of whether those ads received any views. However, the landscape has transformed dramatically, and advertisers now emphasize viewable impressions. Publishers need to comprehend how the costs of impressions are measured to monetize their digital ad inventory effectively.

To be considered viewable, an ad must meet specific criteria. According to industry standards, an ad is viewable if at least 50% of its pixels are visible on the user’s screen for at least one second. 

But how do you measure viewability correctly? 

vCPM: The Cost of a Thousand Viewable Impressions

Calculating the value of viewable impressions is where vCPM (viewable cost per mille) comes into play. vCPM represents the cost of a thousand viewable impressions, indicating the number of people who see the ads on a web page. It provides advertisers with a clear understanding of the value they are getting from their advertising investments.

While CPM measures the cost per thousand impressions, regardless of their viewability, vCPM focuses solely on viewable impressions. By leveraging vCPM, advertisers can make informed decisions and allocate their budgets more effectively, optimizing their ROI.

To bid on vCPM, advertisers must be aware of the ad’s visibility percentage and the count of viewable impressions, as these factors determine the resulting vCPM. The total vCPM is determined after deducting any portion of the ad that remains outside the screen, rendering it invisible to viewers.

Attention Vs. Viewability

As the industry ushers in the cookieless era, publishers and advertisers also preach the importance of attention metrics. While creating viewability for your ad is essential, some argue it’s losing relevance because it “simply represents a measure of an opportunity for an ad to be seen – not whether a viewer actually saw an ad.” 

Attention metrics grew in prominence because of the lessening popularity of identifiers and the increased difficulty of gaining consumer attention because of the oversaturation of ads online. Brands measure attention metrics through viewability, creative size, interaction, ad position, time of day, publisher or program, audibility, page clutter, device frequency, and eye tracking. Viewability metrics are still vital to understanding attention metrics, so brands need robust measurement tools for viewability. 

The Publisher Benefit

Enhancing viewability and vCPM is a crucial objective for publishers aiming to maximize ad revenue. Several strategies can help improve viewability metrics: 

• Ad Placement Optimization: Placing ads in strategic positions on a web page, such as above the fold or within the user’s natural line of sight, increases the likelihood of viewability.
• Responsive Design: Implementing responsive website design ensures that ads adapt to various screen sizes and resolutions, allowing for a seamless user experience across devices.
• Ad Formats and Sizes: Choosing ad formats and sizes that align with the website’s layout and content enhances visibility and engagement, driving higher viewability rates.
• Page Load Speed: Optimizing page load times reduces user abandonment and increases the chances of ads being viewed before users navigate away from the site.
• Ad Fraud Prevention: Implementing robust ad fraud detection and prevention measures safeguards viewability by eliminating fraudulent or non-human traffic that artificially inflates impressions.

By implementing these strategies, publishers can elevate their viewability metrics, positively impacting vCPM and attracting higher-quality advertisers to prioritize viewable impressions.

Understanding the concept of viewability, measuring it through vCPM, and implementing strategies to enhance viewability benefit publishers in terms of increased ad revenue and ensure advertisers receive the value they seek from their digital advertising investments. As the industry continues to evolve, keeping a keen eye on viewability will be instrumental in driving success for both publishers and advertisers in the digital advertising ecosystem.

The post What is vCPM and How Does It Relate to Viewability? appeared first on AdMonsters.

The streaming era of television has drastically changed how consumers watch content and, therefore, how advertising works. There are many streaming channels now — the doors that Netflix opened — and plenty of consumers have subscriptions to several platforms. But how are they able to afford them all? 

For the past fifty years, the video industry used a dual revenue-stream model. This meant that TV networks and pay-TV operators shared the revenue consumers paid for subscriptions and the revenue generated from ads. Then the rise of Netflix’s ad-free platform birthed the streaming dynasty, opening a gamut of questions about the future of advertising in television. 

Meanwhile, Hulu and other streaming services began offering ad-supported options at a lower price, which also led to the rise of the FASTS, and the popularity of the option showed that it was viable. It begged the question of which ad-supported tier would become the industry standard.

One of the original appeals of streaming was ad-free content, but as the streaming medium became oversaturated, ad-supported tiers became a tactical revenue stream. As the streaming wars waged on for three years, lower-cost ad-supported plans “have provided consumers with the ability to afford more services with their entertainment wallet.” 

The growth of ad-supported plans has grown exponentially over five years. By the end of Q1 of 2023, ad-supported streaming made up one-fourth of SVOD subscriptions. 

The Big Four: “Ad Avoiders,” “Ad Takers,” “Ad Managers,” and “Ad Oblivious.”

The popularity of ad-supported subscriptions is undeniable, but the statistics vary based on the streaming platform. For example, two out of three subscribers that signed up for Peacock in Q1 of 2023 chose the ad-supported plan. On the other hand, only one-fifth of subscribers signed up for the ad-supported tier on HBO Max and Netflix.

