Research Archives - Integral Ad Science

RESEARCH: The State of Social

IAS Team — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Safeguarding and scaling your brand on social media

The ubiquity of social media gives advertisers an opportunity to cast a wide net for their brands. However, the varied nature of social media feeds, especially during election season, presents a challenge in ensuring the content surrounding ads is safe. Amid the spread of misinformation and AI-generated content, consumers are increasingly discerning — and advertisers should take note.

Leverage this study to understand how consumers’ perceptions of and interactions with brands are influenced by content surrounding ads on social media. Plus, this research deep dives into the types of ads that consumers are more likely to remember and consider favorable within social feeds.

Download The State of Social to find out:

How misinformation and AI-generated content on social feeds impacts ad performance
What kinds of ads consumers are interacting with on social media
What types of ad adjacencies drive purchase intent and brand awareness

The post RESEARCH: The State of Social appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

3 Things Marketers Must Know About Emerging Media

IAS Team — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Retail media, digital audio, and virtual reality are growing in popularity. Where should you start?

Digital media never stands still. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for marketers. As new forms of media emerge, they bring both challenges and opportunities. Emerging media channels in particular are skyrocketing in popularity across the globe, compelling advertisers and agencies to consider these channels in their media budgets.

Why is everyone talking about emerging media?

The buzz surrounding emerging media is impossible to ignore. From retail media platforms and gaming to virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) experiences and digital audio, emerging media channels are reshaping how brands connect with their audiences. But what exactly is driving all this excitement, and why should marketers pay attention?

Diverse engagement opportunities

Emerging media offers a diverse array of engagement opportunities that traditional channels simply can’t match. By leveraging emerging media, brands can build stronger and more meaningful relationships with their customers.

Engagement metrics such as click-through-rates, dwell time, and social shares provide valuable insight into consumer behavior and preferences, allowing marketers to refine their strategies for maximum impact. Ultimately, emerging media not only improves customer engagement but also drives brand loyalty and advocacy through innovative and personalized experiences that resonate with today’s digitally savvy consumers.

Evolving consumer behavior

Consumer behavior is constantly evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing societal norms. Media experts cite dwindling consumer trust as a top concern for advertising on social media and other traditional channels. Today’s consumers demand seamless, personalized experiences from brands. Emerging media channels not only meet these expectations but also anticipate future trends, providing marketers with the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and connect with their audience in meaningful ways.

As the conversation around emerging media continues to intensify, marketers are increasingly drawn to the unique opportunities these platforms present. From expanding reach through innovative channels to leveraging advanced targeting capabilities, emerging media is reshaping the advertising landscape in profound ways.

Emerging media channels offer distinct advantages that traditional advertising methods often cannot match.

Here are three essential aspects marketers need to know before investing in emerging media.

1. Future-focused marketers are including emerging media in their ad budgets

Marketers are increasingly focusing on advertising through emerging media channels to stay competitive and engage with their target audiences effectively. Over 85% of marketers have already ventured into advertising on emerging media channels, recognizing the opportunities these platforms offer to reach and connect with modern consumers. Looking forward, 69% of marketers are planning to ramp up their investments specifically in virtual reality (VR) and retail media networks within the coming year. This proactive stance reflects a strategic approach to leveraging cutting-edge technologies and expanding reach across innovative platforms.

In today’s dynamic and competitive landscape, staying ahead of the game is crucial. Marketers are constantly challenged to achieve more impactful results with constrained budgets and resources. As such, 42% of marketers prioritize the potential for technological innovation when evaluating whether a new media channel is ready for investment. This forward-thinking mindset ensures that investments align not only with current consumer behaviors but also with future trends in digital engagement and advertising effectiveness.

By embracing emerging media channels and harnessing the power of technological advancements, marketers can not only enhance their brand visibility but also foster deeper connections with their audiences. This strategic shift toward innovative platforms underscores the industry’s commitment to evolving alongside consumer preferences and technological advancements, ultimately driving growth and competitive advantage.

2. Marketers must consider media quality, inventory, and performance factors when investing in emerging media

As the digital landscape continues to expand, so does the array of channels available for marketers to reach their target audiences. Emerging media channels, including digital audio, gaming, and virtual reality, offer unique opportunities for brand exposure and engagement. However, investing in these new avenues requires a strategic approach to ensure resources are allocated effectively.

