Global Media Measurement Guidelines Establishes For Measuring Online Ad Impressions.

A global consortium of leading bodies within the advertising agency, advertiser, media and research disciplines issued a new detailed definition and standard for global online ad impression measurement. This initiative marks the first time any medium has launched a global measurement standard that has been accepted by all the key industry stakeholder organizations. Other media vehicles (such as television, radio and magazines) use different measuring techniques depending on country and region. For the United States, the guidelines also include industry-driven certification and auditing recommendations. Already underway in the United States, wide implementation of the guidelines is expected by the end of 2005.

The guidelines have the support of almost all major online publishers, as well as approximately 35 out of the 37 major online advertising server technologies worldwide. The guidelines are intended to hasten the growth of Internet advertising spending by simplifying the buying and selling process for advertisers, marketers and publishers. Among other key points, the guidelines offer a detailed definition for counting an ad impression, which is a critical component in establishing consistent and accurate online advertising measurements across publishers and ad serving technologies.

The new guidelines were developed after extensive research and testing on all the relevant variables for ad impression measurement. The three key points of the new recommendations are: 1) Ad-impression counting that is conducted from the “client-side” as opposed to “server-side” (impression is counted once the browser receives the creative asset), 2) Consistent elimination of non-human activity counting (defines what is a person versus spiders and robots) and 3) Consistent cache busting.

In addition to the ad-impression guidelines, the report recommends third-party independent auditing and certification guidelines (U.S. only) for all ad-serving applications used in the buying and selling process. The certification recommendation is for ad impressions only and is intended to increase confidence of marketers in the consistent implementation of the standard.

“These guidelines demonstrate our continued commitment to being the most accountable ad medium. In just 10 short years we rocketed forward by offering marketers a whole new experience for measuring ad campaigns. This initiative improves on that opportunity by delivering not just a uniform measurement standard, but one that travels across borders,” said Greg Stuart, president and CEO, IAB. “All of the companies involved in this landmark initiative have been party to history in the making for ad measurement.”

“We are very pleased to announce this significant milestone in campaign measurement guidelines, which enables publishers to provide further transparency into the interactive medium and establish consistency for the marketplace,” said Todd Teresi, vice president of sales operations, Yahoo! Inc. and IAB measurement task force chairman. “The work of these organizations now allows the marketing community to focus on using the Internet to create the most innovative campaigns possible.”

“As online advertising increasingly becomes a basic component to well-rounded media plans, these standards will undoubtedly help advertisers and agencies alike effectively make the case for the interactive medium,” said O. Burtch Drake, president and CEO, AAAA.

“In a climate where advertisers are calling for greater accountability across all media, this initiative is a welcome step forward. It makes online advertising a more attractive prospect for advertisers worldwide,”

Stephan Loerke, managing director, World Federation of Advertisers.

“Today, the entire advertising community is under pressure to justify their measurement standards in one way or another. The interactive industry is to be commended for their efforts to break through the clutter and offer reliable data to its customers,” Fredrik Nauckhoff, President, ESOMAR – The World Association of Research Professionals.

“The internet industry is leaping enthusiastically at the challenges of building global standards. These are landmark moments in a truly ground breaking medium,” Danny Meadows-Klue, President, IAB Europe.

For the United States, the new guidelines are a follow-up to initial parameters established in January 2002 by the IAB, the MRC, and the ARF, with support from the AAAA and the ANA.

To view the new guidelines CLICK below:

http://www.iab.net/standards/measurement.asp