But why are consumers making these choices? 

Antenna, the subscriber measurement company, created four consumer categories to understand consumer choice: Ad Avoiders, Ad Takers, Ad Managers, and Ad Oblivious. 

Ad Avoider: This segment of subscribers always chooses an ad-free plan. Platforms presented them with an ad-free and ad-supported tier, and they always chose the former. 

Ad Taker: This segment was presented with both options and chose the ad-supported tier. 

Ad Manager: They mix and match both ad-free and ad-supported tiers.

Ad Oblivious: They have not yet signed up for a service where advertising was an option.

Ad Choice Segmentations (All Subscribers) 

This idea of ad choice in CTV is a fairly new concept. Three years ago, 64% of U.S. video streaming subscribers were Ad Oblivious because platforms never presented them with a streaming service with an ad-supported subscription tier. Now the number is down to 32%, a significant drop. 

The upcoming years will be vital for determining the future role of advertising in subscription-supported streaming. This is the first time the CTV industry is offering this amount of ad-supported streaming content, and platforms will need to take this time to understand if consumers bought into the value proposition of advertising, especially as one-third of subscribers remain Ad Oblivious. 

If you put aside the Ad Oblivious segment and focus on the two-thirds of subscribers who made a choice, 58% of Americans chose advertising either some or all the time they had the option. However, Ad Avoiders are the largest single segment at 42%. 

The Ad Manager portion, in which subscribers filter back and forth between both options, might be the way of the future. The Ad Manager portion is small, but there is room for exponential growth. 

“By definition, a consumer can’t be considered an Ad Manager until one has made the ad choice at least two times. If we isolate only the consumers who have been faced with the ad choice two or more times, a fascinating story emerges: 71% of these Americans have chosen advertising at least once. And nearly one-in-two are Ad Managers. Consumers are not only learning to choose whether or not they want ads, but they are also learning to decide on a service-by-service basis,” wrote Antenna. 

There’s room for both ad-free and ad-supported services in the future. The data shows that it depends on the platform. 

The post The Subscription Economy, The Streaming War, and Ad-Supported Media appeared first on AdMonsters.

Kroger Precision Marketing made waves in the ad tech industry as a pioneer in retail media. And, they are determined to expand their  impact further. 

Last week, Kroger’s retail media operation announced the  launch of an in-house self-service ad platform. The platform was designed to ease advertisers’ ability to activate, measure and optimize their campaigns and improve their customers’ overall experience. 

But that’s just the beginning. Plans are in motion to expand the platform’s capabilities to service their entire retail media service portfolio which means a more unified marketing strategy for brands. We spoke with Michael Schuh, VP of Media Strategy at KPM, to understand the origins of the new platform, how they put consumers’ needs first and plans for future-proofing their ad platform. 

Andrew Byrd: What motivated Kroger to develop its proprietary self-service ad platform?

Michael Schuh: We created the in-house ad platform because we’re obsessed with optimizing the customer experience. We designed our diverse portfolio of ad products to help brands engage with our customers no matter how they consume media. We’ve been on a journey for five and a half years since launching KPM. 

Our parent organization at 84.51°, the data science company of Kroger, gave us an incredible foundation of data science that we’re excited to deploy on our platform. It will improve the content that our customers see when they visit Kroger.com or the Kroger app. The scale and speed with which we can deploy that data science to improve customer experiences will only increase as we build in-house capabilities versus leveraging third-party partners.  

AB: Regarding creating a great consumer experience, the ad tech industry is in a privacy reckoning. How are you thinking about that when creating the ad platform? I know that with your retail media network, you have plenty of customer first-party data. Still, I’m curious how you deal with transparency and privacy protection concerning your customer data. 

MS: We built our ad platform to be consumer-first. We empower and encourage our customers to make informed choices about whether they wish to receive tailored ads and personalized offers. We provide clear information about how customers can opt out of such advertising. Most customers feel that personalized offers and fuel points make their shopping easier. That’s why our loyalty program has a high participation rate: 96% of Kroger sales are connected to loyalty accounts.  

AB: Can you explain how advertisers create and launch campaigns on Kroger’s ad platform?

MS: As a self-service advertising platform, advertisers will have lots of flexibility to control the process. Initial capabilities will allow clients to: 

• Reach relevant audiences using search-based insights and custom ad groups.
• Design, iterate, and activate creative messages within the platform.
• Customize and save multiple creative templates by brand and product.
• Optimize all campaign elements, including budgets, messaging, and flighting.
• Build reports and boost performance against deterministic retail data – including sales lift, household penetration, and unit lift.  

The new platform will also pave the way for greater interoperability with other media activation and management software. Advertisers using third-party management tools like Pacvue and Skai will still manage inventory through those platforms.

We’ll own the platform and deploy capabilities like data science, onsite inventory, and new inventory types. We will then surface new capabilities to help brands activate across our entire suite of ad products.

