Mobile & In-App Archives - Integral Ad Science

How Marketers Can Tackle Misinformation Across the Open Web & Social Media Channels with Industry-Leading Measurement

IAS Team — Fri, 10 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Why is everyone talking about misinformation?

Misinformation isn’t a new problem in media. Exaggerated and completely fabricated stories have existed for centuries. But this year, digital media experts named “ads delivering near misinformation” as their top concern.

So why is it such a hot topic right now?

We’re in the midst of a global election year, with voters in more than 60 countries heading to the polls in the coming months. Elections, and the flurry of news coverage they bring, lead to an influx of consumers spending more time with digital media. More consumers online means more opportunities for brands to be seen, but it’s crucial for brands to appear in the right places — after all, three-quarters of consumers say they feel less favorably toward brands that advertise on sites that spread misinformation.

Plus, the rise of generative AI in digital media has marketers worrying that it may play a hand in expediting the creation and dissemination of misinformation across the open web and social channels. In fact, some experts claim that as much as 90% of online content could be AI-generated by 2026.

Three major misinformation challenges

Misinformation has evolved over years. Today, marketers face three main challenges when it comes to misinformation on the open web and social media. These challenges exist in both generative AI and election-related content — and far beyond.

Fact checking: Fact checking has been a critical best practice in media for some time, and it’s more important than ever in the presence of increasing misinformation. But it requires effort and expertise from real humans, which can be time consuming and resource depleting when not accompanied by trained AI models.
Dynamic changes: Marketers are navigating new narratives that emerge every day across platforms. This revolving door of content can lead to reputation risk for brands if not monitored correctly and in real-time.
Nuanced classification: User-generated content (UGC) is incredibly nuanced. Given the range of content on the open web and social media — whether it be educational, comedic, sarcastic, or even violent — varied tone in UGC is a major challenge for marketers to accurately identify.

So how can advertisers overcome these challenges to detect and dodge misinformation with precision — and without limiting scale?

The importance of independent partnerships when tackling misinformation

One of the most critical components of misinformation measurement are the independent, third-party partnerships that set the parameters for what content is considered misinformation. Our misinformation capability on both the open web and social media is informed by the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), and an international fact checking network that enables misinformation categorization at scale, aligned with GARM standards.

Since 2021, we’ve partnered with GDI to help brands avoid misinformation, ensuring journalistic integrity and reaffirming support for quality news sites. Once IAS assesses which sites have strong correlations to sources of misinformation, GDI then evaluates the page to determine if it qualifies as misinformation or not, according to their proprietary methodology. In addition, GDI shares their list of organically detected domains for inclusion in our misinformation measurement capability. This unique combination of AI and manual review allows IAS to protect advertisers from risky content at scale. Our partnership with GDI builds on IAS’s expertise in brand safety and suitability, allowing us to align with a trusted, transparent, and independent industry body to identify any domains associated with misinformation.

Our misinformation analysis methodology, which we apply across both open web and social media channels, was trained and re-trained with always-on third-party data, and continues to evolve to include viral misinformation narratives and claims — meaning our misinformation methodology is always up to date with the latest misinformation narratives in market. With all of these signals, it’s important to note that IAS remains a neutral party.

Detecting misinformation across the open web

The internet is a big place. We’re talking billions of pages big. Hundreds of thousands of URLs are created every day, meaning new sources of misinformation can pop up at any time. The sheer amount of URLs created daily coupled with the automated nature of programmatic advertising can make it challenging for brands to completely avoid appearing on sites that publish misinformation.

Misinformation measurement across the open web is vital for advertisers to understand if their brand is protected during an election season. Most misinformation measurement solutions, however, rely solely on human review of URL lists. The issue with that is clear — it’s simply impossible for humans to be the only source of misinformation detection and do so accurately.

