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State of the Screens

Down with viewability: MRC chief says it’s time to move past ‘marketplace fixation’

By May 15, 2018No Comments
Only 3% of respondents to a CMO Council survey thought that the current viewability standard goes far enough.

What is the MRC standard for viewability? 50% of video ad should be in view for at least 2 consecutive seconds.

Flashback #1: Half of Marketers Want Stricter Viewability Standards

74% of publishers have adopted the MRCs viewability standard, but 28% of brands and agencies are currently using their own viewability standard.

Why does this matter? As advertisers demand higher quality video views publishers are responding with improved inventory.

Flashback #2: Brands With Their Own Viewability Standards Are Causing Headaches for the Ad-Tech Industry

New IBM standard — 100% of video ad must be in view for at least half of the video length (Ex: 15s of 30s ad)

What is a better measure than viewability? Business outcomes. This is why both NBC and ABC made big announcements last week around advanced TV.

More #1: Sources say Adidas has paused its video ads on Facebook while it reviews their efficacy

More #2: Why Facebook Will Become the Most Trusted Spot on the Internet for Advertisers

More #3: The future of audience measurement is getting clearer, but Nielsen may not carry the torch

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.