We’ll start to onboard existing clients over the next couple of months. We’ll have beta clients on the platform within the next 60 days or so. Then we’ll move to our full launch. We’re already working on features and functionality to enhance the platform. We will connect with third-party bid management platforms – like Pacvue and Skai – to help brands buy across onsite display and search.

AB: What are the future plans for Kroger’s self-service ad platform? Are there any upcoming features or expansions on the horizon?

MS: As part of this first release, we will maintain our relationship with bid management platforms like Skai and Pacvue. We’ll continue to innovate with partners to enhance our suite of metrics. Part of the reason advertisers are investing in retail media is because of the ability to close the loop and improve performance. It is not limited to performance metrics. We can also show how a campaign drove new buyers or category share. The new platform will increase how we optimize these metrics. 

Retail media is not just about setting the campaign and forgetting it. This platform will enable brands to see real-time data and optimize between different ad placements, creative types, or products. The result is a better customer experience with the brand content. 

The post Kroger Precision Marketing’s In-House Ad Platform Finesses Customer Experience appeared first on AdMonsters.

You can’t control the cards life deals you, but you can control how you play the game. 

Mike Richter’s experience is a testament to that as he navigated his childhood in NC, pursued a hairstylist and make-up artist career, and ventured into the ad tech industry. His mantra, “that every moment we live through leads us to the path we are on right now,” has kept him thriving through hardship and success. 

In this current era — marked by a recession and a two-month break in Europe — Richter is still working toward defining the next chapter in his book, but he is optimistic about what the future holds. 

“Part of what has helped me build my superpowers is going through adversity,” said Richter. “We all have superpowers. Everybody’s collection of superpowers is unique to their experiences and what they’ve learned from them. My superpowers come from my experiences. They come from me learning through the path that I’m taking and the steps I choose to take. It informs me of how to move forward in the future and allows me to be me.”

Andrew Byrd: Can you give me a little background on where you grew up, your childhood and how that influenced you today?

Mike Richter: I always refer to myself as a first-generation Southerner. I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. My dad and mom came from the North — the Bronx and Philly. 

I always pushed convention and worked against the status quo, even as young as two or three. I would have fun fashions where I would not leave the house if I didn’t have two different color crew socks and so on. 

Especially so in high school, as I discovered that I was gay. When I came out of the closet, I joined GLSEN. I pioneered the initiative that formed the first GSA in Charlotte, North Carolina; most schools in the city now have one. I constantly work to try to make the world a better place or a more accessible place for others that experience similar adversity. 

AB: Did the adversity halt you from coming out? 

MR: No, I dealt with that adversity for a long time. Did that adversity lead me to be more apprehensive about coming out? A little bit. But it also gave me the thick skin needed to come out to my mom and dad, who were super supportive. 

Today, as I stand in Paris on the eve of my 35th birthday, I feel so much more accomplished than I ever thought I would be at this point in my life. I loved all the experiences that I’ve had despite some of the adversity I went through. 

AB: How did you start working in ad tech? 

MR: Just like everyone in ad tech, it just happened. Nobody chose to work in the ad tech industry that I know of because nobody goes to school for it. It’s something that you discover and become part of, and it’s an industry that, once you become part of it, it’s one that you generally don’t want to leave. Because it’s exciting, and it’s fun, and it’s different, and the people are amazing. And it’s something that I’m thankful to be a part of every day.

I originally went to school for marketing, but I never finished. Then I started to pursue a career as a hairstylist and makeup artist, but that career was halted after dealing with a significant change. I was diagnosed with HIV, and I felt lost. Maybe if I had been aware of some of the various programs we have today, I would have made a different decision, but life turned out the way it was supposed to. Every moment we go through in life leads us on the path we’re on right now, and that was mine. I eventually decided to go back to school and finish my degree. As I was finishing, I got the opportunity to start selling ads at a local television station.

Thank you to those that believed in me during that time and gave me the chance to start my career. A special shout-out to Tiffany, you know you are. From there, one thing led to another, and I learned about the local TV and digital industry. Then, one random day, I saw that the company I worked for had opened up a new division called Premion in New York City. I put my name in the hat for it and joined the team. From there, it has been a super fun rollercoaster of nonstop UPS downs, twists, and turns.

AB: I wanted to ask how you started working in CTV, but you’ve been working in the TV space since the start of your ad tech career. As someone who has watched it develop over time, where do you see the space evolving over the next few years? 

MR: CTV first came out because people wanted to change how they consume TV. People were unhappy with how they consumed TV for several different reasons. They could not control what they were watching, it cost too much money, or they saw more ads than content on some other channels. So, the control started with new technologies that allow people to watch video on demand, also known as VOD, which opened up a whole new world for the audience. It gave them a choice of when and how they could watch their content.

