At Stone Ward we are always looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of the media dollars spent on behalf of our clients. In the world of online advertising we sometimes think we have it nailed. But, this constantly evolving industry is always coming up with new ways to target, track and count the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. One of the newer methods out now is to evaluate and purchase buys based on Validated Impressions as opposed to Served Impressions.
Image source: Marketing Vox
So what is the difference? Well, according to comScore, “validated impressions” are from ads delivered in-view, in the targeted geography, in a brand safe environment and absent of non-human activity or fraud. And, comScore has an ad delivery validation solution called validated Campaign Essentials™ that provides reporting and alerts to manage your campaign based on these factors.
Last month I did a podcast on this blog about another company called TrustMetrics that has a product to help eliminate this type inventory from Online Ad Network and Exchange buys. Both solutions are worth watching and offer valuable information. Because an ad with no opportunity to be seen by the target either through below the fold placements, served in the wrong geography, in inappropriate content or that is subject to non-human traffic can’t deliver its intended impact.
So, be sure to ask the right questions before you buy banner impressions direct to site or in an online ad network to insure you are getting the best and most effective impressions counts.
Here is a good resource to check out if you are interested in learning more on this topic: comScore: Unlimited Inventory, Lousy Metrics Cheapen Digital Ads
