With total spending on digital advertising in the U.S. surpassing that of TV advertising in 2016, scrutiny on this growing market is increasing. Recent news headlines have highlighted the concerns of senior marketers about whether digital can deliver on the promises of ad campaigns.
As large CPG advertisers call for greater transparency in the digital supply chain, the conversation in the press and in the market has focused on viewability and accountability. In response to these concerns, some of the largest digital publishers have agreed to audits by certain industry bodies.
For Nielsen, the conversations around digital advertising reinforce the need for true third-party measurement across platforms. While we applaud the calls for greater accountability, the recent discussions have missed some key points. In order to transact with confidence, buyers and sellers need more than viewability and individual accreditation—the industry needs truly independent, third-party measurement that provides a trusted view across the full media landscape.
Eric Solomon, SVP, Product Leadership at Nielsen, recently sat down to discuss the importance of last year’s digital ad spend milestone and what marketers need to know about measuring the effectiveness of digital advertising. He shared his thoughts on transparency and accountability, and the three key areas Nielsen believes marketers need to focus on:
- What viewability and audience measurement means
- The difference between accreditation and independence
- The balance of digital and traditional media