In the early 2010s, technology was already out because the first Roku was sold in 2001, but took over a decade before this started taking off. Twenty years ago, they didn’t have the means to support the vast consumption that people will utilize today. In addition, smart televisions and devices weren’t easily affordable. Now they are, which allows people to access them and start consuming television how they want to see it, either with fewer or no ads, and choosing the content they want. But many people still need access to a high stream, high capacity, or high-speed broadband. 

People look at CTV versus traditional TV and the difference in how it’s delivered. What about the difference in how it’s packaged and accessed, not through the hardware or the pathways, but the packaging in which we pay for it?

Do I see CTV continuing to take off? Yes, that’s inevitable. But that’s not the important factor. The important factor is how we distribute it. That’s what governs how we advertise within apps and how we monetize it.

AB: As you know, change is constant in the ad tech industry and the recession has forced many to change their career path at a sudden notice. I know it took a lot of vulnerability to share your story on LinkedIn. What do you make of this time in the industry and your own personal experience with it? Where are you hoping this time takes you? 

MR: I’m grateful to be fortunate enough that despite losing my job, I am hopeful about the future. I can support myself and Finn and take the time to live in Europe for two months to take a break. I am still determining what to make of this time. It goes back to what I said earlier. You can’t control the path that you’re on, but you can control the steps that you take.

The thing I love most about this industry is the people. I’ve made some fantastic friends, some of whom I call family, but this industry is like a family. This industry will show up and put back into you what you put into it. After making the announcement on LinkedIn, I started talking to mentors and friends who gave me advice, guidance, and confidence that helped lift me up.

And so to all of my friends, colleagues, former team members, future team members, and partners in the space, thank you. Thank you for contributing to every step in my career, from the debut to the end, but it’s not over yet. This is simply a cliff-hanging chapter, and it’s not the end of the book. Be on the lookout for new ventures ahead because exciting things are in the works. 

The post Ad Tech Veteran Mike Richter: The Power of Community and the Power Built From Experience appeared first on AdMonsters.

Let’s be honest; does anyone read the terms and conditions when they sign up for an app or streaming service? 

On June 15, Black Mirror dropped the episodes to its highly anticipated sixth season, and the first episode, “Joan is Awful,” raised paranoia around what streaming services ask for in their Terms of Service (ToS). 

[Spoiler alert] 

When the episode starts, Joan makes a series of morally questionable decisions, including firing a work friend and meeting up with an ex-boyfriend behind her fiance’s back. After she comes home from work, Joan and her fiance Crish search the fictional streaming service “Streamberry” for a show to watch when they come across Joan is Awful. Joan watches in horror as the events of her day play out on the TV show, which subsequently causes her life to fall into complete chaos — her fiance leaves her, viewers villainize her on social media, and her company fires her.  

After consulting a lawyer, Joan learns that Streamberry has rights to her private information and life events to create content for the show since she signed them over in the Terms and Conditions. 

The ad tech community is well-versed in discussions surrounding privacy ethics, consumer protection, and consumer targeting. Still, this episode caused quite a debate about how platforms collect consumer data. No one will wake up tomorrow with a Netflix series about their life, but what are the real-world implications of this episode? 

@realfandcmfigures always read the terms & conditions #blackmirror #joanisawful #fyp ♬ original sound – Fandcmfigures

The Privacy Reckoning and Consumer Choice

Consumer choice is one of the most critical aspects of privacy ethics. Generally, a privacy policy gives consumers “notice about how their personal information will be collected, used, and shared and then informs the consumer what “choices” they have.” Platforms then ask consumers to agree to the policies to use the service. 

However, the structure is flawed because the notice of choice fails to protect the audience’s privacy. It puts the burden of privacy on the consumer, who is most likely unaware of how these systems and standards work. How is their choice when they don’t have all the facts? 

In the episode, the CEO of Streamberry took advantage of this notion to use their subscriber’s information for content. When Joan signed up for Streamberry, I’m sure she would have thought twice about agreeing to the ToS if she knew the platform would use her personal life for content without proper consent. 

Further in the episode, Streamberry’s CEO explains to a journalist that they decided to create shows centered around their audience to create more content tailored toward them. Joan’s show was only the start. She revealed that they tested out shows for each of their subscribers which meant every consumer’s data was up for grabs.  

Publishers and advertisers have broken consumer trust for years, and the only way to rebuild that trust is to put the consumer’s needs first. It’s about walking the fine line between making content relevant and being transparent with your audience to respect privacy ethics. 

“Privacy consent is at the core of a publisher’s relationship with their visitors,” said Dan Rua, CEO, Admiral. “The strongest relationships are built on mutual trust. As such, privacy consent shouldn’t be a silo run by lawyers, separate from thinking about engagement across the full visitor relationship journey.”

