Only 17% marketers measure all four pillars of ad quality: DoubleVerify

DoubleVerify (DV) has released Media Quality Report for APAC Marketers, a comprehensive report on media quality and advertising performance in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The report highlights the challenges faced by marketers in the rapidly evolving digital landscape and offers solutions to improve advertising ROI.

 Nachiket Deole, Head of Sales, India, DoubleVerify, spoke at a select media briefing prior to the release of the report, wherein he went through the highlights of the report even as he explained what media quality meant to DoubleVerify and what it should mean to brands who are shelling out the ad dollars. Noting that media quality is crucial for advertising success, Deole said it ensures that ads adhere to the four pillars of ad quality; which is to say they are fraud-free, viewable, brand-safe, and geographically targeted.

However, Deole pointed out that as of today only one in three marketers are using verification tools, and that too on an ad hoc basis, while only 17% of marketers measure across all four pillars of ad quality. This is especially relevant, given that DV's research reveals that neglecting media quality can result in significant wasted ad spend, with a potential loss of $269,704 for every billion impressions.

Deole told exchange4media that one reason for this is a lack of awareness and a non-uniformity in knowledge around the issue. “We have to take the initiative to educate people. Tech adoption by marketers in India has been fairly slow. We are comfortable with the idea of media, and all our conversation is around media, not many people want to talk about the tech.”

Comparing it to the early days of digital, Deole noted that while earlier, people weren’t sure about digital, because TV, print, and radio were there, and so many brands only dipped their toe into digital media. “10 years ago, people were asking why digital? Now digital is dominant, but people are asking why do we need the tech? Similarly, the idea of not just paying for digital media inventory, but also paying to ensure it is most effectively used is something that many brands are still getting used to.”

APAC's digital media landscape is rapidly expanding, with new social, streaming, gaming, and shopping channels emerging. This growth is fueled by increasing investments in digital marketing, with digital ad spend expected to exceed $835 billion by 2026. Programmatic advertising is also on the rise, and digital content consumption is booming in the APAC region.

To address these challenges, DV provides a suite of solutions that verify media quality across various digital channels. These solutions include pre-bid and post-bid technologies that work together to optimize ad placements and prevent ad fraud.

“Knowledge sharing and education is key here. We need to explain to advertisers, and they need to understand, the kinds of risk they’re sitting on, and the wastage that is happening. And this understanding and adoption of tech is going to address that situation,” said Deole. 

 The report also features case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of DV's solutions in improving media quality and advertising performance for clients in the APAC region. These case studies showcase DV's ability to reduce brand suitability block rates, decrease fraud waste, increase viewability rates, and drive higher ROAS.

The report underscores the significance of media quality in the complex digital media landscape and positions DV as a trusted partner for APAC marketers seeking to maximize their advertising ROI.