IAB streamlines operations to focus on building trust
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has streamlined its operations and vowed to make communications around online metrics easier to understand and more transparent ahead of the launch of daily audience data in coming weeks.
Vijay Solanki says IAB wanted positive collaborations with other industry bodies
Responding to growing confusion in the industry over the quality and transparency of digital measurement, IAB CEO Vijay Solanki said measurement and trust would be a key focus for the organisation under the refreshed strategy.
“Our primary strategic goals are around the measurement piece and the trustworthy digital value chain,” Solanki said.
“Collaboration is critical to the success of our industry and our ability to support marketers’ work through the digital ecosystem.”
Under the plans the IAB will launch three new councils – an executive measurement council, an executive tech council and an ad effectiveness council.
Gai Le Roy will oversee measurement and effectiveness
IAB research director Gai Le Roy will oversee the measurement and effectiveness councils with the effectiveness council charged with identifying and refining the best methods for assessing the impact of advertising across different digital activities.
Consultant Jonas Jaanimagi will oversee the tech council, which brings the existing mobile, video, audio ad standards and guidelines councils together under one umbrella.
Solanki admitted the IAB had not been clear in its communications which had hindered the organisation in getting messages about the efficacy of digital across.
“We recognise in certain areas it does get quite complicated and we will navigate a cleaner road through all of that,” Solanki said.
He said that in bringing data together from across the digital industry, the IAB would be able to build trust and confidence in digital.
The industry has been the target of criticism in the wake of damaging revelations from companies such as Facebook on the overestimation of video views.
“We go back to one fundamental truth at the IAB, which is trying to get the right data and trying to help the industry make sense of that data, be that in audience measurement or be that in topics like viewability or ad blocking.
“I personally think we should take immense pride in being out there and leading the pack globally on this. It is no mean feat.
“Perhaps we haven’t done a good enough job reminding people how much we are at the bleeding edge and able to shape new measurement as it goes.”
Le Roy echoed this sentiment and said the industry group would get better at communicating.
IAB chair Nicole Sheffield, said the refresh of the organisation was timely, ahead of the the launch of the daily audience currency – a world first – but the market needed simpler messages.
“You have to think a lot of times marketers are confused, everyone’s confused and we all get thrown in together. But actually there is a check list of people that are transparent, are trustworthy, are using industry measurement,” Sheffield said.
Having already launched ad fraud benchmarking data and ad blocking guidelines, the IAB will launch the daily currency in the second quarter, followed by a programmatic playbook and a data hygiene playbook.
Solanki has also pledged to build closer relationships with other industry bodies.
The IAB answer to everything is more committees. How about actions not just meetings.
The inaction of the body for the better part of the last decade is a large part of the trust issues now so prevalent.
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The IAB answer to everything is more committees and more press releases. With so many senior people involved – and paid – you’d think they would be able to produce something worthwhile. It’s getting very cringeworthy.
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