Tailoring Content For the Consumer

In the ad tech industry, ad ops professionals use all types of consumer targeting practices with one goal: getting the correct content to the right consumer. The goal was always to give consumers a great user experience, but over the years, regulators criticized publishers and advertisers for some of their targeting practices. 

For instance, the third-party cookie — on its way out entirely in 2024 — was criticized for collecting and utilizing consumer data without transparency and choice. Before the cookie pop-up notification became standard practice, websites used cookies to collect and share consumer information without their knowledge. Although even after they knew what cookies did, many were unaware of how platforms shared their data. 

Web browsers like Firefox and Safari have stopped using cookies, but Google is still working to weed them out. They are currently testing the privacy sandbox, which aims to undo years of persistent cookie tracking of users on their journeys across the web and mobile.

The ad tech community is working towards reconciling their past mistakes with privacy ethics. Regulators and government officials created laws such as the GDPR and state-level laws such as California’s CCPA to combat some of these exploitative practices. Apple also made privacy measures within its framework to help set standards for transparency and consent — Hide My Email and Apple ATT. 

These laws are coming full circle as brands face a rising number of lawsuits and fines if they don’t comply with the updated privacy regulations. This past week the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) fined Criteo €40M ($44 Million) for breaching the GDPR’s laws. While Criteo asserted that their breach of privacy was not deliberate, the regulation pushed them to improve their data collection practices. 

“Shifting our mindset from notice and choice will not be easy and will require agreement in an ecosystem of competing interests,” wrote Jessica B. Lee, Partner, Co-Chair, Privacy, Security & Data Innovations at Loeb & Loeb LLP. “However, in the long term, both consumers and businesses may benefit from this change.”

The post Black Mirror’s Joan is Awful: The Implications of Privacy Ethics, Consumer Choice and Tailoring Content appeared first on AdMonsters.

Businesses must understand which platforms best reach Gen Z, and what makes them a unique audience. But most importantly, they must learn how to build a system of trust with that audience. 

Research shows that publishers are already considering this. In 2018, Nielsen released research examining how Canadian publishers were doing at understanding and reaching Gen Z as an audience. Long story short, the industry was struggling. The audience insight company studied Gen Z Canadians aged 13-17, and the results showed that accounting for all cumulative ad campaigns, about 90% of impressions missed the target audience. 

While the industry’s tactics need some work, there are those working for improvement. For example, Gen Z-owned consulting firm JUV Consulting, founded by Ziad Ahmed, assists publishers and advertisers in connecting with Gen Z audiences. 

“I started the company because I realized everyone was making decisions about Gen Z, but none of us were at the table making these decisions,” said Ahmed. 

JUV Consulting: The Decision Makers

Ziad Ahmed founded JUV Consulting when he was a junior in high school. He received opportunities from his non-profit Redefy, an organization committed to equality, that allowed Ahmed to enter the rooms of decision-makers, politicians, and industry leaders. He realized that many were talking about the younger generation, but they weren’t talking to them directly or considering their point of view. 

“My junior year of high school, I got into consulting with this idea that I believe the world is better with equality at the table,” said Ahmed. “And we’ve been fighting to make that a welcome provision for the last seven years, and that’s what we do at JUV consulting.” 

What started as three high school students launching a business has transformed into a consulting company of 100 strategic consultants and creative freelancers, all between the ages of 14-23. All-encompassing the demographic they advocate for — Gen Z. With many services such as brand positioning, campaign strategy, and social media audits, they are better positioned to understand Gen Z’s perspectives and needs as an audience. JUV has worked with brands such as BET, Unilever, and VF Group, who all assert that the digital marketing agency helped their campaigns connect better with Gen Z. 

“VF and our top global brands (Vans, Jansport, North Face, etc.) have gained valuable perspective from JUV consulting,” said Kent Bassett, VP of Global Consumer and Shopper Insights, VF Group. “JUV’s deep understanding of the Gen Z consumer has informed brand strategy, campaign development, and HR strategy at VF.” 

Who is Gen Z?

Generation Z encompasses people born between 1997 and 2012, but how are they unique as an audience? 

Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, which informs their ideology as an audience. Also, their era is unique since this is the first audience age demographic to be truly immersed in digital. As a generation, Gen Z doesn’t remember a time before social media, smartphones, or the internet. 

“Gen Z is distinct because of these life moments. And so subsequently, Gen Z has pushed on this idea of pluralism and intersectionality,” said Ahmed. “There’s a sense that who we are is much larger than ourselves as individuals, but who we are as a collective. It is central to how Gen Z navigates the world because we are exposed to many stories and realities, and humans have so much contact. The exposure to the information and the diversity of that information has made our generation much more intersectional in our thinking.” 

Brand market research backs this claim. Most Gen Z consumers say they trust brands that have similar values, sustain ethical standards, and do good for the world. They expect brands to contribute to the betterment of society, and 61% of Gen Z consumers said they would pay more for products if brands produced them in sustainable and ethical ways. 