The single most scalable and efficient way to identify misinformation on the open web is through a combination of AI, human, and independent, third-party review, and IAS’s misinformation measurement is the industry’s most scientific and scalable solution. Our enhanced misinformation detection leverages trusted and safe AI and goes far beyond human-only review to detect emerging threats by determining which sites have a strong correlation to other well known sources of misinformation. Plus, our partnerships with GARM and GDI allow for trusted, transparent misinformation categorization that continues to evolve to bring the most sophisticated brand safety and suitability capability to market.

And we don’t stop there.

Identifying misinformation across social platforms

Social media is also at the forefront of advertisers’ minds as we approach global elections — and understandably so. With tens of thousands of thoughts, photos, and videos making their way to social media every second, it’s incredibly difficult for brands to gauge what their ads will show up next to.

Advertisers should look to independent solutions that help cut through the abundance of content and variability of social media. Without knowing where they’re appearing on the feed, brands risk appearing near content that spreads false narratives and masquerades fabricated content as real news.

IAS’s Brand Safety and Suitability measurement is the most effective way for advertisers to safeguard and scale their brand on social media during a major election year. Powered by AI-driven Multimedia Technology,* our solutions use frame-by-frame video analysis and speech-to-text conversion to analyze thousands of signals per video and identify misinformation with accuracy. IAS’s misinformation methodology has the advantage our 3+ years of experience analyzing open web misinformation data. This extensive training allows IAS to analyze the tone of content with precision — whether it be satire, sarcasm, educational, or fear-mongering — for the most accurate categorization of misinformation on the feed.

Our Brand Safety and Suitability measurement product includes the GARM 12th category for misinformation on select platforms and is consistent with the GARM Framework. With third-party transparency into ad adjacency, advertisers can now measure and take steps to avoid running alongside misinformation. Combining our Multimedia Technology with trusted third-party misinformation assessment providers creates a market-leading misinformation methodology that more accurately identifies misinformation at scale.

How can misinformation be avoided?

Advertisers have traditionally turned to keyword blocking in an attempt to avoid appearing near words and phrases that don’t align with their brand — but this outdated approach doesn’t cut it anymore.

Keyword blocking doesn’t take into account the context, sentiment, or emotion of a given webpage. Without an understanding of the true intention behind a piece of content, brands miss out on reach and block diverse content, diverse content creators, or other information that consumers seek out.

While measurement gives transparency needed to detect misinformation, advertisers can go even further to avoid misinformation with more accuracy and scalability than keyword blocking. Products like IAS’s Context Control Avoidance helps advertisers actively avoid sources of and topics about misinformation on the open web while still providing the opportunity for expanded reach. Context Control Avoidance technology leverages IAS’s semantic intelligence engine, which advertisers can then use to exclude not only the sources identified as misinformation, but all content relating to misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories.

Only IAS offers the ability to choose from GARM-defined risk levels and media types, like entertainment, politics, news, and more, to give advertisers a tailored approach to avoiding harmful misinformation that still allows for scale and support for quality journalism.

Additionally, Brand Safety and Suitability measurement through our flagship Total Media Quality product suite on social platforms can inform advertisers’ suitability strategies. While the approach varies by platform due to tools available, brands can identify trends and optimize away from misinformation with granular reporting insights.

Here’s how brands can avoid misinformation as a result of misinformation measurement on social:

Shift media budgets: Test shifting budgets from placements where misinformation may be more present and measure the impacts.
First-party tools: Where available, consider activating platform first-party tools to avoid certain GARM risk levels, inclusive of misinformation, and monitor performance to ensure brand safety and suitability performs as expected.
Third-party optimization products: On select platforms, consider Brand Safety Exclusion or Block Lists, which offer protection to avoid running ads next to unsuitable content or publishers.

