DoubleClick Puts Publishers, Advertisers On Level Viewability Playing Field

Publishers using DoubleClick platforms will no longer have to rely on agencies to learn if their ads are viewable or not. Google has made its viewability product, Active View, available for publishers in addition to advertisers and agencies.

“We’ve been hearing from publishers that discussions about viewable impressions with advertisers lack transparency making it difficult for publishers to meet their client’s expectations,” said Sanaz Ahari, group product manager for brand metrics at Google. “As in any market, information asymmetry causes unfair advantages. That’s why we made the conscious decision to provide access to Active View metrics to everyone at the same time.”

The product will enable publishers to see viewability metrics in reports they pull regularly, “[giving] them a greater understanding of the viewability of their sites,” Ahari explained, adding that the integration ensures their metrics will be the same as the ones advertisers see.

The addition of Active View for publishers is part of a larger shift towards focusing on ad viewability, not ads served, as a baseline for digital advertising campaign measurement. At the end of March, the Media Rating Council lifted its recommendation to avoid transacting based on viewable impressions. “We believe [the viewability standard] will be the new foundation of digital advertising in the future,” Ahari said.

Publishers using DoubleClick platforms won’t need to pay extra, change tags or do anything else to start using Active View, which Ahari described as “built into the foundation of all our platforms.” There’s still more to come, she said. “We’ll be creating new and innovative solutions to make viewable impressions a true currency,” Ahari revealed.