Gen Z is also in tune with privacy concerns. While most Gen Z says they are fine with brands collecting their personal data, they urge brands to be transparent about how they use it. This is a sentiment the ad tech community is keenly aware of. 

How are Publishers Attempting to Reach Gen Z? 

In 2018, the results were grim for publishers hoping to connect with Gen Z audiences, but what does the data say now? 

According to Digiday’s State of Publishers Audiences survey, the results fluctuate, and to this day, publishers are invested in engaging with this audience. About 47% of publishers in the survey said that Gen Z makes up more than 41% of their audience. On the other hand, the results say publishers are missing opportunities to build long-term relationships with them. 

On the other hand, some publishers are getting it right. For example, Blavity launched Blavity U in 2021 to reach Gen Z audiences. While their media company initially targeted Black millennials, they wanted to create content that resonated with the younger generation. With the launch of Blavity U, Blavity reaches about 250 million Black and multicultural millennials and Gen Z each month. 

Blavity also engages with Gen Z via the social channels that resonate with them most. “Our brands are regularly creating content on TikTok and YouTube for this audience,” said Gina Perino, VP Ad Operations and Strategy, Blavity. 

“At the older end of Gen Z are early career professionals who are establishing roots and making purchasing decisions that will influence their spending habits for years to come. They are more likely to engage with brands online and are more likely to make purchases through digital channels. Not engaging with this generation is a missed opportunity,” she added.

Another publisher, Brainly, built a core demographic of Gen Z consumers. A massive part of that success is the app’s function — it helps students answer homework questions — but it highlights a good point. Publishers must understand and cater to consumers’ needs. 

“Gen-Z leans into platforms that provide some kind of value related to their day-to-day needs and preferences, whether that is for entertainment relief in Tiktok or other social media, social gaming with friends, or engaging with a learning community and studying on educational apps like Brainly,” said Willaim Won, Senior Director, Sales Operations, Brainly.

Won also acknowledges brand safety concerns when targeting Gen Z, under 18. Brainly’s safety tactics are conservative regarding collecting and using this demographic data for measurement, deployment, and targeting purposes. This is especially important as the federal government is becoming stricter with how publishers aggregate data from minors. 

For segmenting and contextual targeting, Brainly ensures to differentiate the needs of young Gen Z who are still in school and those who are joining the workforce. 

“It’s an interesting audience to reach because younger Gen Z is likely still in school and studying for exams, while the older end of the Gen Z spectrum may be on the job hunt and in the early stages of their careers, and so you can’t have a generalized approach with your messaging,” said Won. 

The post Gen Z: The Intersectional Generation and the Future of Digital Media appeared first on AdMonsters.

At the beginning of the year, President Biden declared a call to action during his State of the Union address to set “clear limits on how companies collect, use and share highly personal data.” It included your internet history, communications, location, health, genetic and biometric data. 

On the other hand, ad industry groups, while supporters of federal privacy regulations, announced they would oppose rules that broadly restricted ad targeting. They asserted that privacy regulations should distinguish between harmful and responsible data collection practices. 

What are the consumers’ views? 

To find the answer, Secure Data Recovery conducted a study to find out which apps American consumers trust least with their data collection practices. They discovered that women’s health apps are the least trusted with data, and around 61% of people surveyed deleted an app because of data collection and privacy concerns. 

Survey Says: “Ovia, You’re in Danger Girl” 

Downloading an app to your phone and uploading your data is a process that only takes a couple of minutes and clicks. 

Consumers often negate the concerns of sharing their data due to the ease of the process, but they should consider what data they are sharing and whom they are sharing it with. From something like an email address to your location, apps often use and distribute this data without consumer knowledge. 

Although, data distribution is a normal part of the consumer and publisher value exchange. The key is developing trust with your consumer. A crucial factor that women’s health apps need help to gain. The distrust could be related to the social shift surrounding the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision.

Based on the data, more women reported having concerns with the data these apps collect than the number of people who use the apps. Ovia, a pregnancy and baby tracking app caused the most concern. It edged out banking, dating, and social media apps regarding distrust. 

Next in line for concern was security apps. While the purpose of these apps is to make consumers feel more secure, they have the opposite effect. American consumers are more concerned about the data these security apps track. Security apps, Nest and Ring, ranked in the top 10 for most concerned. 

Survey Says: Storage, Email and Social Apps are Most Trusted

The respondents said they are the least concerned about Dropbox’s data usage. The social media apps, Youtube and Reddit, and email apps, Outlook and Gmail, were right behind. The top 8 apps with the least concern were:  

• Dropbox
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Outlook
• Firefox
• Target
• Gmail
• Google Maps

Secure Data Recovery acknowledged that the types of cell phones consumers use influence these stats. More Android users (58%) said they were conscious about their app’s data use, whereas IOS users (44%) were less concerned. In fact, over half of IOS users surveyed in the study said they stopped worrying about data collection.  