And we offer brands a number of methods to avoid misinformation on open web:

IAS Brand Safety: Automatically avoid misinformation through IAS’s partnership with the GDI by simply setting your risk threshold to moderate or stricter, for our standard Offensive Language & Controversial Content category. We recommend that clients only interested in avoiding sources of misinformation activate via brand safety.
IAS Context Control: IAS Context Control misinformation segments are ideal for advertisers who wish to extend protection beyond just sources of misinformation and include protection for topics related to misinformation. With Context Control, you have more granularity, as we have seven different segments available depending on your risk threshold and content types (such as news, entertainment, and video gaming), all aligned to the GARM framework.

Taking action on misinformation today

Advertisers will always want to avoid misinformation — but not all methods of doing so are created equal. An overly risk-averse approach, like stopping ad spend in news, prevents your brand from appearing in highly scalable contexts and hurts quality journalism. A strategic and thoughtful approach to avoiding misinformation allows brands to scale confidently on channels where it matters most this election season.

Here are the three key ways IAS gives you the most comprehensive and accurate approach to detecting and avoiding misinformation:

We’re everywhere: Our misinformation capability is built to scale across channels. Starting with open web and social, our model is engineered to rapidly expand soon to CTV and other emerging channels.
We’re more accurate: Our trusted AI-driven frame-by-frame analysis delivers up to 74% more accurate brand suitability reporting across social media platforms vs. limited sample frame analysis across GARM categories.
We partner with independent networks: We leverage a network of third-party service providers and fact checking agencies from around the world, including human fact checkers.

A comprehensive solution that protects all ends of the digital ad cycle is critical. End-to-end, AI-driven measurement coupled with optimization solutions that are tailored to each brand’s respective needs are key to detecting and avoiding misinformation on the internet’s most prolific and unpredictable environments. Ensure you’re choosing a partner who can safeguard and scale your brand — and stay away from point solutions who can’t cover open web or provide limited misinformation capabilities:

You can avoid misinformation, protect your brand, and continue to scale this election season. Keep reading about how IAS helps you avoid misinformation, and reach out to an IAS representative today to get started.

*Methodology may vary by platform.

The post How Marketers Can Tackle Misinformation Across the Open Web & Social Media Channels with Industry-Leading Measurement appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

IAS Expands Meta Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement

IAS Team — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:05:00 +0000

Identify misinformation and accurately classify content at scale on Facebook and Instagram with expanded capabilities

IAS has expanded the Total Media Quality for Meta Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement to include the 12th GARM category, Misinformation. You can now run with confidence across Meta by ensuring your ads are appearing next to content aligned with your brand’s suitability goals.

This ability to measure for misinformation in ad environments on Meta allows marketers to safeguard and scale their brand for some of 2024’s most critical advertising opportunities — global elections and the Olympics.

IAS and Meta are expanding the Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement coverage to support five additional languages, providing advertisers even more global coverage. Plus, for more actionability IAS is expanding its dashboard reporting capabilities. Key highlights include:

Granular insights with expanded content-level reporting to all eligible posts, with insights aligned to the GARM framework for expanded transparency into your content adjacency
Efficient filtering of all metrics within the Signal UI to selected dimensions and date range, including campaign, ad sets, and inventory type for more actionable insights
Easy-to-use visuals to understand how your campaign is performing across the GARM framework, enabling easy validation and adjustment to your Meta 1P inventory filter

Avoid misinformation to safeguard and scale on Meta platforms. Download the one sheet or reach out to an IAS representative to get started.

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IAS Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement is Now Available Across Meta Platforms

IAS Team — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:05:00 +0000

Safeguard and scale your media on Facebook and Instagram

IAS launched its new Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement with Meta to provide advertisers with campaign insights across Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels, as part of Total Media Quality for Meta. With Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement for Meta now available across Meta platforms, you can have confidence that your media is appearing next to content aligned to your brand values and goals.

With Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement for Meta, you get:

AI-driven classification: IAS measures adjacent posts to your campaign using our Multimedia Technology to provide unique insight into video content. It does this through frame-by-frame analysis of images, audio, and text to provide the most accurate measurement at scale.
Trust and transparency: Our analysis is aligned to the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) framework, giving you third-party validation with trusted and transparent industry metrics.
Third-party validation: With IAS’s third-party validation, you can better understand how your Meta Inventory Filters are performing for your campaign goals and optimize as needed.

Access the one sheet now or contact an IAS representative to get started.

The post IAS Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement is Now Available Across Meta Platforms appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

How to Prevent Mobile Ad Fraud

IAS Team — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Protect your advertising spend from fraudsters in mobile apps

Millions of consumers across the globe engage with mobile apps everyday. Whether it’s for social media, convenience, productivity, or pure entertainment, mobile apps have become an essential part of people’s daily lives — and marketers have followed suit. But fraud has become a billion dollar problem across mobile, with marketers losing nearly $35 billion in mobile app ad spend to fraud globally in 2023.

With the increasing threat of in-app fraud, marketers across the globe are adopting sophisticated anti-fraud tools to defend against these covert operations and protect their advertising budgets.

What is mobile app ad fraud?

Mobile app ad fraud refers to any kind of deceptive practice that manipulates advertising in mobile apps to generate revenue or unfairly disrupt competitors. This form of fraud rears its ugly head in multiple ways, including app spoofing, out of context ad rendering, and geo masking, among others. The goal? These fraudsters aim to generate fake ad impressions and steal revenue from digital advertisers, publishers, or supply partners. This malpractice exploits one of the most active channels in digital advertising, undermining its credibility and financial potential.

Mobile app ad fraud is a major challenge for marketers. This issue not only drains advertising budgets but also risks damaging brand reputation and jeopardizes potential collaborations with publishers and platforms. Brands in particular face the threat of wasted ad spend and diminished trust among consumers, impacting their brand equity.

What are the common types of ad fraud within apps?

There are many common forms of mobile app fraud — here are some of the most prevalent:

App Spoofing: App spoofing is a deceptive practice in mobile ad fraud where an app’s identity is falsely represented. It often involves lesser-known apps presenting themselves as popular ones to command higher ad rates, rogue exchanges listing well-known apps to inflate inventory value, and mislabeling mobile ads as premium CTV ads. App spoofing causes advertisers to pay premium rates for misrepresented ad placements and erodes trust throughout the supply chain.
Out of Context Ad Rendering: This form of fraud occurs when a mobile app displays ads while not in active use or visible to the user, disrupting device functionality and leading to unintentional clicks. This practice degrades the user experience and wastes ad spend, violating guidelines that require ads to be non-intrusive and easily dismissible.
Geo Masking: This is a deceptive tactic in mobile ad fraud where fraudsters disguise their geographic location to simulate traffic from high-value markets. By doing so, they can command higher ad rates or meet specific campaign requirements targeted at certain regions. Geo masking misleads advertisers about the actual origin of ad engagement, leading to inaccurate targeting and wasted ad spend.
Device Farm Exploitation: Device farms are setups that may use virtual machine (VM) devices or even real people to simulate ad interactions, like clicks and views. These farms generate artificial ad traffic and falsely inflate engagement metrics, which leads advertisers to unknowingly pay for fake engagement.

How can I prevent ad fraud within my apps?

Protection on mobile app campaigns is essential — after all, the average consumer spends a third of their day browsing mobile apps, making it one of the most prolific channels for advertising. To combat fraud and prevent fraudsters from re-entering apps, media quality partners are key. In fact, IAS recently found that campaigns that are not optimized for fraud tend to encounter levels of fraud up to 16x higher than those that are optimized against ad fraud.

Media quality partners, like IAS, employ teams of specialized analysts, engineers, and data scientists to address ad fraud from every angle. Their expertise ensures that ad spend is allocated correctly, enhancing campaign safety and effectiveness. Using the right measurement solutions to detect fraud and optimization solutions to prevent it can ensure safety, security, and confidence when driving your brand’s message across mobile apps.

