Third-party verification will play a critical role in preserving digital audio media quality

Integral Ad Science (a global leader in digital media quality, released its 2022 Amplifying Media Quality in Digital Audio Report. In partnership with YouGov,a global public opinion and data company, IAS surveyed U.S. digital media experts — including publishers, ad buyers, and adtech experts — on their expectations for digital advertising in programmatic audio. Results surfaced substantial concerns regarding ad fraud in digital audio and division on the adequacy of current metrics. However, media experts overwhelmingly agree about the capacity for third-party verification companies to address these challenges.

The report breaks down how media experts are engaging with digital audio as a rapidly expanding market and highlights the role third-party verification plays in maintaining high-quality standards for digital audio advertising.

The report also delves into questions about whether current audibility metrics are sufficient in addition to industry-wide concern centered on audio ad fraud and how media experts are looking to harness brand suitability to combat risk.

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Based on the report, these key priorities will guide advertisers in the year ahead:

• The vast majority of media experts plan to engage with the growing digital audio advertising opportunities —  As consumer interest in digital audio remains strong, 93% of media experts say they are likely to use digital audio advertising this year. Digital audio ads drive both performance and branding — contributing to overall advertising outcomes — with 63% of marketing experts in agreement.
• There will be a strong preference for programmatic ad buying — Automated purchasing methods are gaining traction as marketers seek efficiency and scale in digital audio advertising, with 73% of experts set to transact audio ad placements programmatically. As publishers and ad buyers shift from direct to automated transactions, adtech partners will focus on bringing media quality to audio advertising.
• Media experts are speculative about audibility metrics, but desire comparability across mediums — Nearly half of experts (45%) said it is important to compare campaign performance across audio, display, and video. Yet, less than half of experts have confidence when discussing audio metrics with clients. Audibility criteria were insufficient to compare to viewability, which proves difficult for advertisers to compare performance across formats.
• Media experts are overwhelmingly concerned about ad fraud in digital audio, and agree that third-party verification may address those challenges — Nearly nine-in-ten media experts (87%) are concerned or very concerned about ad fraud in audio. While the desire to participate in digital audio engagement is high, those same experts say they are willing to rely on third-party verification to preserve media quality before further investing in digital audio advertising. Such verification can help ad buyers harness audio ad metrics by providing insights into performance, industry education, and listening to client feedback for future innovations.

“Digital audio is booming and marketers want metrics to ensure they are placing their ads in the best possible audio adjacencies,” said Tony Marlow, CMO, IAS. “IAS is well-suited to deliver comprehensive transparency to the digital audio ecosystem and to help marketers make every audio impression count.”

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