This week's review of ad fraud and quality in the digital advertising space.
"This year, digital will make up more than half (51%) of total US ad spending for the first time, according to new GroupM estimates," reported eMarketer. "GroupM said that digital advertising has been a 'bright spot' for advertisers in a difficult year," noted eMarketer.
"The Alliance for Audited Media has launched a third-party audit program for digital publishers, which the organization says is a key step in the fight against digital ad fraud," reported MediaPost. "The program requires large publishers to use technology vendors accredited by the MRC for sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) detection."
Vancouver's public transportation agency was targeted by ransomware, according to ZDNet, and eMarketer notes that the attack "serve[s] as a reminder that security and privacy concerns remain a significant barrier to deployment" of "Smart Cities." According to eMarketer, "The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred on some new smart city initiatives that aim to modernize public infrastructure and services through the extensive use of embedded sensors, video surveillance systems, and advanced data analytics to improve public health and safety."
Forbes interviewed 10 members of its Forbes Communications Council to share "telltale signs of ad fraud that businesses should remain vigilant to spot." Unusual bounce rates, traffic without engagement, and an increase in vanity metrics are among the 10 "ad fraud clues" discussed.
"Major streamers are rethinking relationships with third-party ad tech," wrote Adweek, while reporting that "Vizio is altering licensing agreements with ad-tech companies using Inscape Data Services, its TV data company." Adweek also reports that "Amazon’s relationship with ad-tech companies in CTV has also been changing."