How IAS can help

As a leader in detecting and mitigating fraud in mobile campaigns, IAS knows how important mobile protection is. IAS uses AI and machine learning to identify potential fraud behavior and uncommon patterns in marketers’ campaigns. Plus, IAS’s ad fraud detection and mitigation system is designed to effectively stop more bots compared to competitors, while ensuring that real human interactions are never blocked.

With mobile usage growing each year, standardized mobile measurement for Invalid Traffic and Viewability is crucial. That’s why IAS provides independent, trusted verification at scale on mobile and in-app. Our solutions include Brand Safety and Suitability, verification for insight into Viewability, optimization for in-app efficiency, and unmatched anti-fraud products that will boost real engagement from real users.

Here’s a look at the in-app ad fraud tools that IAS offers:

Comprehensive coverage across programmatic buys with measurement and optimization support to ensure Viewability, IVT, and Brand Safety
Customizable reporting, including Brand Safety with content risk categories and inclusion/exclusion lists
Single tag solution that supports monitoring and blocking for both display and video

Drive superior results in your mobile app campaigns with IAS’s industry-leading suite of ad fraud products. Learn more about how IAS fights and prevents fraud, and contact us to stop fraud in your mobile app campaigns today.

The post How to Prevent Mobile Ad Fraud appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

IAS Brand Safety & Suitability on TikTok Reaches 50+ Markets Worldwide

IAS Team — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

IAS Total Media Quality for TikTok is global

In today’s tech-driven world, it’s more important than ever for marketers to engage with users and ensure their ads appear next to brand safe and suitable content on a global scale. That’s why IAS is expanding our TikTok Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement, as part of Total Media Quality for TikTok, to 21 more markets, for a total of 50+ supported markets globally.

Powered by our advanced machine learning and AI technology, IAS has scaled from seven to 50+ markets in just over a year to arm marketers with an increasingly comprehensive set of solutions to measure and optimize campaigns on TikTok. IAS brings end-to-end solutions to TikTok with optimization (pre-bid) and Total Media Quality measurement (post-bid), powered by our industry-leading multimedia technology and aligned to the GARM Brand Safety & Suitability framework.

IAS's Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement for TikTok gives marketers:

Global coverage across 50+ markets for complete confidence in your TikTok media strategy
Sophisticated tech to accurately classify the feed with industry-leading multimedia technology, which combines image, audio, and text at scale
Trusted, third-party measurement of the content your ads appear adjacent to in the TikTok feed
Clear insights with industry-aligned safety and suitability reporting aligned to the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) categories and floor

Download the one sheet to learn about how IAS leads the industry in providing end-to-end support for marketers on TikTok — worldwide.

*To note, IAS TikTok optimization solutions are currently available in select markets.

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IAS Brand Safety & Suitability on TikTok is going global

Miranda Ashton — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 08:01:00 +0000

IAS's Total Media Quality for TikTok is going global

In today’s tech supported world, cutting edge platforms give people the unique ability to stay connected despite where they are located. IAS is excited to expand our Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement on TikTok to 23 more markets. Since October, IAS has provided end-to-end support for marketers on TikTok, including both measurement and optimization* solutions. Now we are expanding our coverage where it counts to provide comprehensive global third-party measurement with Total Media Quality on TikTok.

IAS’s Brand Safety & Suitability Measurement for TikTok provides:

Global coverage across 30 markets for complete confidence in your TikTok media strategy
Sophisticated tech to accurate classify the feed with industry-leading Multimedia Technology, which combines image, audio, and text at scale
Trusted, third-party measurement of the content your ads appeared adjacent to in the TikTok feed
Clear insights with industry-aligned safety and suitability reporting aligned to the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) categories and floor

Download the one sheet to find learn about how IAS leads the industry in providing end-to-end support for marketers on TikTok — worldwide. *To note, IAS TikTok optimization solutions are currently available in select markets.

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