The quality of advertising environments is experiencing a positive development worldwide

Every six months, Integral Ad Science publishes analyses on the quality of digital media environments in the individual local markets. The last Media Quality Report for Germany was published in April 2018. The global benchmarks now illustrate the extent to which different markets around the world are affected by the individual components of media quality. The global averages are 8.7 percent for ad fraud (0.7 percent using anti-fraud technologies), 7.9 percent for brand risk and 55.8 percent for viewability. In a global comparison, Germany has higher values for ad fraud and brand safety. The viewability of ads is better in an international comparison.

Ad fraud

The proportion of ad fraud varies depending on the market and purchasing method. France has the highest figure at 18.2%, followed directly by the USA and Germany (13.3%), with Italy and Spain bringing up the rear at just under 5%. The higher the turnover of the digital advertising market, the more attractive ad fraud is, as the proceeds are correspondingly more lucrative for criminals. On a positive note, all values in campaigns optimized against advertising fraud are below 1.8 percent. These figures prove that technologies and measures against ad fraud are effective.

Brand Safety

In most markets, the brand risk for display campaigns increased by 1.8% in the second half of 2017 compared to the first. The lively discussions surrounding hate speech, fake news and violent content have therefore not yet had a sufficiently effective impact on the industry. The US advertising market recorded a high number of non-brand-safe placements (11.4%), followed by Canada and Brazil. At 8.8 percent, Germany is above the global average. To effectively ensure that their brand does not appear alongside inappropriate content, advertisers can use methods such as keyword blocking.

Viewability

The global trend shows that the visibility of display advertising increased in the second half of 2017. Nine of the twelve markets surveyed recorded values above 50%, with Germany in second place behind the Scandinavian countries at 60.2%. The Scandinavian advertising market (Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark) recorded the best viewability (64.3%). In view of the fact that almost every second ad worldwide was not visible, the industry still has a lot of work to do.

"Creating fraud-free, visible advertising in brand-safe environments is the first step in building digital campaigns. We are creating a starting point that already exists in traditional media. The use of measurement and verification technology in digital advertising not only makes sense in order to use advertising budgets efficiently, but also to establish quality and transparency - in display and mobile advertising as well as on social media platforms. Our global analyses show that the digital advertising industry is on the right track - but that millions of budgets are still flowing into criminal hands," comments Oliver Hülse, MD CEE, IAS.

About Integral Ad Science

Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a global technology provider for the measurement, analysis and optimization of online advertising. The world's largest independent verification service provider develops solutions for greater transparency and quality in the areas of brand safety, ad fraud and viewability. Its portfolio includes more than 3,000 advertisers, 2,500 publishers and 150 technology providers. The expert in data science and data engineering is a partner of the world's largest technology companies and social platforms, among others. IAS is certified by the Media Rating Council (MRC) and the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and is active in the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW). The company is headquartered in New York and is active in 13 countries.