Viewability as a metric is currently a 'work in progress'.  In this piece, Lisa Menaldo, MD, UK, Sublime Skinz (pictured below) takes a look at the state of viewability at home and abroad.

The definition of viewability (whether an ad can be seen or not) is one of the most elusive issues in digital advertising. Viewability standardisation has perfected the vanishing act; no sooner has one clear concept begun to materialise then it disappears in a haze of confusion, which makes a singular, agreed form of measurement near impossible to achieve.

The shroud of darkness surrounding viewability metrics is not helped by a disagreement between brands and publishers about what constitutes an acceptable standard of viewability. For some publishers, quantity precedes quality, and large amounts of low-cost inventory are traded with minimum viewability guarantees. The majority of brands, however, want maximum viewability to achieve a valuable return on investment, prompting the industry to consider whether we need to re-examine the way inventory is traded to ensure a better outcome for all parties.

So, what is the current state of viewability, and what does the future look like?

Pinning viewability down

Advertisers are fighting to bring viewability out of the shadows and establish an industry-wide, cross-continent standard. But progress is fragmented. The IAB has set out to address the issue alongside JICWEBS, attempting to resolve the discrepancies in the UK and US by championing the use of viewable impressions as a fairer form of measurement. The IAB has also released a new set of viewability metrics, stating that a minimum of 50% of the pixels making up an ad must be viewable for at least one second; video must be displayed for two seconds; and larger formats must have 30% viewability for one second.

Industry giants, such as Google and Facebook, are leading the charge for better viewability levels. Google recently announced an update to its display network (GDN) that will provide 100% viewability, using technology that forecasts whether an impression can be seen before it is served and instantly adapts ad formats for high cross-device impact. Facebook has also released a premium ‘full view’ buying option for inventory, which will enable brands to only pay for the ad placement when the ad has been viewed.

International discord

Despite this progression in the UK and US, variations across borders only serves to further complicate the viewability problem. Countries such as France are still spellbound by click-through rates (CTRs). But CTRs are just the start of the story in UK and US, where digital ad measurement has transformed into more advanced engagement metrics that aim to ensure every element of an ad can be optimised — including viewability.

Different countries are also at various levels of programmatic progression, which creates a disparity of ad tech capability that could make universal standards hard to implement. For example, the US represents half of the global programmatic marketplace, with penetration in the UK and France not far behind at 59% and 56% respectively. In Germany, Italy, and Greece, however, programmatic adoption rests at the 30% mark. An agreement made with US levels of adoption in mind may therefore be unfair for a country with smaller programmatic penetration, such as Italy, where standards could be hard to implement.

Why is an industry standard so important?

If ads cannot be seen, advertising output is devoid of purpose and marketers are out of pocket. Like the magician at a child’s birthday party, viewability is the star of the show. Marketers can invest in creating the right environment, setting the date, and even secure a spot in front of the right audience, but with no magician, there is no show.

An agreed system of measurement is essential to ensure marketers receive what they've paid for — the opportunity to advertise directly to their desired audience. Creating one unifying standard sets a benchmark that marketers can aspire to, raising their own levels of advertising quality and value, as well as those of the industry.

Shrouded in mystery for too long, it is time for viewability to cast off the cloak of invisibility and reveal how it can truly be quantified, restoring fairness to digital advertising.

To progress, the industry needs to tackle the lack of clarity, define one global standard of viewability measurement, and ensure it is upheld. A movement towards viewable impressions rather than ads served will give marketers the security needed to achieve growth, helping the industry to flourish profitably and sustainably.