The result is likely due to Apple’s ATT (App Tracking Transparency). The feature allows them to opt out of app tracking. This a smart move on Apple’s part as they give the consumer some power. 

Survey Says: The Data Consumer Should Worry About

While Secure Data Recovery tracked consumers’ concerns, they added a warning that the concern about data usage and the actual data that some apps collect don’t align. The data comes from watching videos, replying to emails, or navigating around certain websites. As shown in the image above, YouTube, Target, Gmail, and Google Maps track more data than consumers know. 

On the other hand, Women’s health apps should veer on the lower edge of concern for data collection based on Secure Data Recovery’s research. Tracking a pregnancy, period, or storing health records makes users more cautious. 

Survey Says: Money Could Change Sentiments

Based on the surveys, three out of five Americans have deleted an app based on privacy and data compliance concerns. Yet, many consumers say they are open to sharing their data if compensated accordingly. Over half, about 66% of respondents, said they would be more open to data collection if companies paid for it. 

Companies like Caden, BigToken, and Reklaim have noted this advice. While it is a fledgling market, they help consumers get paid for their data. More brands should follow suit.

Read the full study here.

The post Survey Says Consumers Concerned Apps Are Mishandling Their Data appeared first on AdMonsters.

The “ad recession” forced all sides of the industry to reevaluate their business practices, and for some, that meant creating new partnerships. 

Daily Yoga experienced a slowdown in subscriber rate and challenges evaluating performance after the IOS14 update. Since the brand monetizes through its premium subscription service, it needed to gain access to audiences likely to become subscribers. Daily Yoga found a solution by utilizing AppLovin’s AppDiscovery platform. 

We chatted with Andrey Kazakov, VP of Demand at AppLovin, about the success of their partnership, the importance of user engagement, and more. 

Andrew Byrd: Daily Yoga and AppLovin created a partnership after a slowdown in subscriber acquisition. Why did you think this would be a worthwhile partnership?

Andrey Kazakov: Daily Yoga is a popular yoga teaching platform that empowers users to stay healthy with on-the-go workouts and guided meditations. This app is available on mobile phones, tablets, and TVs, and their classes serve over 60 million users across all skill levels. With the app, yogis can track their progress, participate in Daily Yoga’s community, and enjoy a selection of peaceful and serene music. 

Recommended through word of mouth, Daily Yoga began advertising on AppLovin’s AppDiscovery. AppDiscovery’s machine learning technology allowed Daily Yoga to optimize toward its most valuable down funnel event, subscriptions – despite iOS challenges. 

By acquiring subscribers at a good profit, and stable price point, Daily Yoga reached new performance heights and a sustainable scale and gained complete control and visibility into its UA profitability. On top of acquiring users that subscribe at a required rate, AppDiscovery remains a continuous source of growth as it continuously delivers new users of required quality, making it a long-term partner.

AB: User engagement is an essential part of any successful business. How did the partnership between AppLovin and Daily Yoga help improve that aspect of the daily yoga app? What new tactics did you use? 

AK: Daily Yoga saw slowing user growth with UA channels and platforms. Since Daily Yoga monetizes via its premium subscription service, they must find audiences likely to become subscribers. 

 AppDiscovery improved D0 ROAS on AppLovin by 62%, achieved 100% MoM growth, and rose US Health and Fitness rating to #16 on iOS. 

 AB: On the AppLovin website, you talk about the success of marketing on AppDiscovery. Why was this marketing tool so successful? 

AK: AppDiscovery helps developers acquire higher-quality users at the right price. AppDiscovery finds users likely to download apps with its proprietary machine learning algorithms and grow apps profitably by optimizing towards the most important metrics and goals. 

With AppDiscovery, developers can run CPP and CPE campaigns, which target based on cost and engagement-related goals. 

AB: Your partnership proved beneficial as Daily Yoga now has 60 million users. What was ONE goal that we prioritized?

AK: Using AppLovin’s AppDiscovery’s Cost Per Purchase (CPP) campaigns, Daily Yoga optimized their most valuable down funnel event, subscriptions, at a profitable, stable price. 

AB: The ad tech industry is evolving, and many companies are worried about how to reach consumers properly. What advice would you give to the industry to help engage consumers?  

 AK: Global macroeconomic changes reshape how businesses think about growth demands and create opportunities for those willing to adopt. As the mobile ecosystem evolves, advertisers will continue to get pushed to experiment with new channels to remain competitive. 

Mobile-first businesses will go beyond mobile inventory to new forms of audience reach that are novel for mobile performance, such as Connected TV. Measurement is also evolving as it takes a broader set of tools and methods – from media mix modeling to up-to-date platform support – to have a holistic view of channel portfolio performance.

The post AppLovin and Daily Yoga Collaboration Exemplifies the Importance of Partnership to Drive Revenue appeared first on AdMonsters.