Media quality is more important than ever

64% of marketers look to media quality as a top consideration for advertising on emerging media channels. Ensuring high media quality is paramount when venturing into emerging media. This involves selecting ad placements that guarantee high viewability and relevance. Ads should appear in prominent positions where they are likely to be seen by the target audience, ensuring that the surrounding content aligns with the brand’s values to maintain a safe advertising environment.

Collaborating with reputable publishers known for delivering high-quality traffic and engagement is also essential. Quality media placements help in building brand credibility and ensuring that advertising efforts resonate with the intended audience.

Optimize inventory for maximum impact

Effective inventory management is crucial for maximizing the reach and impact of campaigns in emerging media. 68% of marketers look at inventory factors as a top consideration for advertising on emerging media channels. Inventory considerations include the potential for future technological innovation on the channel, as well as the availability of interactive ad formats and price of inventory. Diverse inventory that provides broad reach across different channels and platforms maximizes exposure and engagement opportunities.

Ad performance is a top factor for consideration

It’s no surprise that six-in-10 marketers look to performance factors as top considerations of advertising on emerging media. These factors involve evaluating the cost per acquisition and return on investment to ensure media spend is justified by the results. Monitoring engagement metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall engagement levels also helps marketers assess ad effectiveness.

By carefully considering these three factors (media quality, inventory, and performance), marketers can make informed decisions about their investments in emerging media, increasing the impact of their marketing efforts while mitigating potential risks like low-quality inventory and fraudulent activity.

3. Measurement and optimization solutions are critical when deciding to invest in emerging media

No digital advertising campaign is complete without the actionable data to match — especially on emerging media channels. A substantial 52% of marketers prioritize the measurement of invalid traffic, aiming to ensure that their advertising budgets are protected from fraudulent activities that could skew performance metrics and waste resources. Marketers also place importance on contextual avoidance and targeting within digital audio, ensuring that ads are placed in safe, appropriate contexts to enhance relevance and effectiveness.

Attention measurement is also climbing the ranks as a top consideration, with marketers commonly turning to this metric on both digital audio and gaming platforms. On the latter channel, 44% of marketers consider high-risk content identification a must, considering the fact that gaming content can often be risky.

These metrics, and the ability to optimize toward them, underscore the growing emphasis on accountability and effectiveness in the realm of emerging media investments, guiding marketers toward informed decision-making and superior business results.

Stay ahead of the curve with IAS

The buzz around emerging media is well-deserved. Its ability to reach vast audiences, offer innovative advertising formats, adapt to trends, and foster authentic consumer connections makes it a powerful tool in the modern marketer’s arsenal. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and embracing emerging media will be key to achieving marketing success.

Download IAS’s Emerging Media Outlook to find out more on:

How expert marketers determine if a media channel is ready for investment
Where marketers plan to increase investments this year
What common barriers prevent marketers from investing in emerging media

Gain insights from industry leaders and make informed decisions for your next campaign — download the study today and learn more about our emerging media partnerships.

The post 3 Things Marketers Must Know About Emerging Media appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Taking Action on Attention: Volume II

IAS Team — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Deep dive into the impact of attention on ad performance

Attention continues to be a crucial focus in the digital media landscape. As marketers aim to capture and maintain consumer interest, the methods and metrics for measuring this elusive concept have evolved. While traditional metrics like viewability have provided a foundation, it’s clear that a holistic approach to measuring attention is essential for driving meaningful results.

To better understand how attention is related to performance, Integral Ad Science (IAS) conducted extensive research, incorporating data from billions of impressions and millions of conversion events.

Download Taking Action on Attention: Volume II to find out:

How attention metrics differ from traditional engagement metrics
The impact of high attention scores on conversion rates
Insights into consumer behavior and interaction with ads
Strategies for optimizing ad campaigns using attention metrics

The post Taking Action on Attention: Volume II appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

RESEARCH: Emerging Media Outlook

IAS Team — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

How marketers are planning for and investing in digital media's newest channels

The digital landscape evolves every day — and marketers, whether we like it or not, are forced to follow. As new media channels gain traction, marketers often shift their plans, and their budgets, without knowing if it’s worth the investment.

