Brand safety remains top advertising concern as incidents rise 25 percent, according to DoubleVerify

DoubleVerify, the leading independent provider of digital media measurement software, released its 2018 Global Insights Report providing a market-by-market benchmark of the challenges faced by global marketers and an outlook on the current and future state of media quality on the internet.

The new 2018 data indicates that brand safety violations have risen by 25 percent in the last year – as the surge in fake news and unsubstantiated content has continued to create a challenging backdrop for high-profile brands advertising online. In addition, ad fraud on mobile devices has increased by 800 percent, in line with the sharp growth in mobile advertising.

“With the stakes higher than ever, it’s critical that digital marketers around the world have a holistic approach to brand safety, digital ad fraud and viewability,” said Wayne Gattinella, CEO of DoubleVerify. “Advertisers are demanding clarity and confidence in the quality of the online platforms and content with which their brands are associated.”

The report highlights four key trends that should be top of mind for digital marketers:

• Media Quality continues to be the #1 issue impacting digital performance today. Brand safety, digital ad fraud and viewability continue to challenge marketers.  In response, advertisers are increasingly looking to independently authenticate the quality and performance of their digital investment.

• Fake news, violence and hate speech have brought brand safety back to the forefront. Brand safety continues to evolve, as advertisers fight for transparency to ensure that their brands are only seen in appropriate and authentic places.  Marketers are taking action by adjusting their global brand safety strategy to avoid Adult Content, Extreme Violence and False Content.

• Fraud has gone mobile. While desktop fraud has become more manageable, mobile ad fraud has increased by 800 percent in the past year. New areas such as app spoofing, hidden ads and mobile hijacked devices are fraudulently diverting brand investments.

• Ad viewability continues to improve globally; however, it still falls short of industry expectations. 56 percent of display ad impressions and 63 percent of video ad impressions were viewable. According to standards set by the IAB, the objective is 70 percent. Separately, significant progress is being made to expand third-party viewability measurement across social platforms, in-app mobile platforms and OTT/CTV.

The 2018 Global Insights Report provides a market-by-market analysis of DoubleVerify impressions measured during the period of May 2017 through April 2018, for display and video ads placed on desktop and mobile devices.

The report includes 165 countries across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Europe / Middle East / Africa(EMEA). In developing the report, the company analyzed data in 40+ languages, across over 1,000 brands.

Source: DoubleVerify

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