This guide will serve as an introduction to digital media measurement providers (the “Vendors”) and will address topics such as why to use a measurement provider and best practices.

For the purpose of this article, Vendor would include, but not be limited to, firms such as DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science, MOAT, Adloox, and Method Media Intelligence. New firms may enter the market and traditional (non-digital) measurement firms may also introduce their own solution.

MSIGHTS remains agnostic as to which Vendor(s) an advertiser selects.

Serving digital ads with a measurement tag allows advertisers to check if their ads are serving in the proper environment (brand safe, correct geo, and fraud-free) and have a chance to be viewed by a user (viewability).

Deploying the tag alone won’t prevent an ad from serving in suspicious environments, but it will arm the advertiser and agency with data early in the campaign lifecycle to work with a problem publisher or exclude them from the balance of the campaign.

Deploying a measurement tag varies depending on the Vendor and ad tech platforms.

For simplicity, we will look at two high-level methods. Advertisers are encouraged to connect with their agency or Vendor to discuss specifics for their campaigns.

Manual Process

In this method, the advertiser would create placement tags in their ad server (i.e., Campaign Manager 360) and then send those placement tags to the Vendor.

The Vendor would add some extra code (called “wrapping”) to the placement tags before sending them back to the advertiser or agency.

Automated Tagging

To streamline the manual process, some vendors offer automated third-party tagging.

With Campaign Manager 360, advertisers can use either Integral Ad Science or DoubleVerify to automatically wrap tags, removing the time and effort required in the manual process.

Advertisers will need to conduct initial setup to link the Vendor to Campaign Manager 360 and are advised to consult their Vendor to discuss any custom configuration that may be required to enable the feature.

In-stream audio placements and custom creatives limitations may exist so ask your Vendor about limitations when discussing automated tagging.

Advertising on digital platforms comes with multiple risks that can erode an ad budget including:

Deploying a digital media measurement tag from a Vendor may not solve all these issues, but it will help to shed light on the campaigns, partners, and platforms that are driving the problems. By uncovering where the problems lie, advertisers and agencies can implement a solution and resolve issues mid-flight and for future campaigns.

Utilizing a unbiased third party vendor ensures advertisers that the results are impartial and independently verified.

In many instances an agency, especially those that are part of the larger holding companies, will have a preferred Vendor that they use across all clients. If so, it may be more difficult to select a different Vendor and the agency will likely own the contract.

The advertiser should document what rights they will have with regards to data access. At a minimum, the advertiser should have access to UI generated reports that are sent from the platform (not Excel files downloaded by the agency) and read-only access to the user interface.

The advertiser should also understand the fee structure and document the following:

If given the option to select a Vendor, the advertiser should insist on owning the contract unless they will benefit from documented - and independently verified - cost savings by using the agency’s preferred Vendor.

As the media landscape evolves so must the Vendors and their offerings. However, it takes time for a new solution to be developed to address emerging channels. Areas such as Connected TV (CTV) and Over-the-Top (OTT) are starting to see more solutions from leading Vendors. Still, some gaps might exist between solutions for these and more established channels.

Advertisers who are eager to test new and emerging advertising opportunities should do so and it is important to address concerns with Vendors to aid in their product roadmap. A Vendor may not roll out a new solution for one client, but as more advertisers express their interest in digital media measurement solutions for new channels, the Vendors will be forced to release new solutions.

Advertisers may encounter tagging limitations with Search and Social. Social tagging is possible depending on the Vendor selected, but may not be right for all everyone. Some advertisers may limit tagging on Social or elect to forgo tagging and allocate those dollars to media. This is a strategic decision that advertisers need to make with their agency.

If a media property is refusing to accept a tag the advertiser and their agency should seek to understand why.

The site may be limited due to technical reasons. Smaller publishers may only accept one or two tags. In this instance the advertiser will need to prioritize which tags will be used. If the Vendor tag is not deemed to be as critical as others it may be removed. This is a strategic decision that should be reviewed and approved by the advertiser.

If a vendor refuses to accept a tag, for any reason, it is important for the advertiser to understand how the quality of their digital buy will be measured. Consider how Viewability, Fraud, Brand Safety, and Geo compliance will be monitored to ensure the advertiser is only paying for impressions that adhere to defined Brand standards.

Refusal of a tag should not be a “get out of jail free card” for the agency or publisher when it comes to achieving advertiser-defined KPIs.

1. Require that all publishers and partners implement a Vendor measurement tag. Any exceptions should be discussed with and approved by the advertiser. All Insertion Orders (“IOs”) sent to publishers by the agency should include language in the Terms and Conditions stipulating the use of a Vendor tag. Be sure the Vendor is clearly defined.

2. Hold the agency responsible for tag implementation. An agency may attempt to move responsibility for tagging to the publisher. As the steward of an advertiser’s media plan the agency is responsible for tagging. This responsibility should not be delegated to another party.

3. Clearly define advertiser expectations and benchmarks for KPIs derived from the Vendor’s tag. KPIs such as Viewability, Fraud, Brand Safety, and Geo should be included in buying guidelines and all IOs. Agreements should clearly state that the results for these KPIs will come from the Vendor’s data. The Vendor name should be explicitly stated.

4. Buying Guidelines and IOs should clearly state that the advertiser will not pay for impressions that fall below the defined KPI thresholds.

Selecting a Vendor and implementing a tag is the first step towards driving accountability with your digital media investments.

The next step is monitoring performance on a real-time basis with immediate optimization. MSIGHTS is experienced with integrating daily data and applying transformations to glean insights.

The traditional approach to media auditing provided insights 60 to 90 days after media has run; much too late to correct any issues. In contrast, MSIGHTS' Always-On Digital Accountability solution provides real time feedback so you can identify and fix issues before they become a problem.

The MSIGHTS Always-On Accountability solution provides:

Contact your MSIGHTS client engagement contact or reach out to busdev@msights.com to discover how an Always-On Accountability solution can help you independently ensure your digital media investment is being managed according to your guidelines.