ANA to probe Programmatic Media Buying

The ANA named an alliance of three partners to collaboratively conduct an in-depth study of the programmatic media buying ecosystem, which it has described as lacking transparency and hobbled by mind-numbing complexity.

The team that will conduct the study will focus on how advertisers can eliminate waste throughout the programmatic marketplace and supply chain. This elite group consists of:

PwC, the global professional services network, which will serve as team leader and overall project manager. PwC will also support the study with its Media Intelligence platform.

Kroll, a premier provider of services and digital products related to valuation, governance, risk, and transparency, which will serve as the investigative partner.

TAG TrustNet, an industry initiative that leverages the power of distributed ledger technology to drive transparency, accountability, and efficiency across the digital advertising industry, which will function as a technology platform partner.

“As powerful a tool as programmatic advertising has been for marketers, the programmatic market has been riddled with material issues, including a lack of transparency, fractured accountability, and mind-numbing complexity,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice in announcing the team. “These issues impair critical decision-making, leading to wasteful and unproductive media-buying decisions.  We have selected PwC, Kroll, and TAG TrustNet to conduct a deep dive into these issues and to find ways for advertisers to drive business and brand growth through the elimination of wasteful and unproductive spending.”

Worldwide programmatic ad spending in all forms for 2021 is on track to exceed $200 billion, and 72 percent of all digital display spending is now transacted programmatically. PwC has estimated that over 70 percent of an advertiser’s programmatic budget does not result in media that reaches the end consumer. This factors in ad fees, fraud, non-viewable impressions, non-brand-safe placements, and unknown allocations.

“We see a real opportunity for brands to drive greater value from their media investments,” said Derek Baker, Principal, Marketing Transformation, PwC and project lead. “However, to do so, we must have a transparent supply chain. We are excited to lead this groundbreaking study, which will bring insights to market that can help advertisers get a better look into how their media dollars are spent, reduce waste, and drive greater return from their media investment.”