So is jumping onto the latest digital trend worth the gamble?

In this study, IAS and YouGov partnered together to take a close look at marketers’ investment plans in emerging media channels, including virtual and augmented reality, retail media, digital audio, and gaming. Plus, we examine what may be preventing marketers from investing in these channels — and what can be done about it.

Download IAS’s Emerging Media Outlook study to find out:

Where a majority of marketers plan to increase investments this year
How expert marketers determine if a media channel is ready for investment
What barriers are preventing marketers from advertising on emerging media

Forge the future of digital media with IAS and drive superior results on any emerging digital media channel. Download the Emerging Media Outlook study today to find out how.

The post RESEARCH: Emerging Media Outlook appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

How Brand Risk Fluctuates Surrounding Political Events

IAS Team — Tue, 14 May 2024 11:59:02 +0000

Though November 5 is months away, the 2024 United States presidential election cycle and surrounding news coverage has already begun. With more than 15 states holding primary elections on March 5, Super Tuesday provided an early opportunity to explore digital advertising opportunities and risks that the industry may face throughout this election year.

The IAS Election Lab examined traffic volume for high risk political content surrounding these primaries, including controversial political party content and news-related misinformation, and investigated how ad adjacency to this content impacts business results for advertisers.

Negative political party traffic rose around Super Tuesday and other politically-related events

Advertising adjacent to negative news or sentiments surrounding Democratic or Republican political parties is a growing risk for brands. So how is negative sentiment defined?

Sentiment refers to whether an article conveys a positive, neutral, or negative tone to the consumer reading it
“Negative” sentiment means a page conveys a negative tone, but does not indicate if the page is brand safe

After tracking the volume of negative sentiment political party impression traffic throughout Q1 2024, the IAS Election Lab found that traffic spiked in tandem with salient political events — including Super Tuesday.

The first spike in traffic volume (up to 0.26%) centered around February 19, more than doubling the Q1 baseline rate (0.12%) in the midst of high-profile civil fraud trials in New York. Around this time, there was a sharp increase in content that included negative sentiments toward both political parties — for example, stories that reported low opinions of the current president or stories that compared a previous president to authoritarian dictators.

A second spike in negative political party traffic volume occurred on March 5, also known as Super Tuesday — more than doubling the baseline rate up to .25%.

During the 2020 presidential election, IAS observed that more than three in four consumers believed online advertising would play an important role in determining the outcome of the election. Avoiding negative political party content and news-related misinformation surrounding elections is especially important for brands aiming to protect themselves from being seen as endorsing a specific political agenda, which could harm brand reputation.

News-related misinformation traffic also spiked around Super Tuesday

Misinformation is an ever-present concern in digital media, but high-profile election cycles can increase a brand’s risk of ad adjacency to misinformation. This year, 59% of media experts expect the U.S. presidential election to create additional advertising challenges surrounding misinformation and fake news.

News-related misinformation appears to rise in conjunction with high-profile news events. This year, traffic peaked two days before Super Tuesday, marking a threefold increase compared to the Q1 volume rate.

Since traffic to news-related misinformation is generally low (representing only 0.001% of all impressions served in Q1 2024), avoiding this content can protect advertisers from this high to medium risk content without hurting scale.

As IAS observed in 2022, brands can build consumer favorability and trust by detecting and avoiding placing ads adjacent to misinformation. Through IAS’s partnership with the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), advertisers can use IAS Brand Safety and Suitability capabilities across open web and social media to detect and avoid misinformation. And with tools like IAS Context Control Avoidance, advertisers can prevent ads from being placed alongside selected risky content while simultaneously protecting scale.

Contextual Avoidance Segments protect campaign results

Beyond protecting your brand, avoiding politically risky content can protect marketers’ bottom lines too. After all, consumers are less likely to engage with or purchase products from ads that are placed alongside misinformation or other risky content.

Using IAS data enriched with performance and cost metrics, we examined the impact of politically risky content on success rate (defined as clicks or conversions) and cost per conversion compared to overall impressions served in the U.S. during the week of Super Tuesday.

Ads adjacent to risky political party content had a 66% lower success rate and a 29% higher, or $0.82 increase, in cost per conversion. Similarly, ads adjacent to news-related misinformation had a 53% lower success rate and an 8% higher, or $0.23 increase, in cost per conversion.