For advertisers, the loss of identifiers and signals has significantly altered their campaign outcomes and KPIs. We all know this to be true, but maybe just not how much. 

Thankfully, Emodo Institute took a deep dive into the wonderful world of marketer KPIs to showcase just how dramatically they were affected by cookie and ID loss. Most notably, the study uncovered that out of all the metrics advertisers use to measure campaign effectiveness, only engagement and attention appear to be the least impacted. So maybe there’s something to the argument that attention metrics will be a key measure for advertisers once the cookie finally takes its final breath.

In a three-part study, Emodo focused on targeting and the impact of ID loss on creative. And finally, they challenged the industry to rework how they determine campaign success. In short, KPIs will need to change because measurement, attribution, signal loss, and device IDs have evolved. Here’s what the report highlights: 

• The door is open for brand categories’ KPI priorities to see severe impacts.
• The types of creative formats marketers are utilizing to achieve each KPI. 
• The effect of ID changes on agencies vs. in-house agencies. 
• The at-risk KPIs marketers have already seen affected by ID loss and more.  

“Many marketers are starting to grasp the significance of ID loss, but much of the focus tends to be on targeting,” said Megan Saunders, SVP of Global Marketing & Growth at Emodo. “The impact on measurement is potentially even more severe, but that element is not as widely understood. Advertisers need to rethink how they evaluate their campaigns’ success.” 

ID Loss’s Impact on KPIs

Emodo’s research found that marketers whose primary KPIs are online conversion, brand lift, or brand safety are more likely to experience less campaign effectiveness due to ID loss. In theory, this happens because each step requires a double opt-in. 

According to the study, “consumers have to be ID’d on the ad impression, and then subsequently on the transaction, store visit, or another measured event. Then those two events need to be matched to attribute the action to the ad impression. That means if an opt-in rate is 20%, then the double opt-in rate could be as low as 4%.” 

On the other hand, campaigns that rely on upper-funnel KPIs like reach experienced less of a negative impact due to ID loss. Only 32% of marketers measuring by reach cited impact because of ID loss. 75% of marketers measuring performance with contextual adjacency like Brand Safety cited impact due to ID loss. 

Reach: Less Effect Does Not Mean No Effect

As mentioned above, marketers who focus on reach as a KPI assert that they are less likely to experience the impact of ID loss. Yet, if you take out the magnifying glass and examine it closer, findings show that reach data is sometimes logged inaccurately. Campaign reach often looks larger than it really is because ID loss misrepresents some impressions as incremental reach. 

Reach might not be as protected as it seems because “Without ID data, impressions from the same device can’t be mapped back to each other, resulting in duplicative impressions that are inaccurately interpreted as incremental reach, creating a false sense of scale.” 

Accuracy is key and any remnants of duplicate impressions should be accounted for. Lack of precision will negatively impact your campaign and it is important that duplicated impressions are discounted. It ensures “you are using a more accurate figure for the amount of valid impressions served.”

The effect, albeit minimal, should still be examined if reach is one of your major KPIs. 

Marketers reported using reach as a KPI the most: CPG, Telecom, Consumer Electronics, and B2B.

Viewability and Brand Safety: The Effect of Companion KPIs 

KPIs like viewability and brand safety might not require an ID for measurement purposes, but they are often linked to a KPI impacted by ID changes. 

For instance, marketers focused on viewability usually have one other companion KPI, such as attention or reach. Even brand safety, a KPI that does not require a double opt-in, reports a high adverse effect of campaign quality due to ID loss because of its companion KPIs. 

Here’s what the study found:

• Viewability: 84% of agency marketers who rely on viewability say they are NOT experiencing any ID-related changes in the effectiveness of their campaigns. 
• Brand safety: 88% of brand direct marketers who rely on brand safety say they ARE experiencing ID-related changes in the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Further Considerations: There is Still Hope with ID Loss

The loss of IDs and cookies does not mean your campaigns will not be as effective as they used to be. It means it’s time to evolve how you measure campaign effectiveness. 

The Emodo study suggests three tactics to increase your opportunities: 

Flatten the funnel: Emerging formats like augmented reality and adaptive native ads work at multiple marketing funnel stages. 

Leverage engagement and attention: Marketers focused on engagement and attention are the least likely to say ID loss affects their campaign scale or effectiveness. 

Consider ID-independent audiences: ID-independent audience models, such as AI-powered predictive and contextual audiences, can be precious in combination with ID-based targeting. 

“Each advertiser should look past the surface of their campaigns to make sure that ID loss doesn’t have a greater impact than they realize,” suggests Emodo. “It’s important to note it’s in the interest of measurement providers to project that ID loss is having minimal impact, even when that might not be the entire story.” 

You can read the full study here. 

The post The Negative Effects of ID Loss on Advertiser KPIs appeared first on AdMonsters.