Why It Is Time for the Ad Industry to Demand Standardization

The ad industry faces challenges measuring cross-platform campaigns, especially as new channels and platforms emerge. And the current processes and technologies are not enough to help advertisers. Laura Manning, VP, measurement at Lucid, discusses why it is time to demand standardization.

The advertising industry has faced its share of challenges in measuring cross-platform campaigns in recent years. Between walled gardens historically not allowing 3rd party pixels, Apple’s sunsetting of IDFA, and Google’s inevitable ban on cookies, advertisers have relied on solutions deemed “good enough” that encompass measurement of most — but rarely all — of the media that they are running. The absence of a silver bullet begs the question, what steps can advertisers take to keep pace with the ever-evolving landscape? 

The influx of new ad-supported platforms, such as CTV, streaming apps, and podcasts, has only increased the complexity of the measurement ecosystem and highlighted the fragmented approach that many advertisers rely on to best understand the effectiveness of their efforts. While some solutions specialize in linear TV and others in set-top box data, without the full picture, it is impossible to truly gauge ROI on ad spend, not to mention optimize media while it is still in flight. That is why the time has come for the industry to demand standardization, which is, in fact, attainable despite technological and business hurdles.  

Fighting Complacency With Innovation 

Sometimes it is easier to settle for “good enough,” which is how it has been with the advertising industry for quite some time now when it comes to measurement. The measurement conversation is complicated and has only increased in complexity since the growth of streaming and CTV. Advertisers do not have a clear picture of how best to measure cross-platform campaigns. So they settle for solutions that answer some questions, but not all of them, but get the job somewhat done.  

Maybe one solution is good at measuring digital campaigns, but there isn’t a solution for linear TV because it relies on different data. Or maybe the solution enables a better understanding of the target audience but lacks in getting insights into impressions. This is a common occurrence for advertisers because there is no one set standard for measurement in the industry. Not to mention, companies that have the resources to develop their own data integration teams to partner with other platforms that will allow them to measure campaigns better have an unfair advantage over other companies that can’t do that.  

But this is the way it has been. The industry has grown complacent in cross-platform measurement, partially because they have not had a choice. The industry moves fast, and if advertisers cannot keep up, they are going to be left behind. As a result, they have had to work with what they had at their disposal at the time, and that is not a solution that 100% effectively measures campaigns. But it is time for the industry to start demanding standardization across measurement.

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More Education 

The first step in that journey is education in the areas in need of improvement to push innovation in the space forward. For instance, in 2018Opens a new window , The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), a group of TV content providers, media agencies, and advertisers, became an affiliate of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) and has since collaborated with industry leaders to execute proof-of-concept studies and release whitepapers and best practices documentation in an effort to bring transparency to and establish confidence in cross-platform measurement. 

Build Frameworks 

Additionally, in 2019 the Media Rating Council, the organization managing accreditation for media research, issued its Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standards, a milestone aimed at helping media planners and buyers better leverage all available forms of video to reach consumers. The initiative outlines the definition of viewable impressions to determine whether or not someone saw an ad, implements rules against recognizing invalid traffic, and establishes a framework for determining if the sound is on or off while an ad plays. 

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Drive Innovation 

Major studios have also gotten involved by leading the charge through technological innovation. In 2020, ViacomCBS launched EyeQ, a platform enabling measurement across its suite of broadcast and cable television, streaming and digital video channels such as CBS, MTV, Paramount+, and Pluto TV. Such mergers have continued, and likely will continue into the future, with the combination of other enormous media companies like Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc in 2022. It is integral to the success of these entities that they can measure across their portfolio, and what better way to achieve this than through new technology?

 Cross-platform measurement is a complex topic; as it stands right now, the industry has more questions than answers. A common theme has emerged, which is that standardization is necessary for advertisers to be able to measure campaigns in a manner that is better than “good enough.” This can be achieved through education by way of webinars and whitepapers, the creation of agreed-upon frameworks by media channels, and technological innovation that is driven by both small and major businesses alike.  

What steps have you taken to measure cross-platform campaigns as new channels and campaigns emerge? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

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