How IAS can help

IAS offers Context Control Avoidance segments to help advertisers avoid placing their ads alongside negative or risky content beyond the GARM categories. Before a bid is placed, IAS’s predictive science pre-screens pages to filter out tailored content that isn’t suitable for your brand.

Contextual avoidance segments like “Politics-GOP,” “Politics-Democrat,” “Misinformation-News,” or other delicate subjects help marketers control where their brand is seen, which can be especially crucial with growing uncertainty of the upcoming election cycle. These avoidance segments protect brand safety without harming scale so you can continue to drive superior results throughout an election year and beyond.

In addition, we recently announced the expansion of our Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement capability to now include the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) category of misinformation for leading social platforms, like Meta. Advertisers can now review when their ads run alongside content on the subject of misinformation on the feed, in addition to open web.

For a step-by-step guide to scaling your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our IAS Election Lab for more insights.

The post How Brand Risk Fluctuates Surrounding Political Events appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

WHITE PAPER: Master the Art of CTV Monetization

IAS Team — Mon, 06 May 2024 21:24:27 +0000

Build superior ad breaks and drive yield on CTV

In the era of streaming, the demand for content has soared to unprecedented levels. However, viewers often face a barrage of repetitive and poorly-timed ads that fail to align with their preferences, leaving them yearning for a more engaging experience.

In this white paper, Publica by IAS deep dives into key ways publishers can curate quality viewing experiences and empowers streaming publishers with a strategic blueprint to elevate CTV revenue while creating superior ad breaks.

In this white paper, you’ll learn:

How to curate exceptional CTV ad breaks
Linear TV ad break best practices that can be applied to FAST and AVOD services to maximize CTV yield
What CTV ad server attributes are required to deliver a quality viewing experience

Publica by IAS is the CTV ad server that helps publishers grow advertising revenue, build linear-like TV ad breaks, and improve viewers’ streaming experiences. Download the white paper now to learn more.

The post WHITE PAPER: Master the Art of CTV Monetization appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

RESEARCH: The State of Brand Safety

IAS Team — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Exploring consumer perception of appropriate online content and misinformation

The amount of online content that consumers deem inappropriate is growing — and brands are being held more accountable for ad placement than ever before. In a digital landscape where an ad’s surrounding content can make or break consumers’ perception of a brand, what can marketers do to avoid risky content and increase trust and favorability among consumers?

In our latest study, IAS explores what content U.S. consumers consider to be brand safe and unsafe and uncovers the impact that ad environments have on consumers’ perceptions of brands and their advertising. Plus, we deep dive into what consumers think of brands supporting quality journalism versus misinformation.

Key findings include:

82% of consumers say it’s important to them that the content surrounding online ads is appropriate
75% of consumers say they feel less favorable toward brands that advertise on sites that spread misinformation
51% of consumers say they are likely to stop using a product or service of a brand whose ad appears near inappropriate content

Capitalize on brand safety and suitability tools that build trust with consumers and drive superior results today.
Download the research now to get started.

The post RESEARCH: The State of Brand Safety appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

WHITE PAPER: The Rise of Responsible Media

IAS Team — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000

How the interconnectivity of parents, advertisers, and publishers can promote a safer internet

The internet can be a precarious place. Between political uncertainty, regional conflict, technological innovations, and so much more, it’s difficult for advertisers, publishers, and consumers to navigate unpredictability in online spaces.

Parents in particular face the challenge of protecting their children from harmful or inappropriate content — but this responsibility falls on the advertising industry too. In a dicey digital world, how are advertisers and publishers promoting a safe, ethical internet to ensure the long-term health of the digital ecosystem?

In our latest white paper, The Rise of Responsible Media, IAS dives into the importance of adopting a responsible media framework and how the interconnectivity of parents, advertisers, and publishers can make the internet safer.

Here’s a sneak peek at key findings:

98% of parents say it is important to have a conversation with their children about the safety of online content
77% of parents say publishers should be concerned about the well-being of their audience
72% of parents say brands have a moral imperative to advertise responsibly

This white paper also details key best practices for both advertisers and publishers to enhance responsible media strategies across campaigns, like IAS’s Context Control, DEI segment optimization, and more. As we continue to innovate for the future, the feedback and needs of our customers remain a top priority. IAS is working to deliver responsible media products like kids content avoidance on social media platforms by H1 to empower brands to advertise responsibly.

A responsible media framework is a critical step forward in working toward long-term safety for your brand as well as a safer internet for consumers and their families. Download the white paper now to find out why.

The post WHITE PAPER: The Rise of Responsible Media appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

RESEARCH: The 2024 Industry Pulse

IAS Team — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Media experts weigh in on advertising opportunities in 2024

As the industry reflects on the past year, IAS conducted our annual deep dive into the trends and technology that will shape the future: The Industry Pulse.

In 2024, industry experts will follow consumer behavior. Marketers plan to invest in well-established environments with high potential for innovation, like social media and digital video. Responsible media practices are also on the rise, with media experts increasingly prioritizing placing ads alongside media that promotes trustworthy journalism and ethically responsible content.

Shifts in advertising priorities can bring unexpected media quality challenges. So how are top industry experts planning for success in 2024?

Here’s a sneak peek at what we found:

Social media: The number one channel media experts plan to prioritize in 2024

Digital video & CTV: 84% of media experts say machine learning that can classify multimedia content will be important to ensuring brand safety in digital video ads

Responsible media: 74% of media experts say they will prioritize responsible media investment when buying or selling digital ads over the next 12 months

Top industry experts are investing in advertising opportunities that will drive superior results next year. Download the 2024 Industry Pulse to find out how.

The post RESEARCH: The 2024 Industry Pulse appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

How Does Bot Traffic Vary Over Time?

IAS Team — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The IAS Threat Lab deep dives into ad fraud trends

It’s no secret that the digital advertising landscape is rampant with malicious bots designed to commit ad fraud. Safeguarding any campaign from fraud is essential — but the threat of fraud is especially present during the holiday season. With ad budgets at their highest for the year, fraudsters are prepared to take advantage and ramp up their operations.

In this report, the IAS Threat Lab investigates bot activity to determine trends over time. The team set out to answer: How does bot traffic vary in a 24-hour period? How does it vary over a week? A month? The Threat Lab observed bot traffic over a 391-day period, analyzing billions of impressions each day to understand how bot attacks vary and how predictable — or unpredictable — these attacks may be.

Here’s a sneak peek at what we found.

People sleep, bots don’t

The Threat Lab analyzed billions of impressions across both human traffic and bot traffic. The impressions showed that bots mirror the activity patterns of the humans they are trying to impersonate: both bots and people spend the largest chunk of traffic between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

However, human traffic is sporadic, and bot traffic is quite consistent. We noticed this pattern in late-night activity — human traffic drops dramatically during the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., while bot traffic showed less variation. Conversely, during the early morning hours of 4 a.m. to 9 a.m., human traffic picks up much faster than bot traffic.

Fraudsters take their weekends off

Weekdays tend to have higher bot traffic volume than the weekends. On average, weekday bot traffic tends to be 21.2% greater than bot traffic on the weekends. For humans, weekday traffic is only 6.9% greater than weekend traffic.

But why is weekday traffic so much higher for bots? At the end of the day, although bots are largely automated, they still require oversight from their human operators. These individuals, like any employee at a corporation, most likely work on the weekdays and take their weekends off, causing a dip in bot traffic.

Look out for the holiday season

From an ad fraud perspective, holiday seasons are a particularly dangerous period for marketers and publishers. Bot traffic is at its highest during the holidays, with November seeing a higher volume than any other month of the year. Bot traffic in November is 22% greater than the bot traffic in October, and 57% greater than bot traffic in January.

Even within November, bot traffic grows as the month progresses, peaking in the fourth week. It then continues to stay high throughout December, making marketers particularly vulnerable to ad fraud and warranting extra protection against malicious bots during the holiday season.

Bottom line

Ad campaigns can be seriously impacted by timing — no matter the time of year. It’s crucial to ensure your brand’s ads are shown to real people, in the right place, and are free from fraud during this holiday season and as we enter the new year.

Download the IAS Fraud Trends Report now for more details, and click here to learn more about IAS’s ad fraud product suite.

The post How Does Bot Traffic Vary Over Time? appeared first on Integral Ad Science.