This document discusses the lack of transparency in online video advertising and proposes solutions. It notes that most TV ad budgets are spent on online video ads but there are risks of incomplete execution. Projects show ads being delivered in unintended ways. It recommends advertisers ask questions about ad verification and brokering. The document introduces the TLM100, an independent ratings system for online video inventory to provide pre-buy transparency. It conducted a poll that found advertisers support transparency to build confidence and move investments. Next steps are discussed for the WFA to provide more research and guidance on contract transparency.

1. Digital pre and post buy: towards more
transparency in online video
13th December 2012

2. Quick introductions…
Robert Dreblow Anthony Rushton
CEO

3. Questions raised across our membership

4. Which we have responded to…

5. Notably a TV-centric sample
= All TV % (Approximately what % of your 2011 media budget did TV represent?)
= Non-linear TV as a % of all TV (Approximately what % of that total 2011 TV
budget was invested in 'non-linear' TV?)
63%
60%
7% 6%
USA/ Canada Europe
68% 65%
6%
4%
LATAM APAC
Source: WFA online member survey. February 2012. Base: 33 companies

6. With online video taking the lion-share
Approximate % of non-linear TV dedicated to..
Online video (including
YouTube)
43%
Branded content 19%
Mobile video/ TV 4%
Online TV e.g. streaming 15%
Connected TV e.g. Google TV 3%
Interactive TV i.e. red
button
2%
Addressable TV (e.g. Visible
World)
2%
Source: WFA online member survey. February 2012. Base: 33 companies

7. …with that share due to grow
Thinking about your investment for the following platforms, do you
expect a...
Big increase Small increase No change Small decrease Big decrease
Online video (inc. YouTube) 41% 48% 11%
Branded content 29% 50% 18% 4%
Mobile video/ TV 20% 48% 32%
Online TV e.g. streaming 12% 40% 48%
Connected TV e.g. Google TV 8% 29% 63%
Interactive TV i.e. red button 4% 13% 83%
Addressable TV (e.g. Visible World) 4% 17% 78%
0%
Source: WFA online member survey. February 2012. Base: 33 companies 25% 50% 75% 100%

8. When using ad-serving for your online
advertising, do you think the risk of incomplete/
incorrect execution is....
Lower than in
other (more
traditional)
media, 4%
The same, 15%
Much higher
than other (more
traditional)
Higher, 27% media, 54%
Source: WFA Member Survey November 2010. Base. 31 Companies

10. Digital pre and post buy:
towards more transparency in online video
The Digital Media Forensics Company

11. Contents
1. Online video: post buy transparency right now
– Ad servers, analytics, verification and brokering
2. Online video: forensic analysis of post buy activity
– Online video malpractice and immunization tips for you
3. Online video post buy: five questions for you to ask your
roster
4. Online video: pre buy transparency right now
– Media packs, business cards, golf days and life in the abyss
5. The TLM100
– Lighting up the pre buy black hole
The Digital Media Forensics Company

12. Online video:
post buy transparency right now
• Ad servers – are they acting in your best interests?
– Conflicts of interest
– Ad network owned and operated
• Tracking – there’s tracking and there’s TRACKING
– Pixel based
– Creative performance centric
• Verification – there’s verification and there’s VERIFICATION
– Pixel Based
– Quick fix
• Brokering – less than zero transparency for all
– Campaign is passed onto unknown, unplanned entity
– Win criterion often not vetted by advertiser or verified by agency
The Digital Media Forensics Company

13. Online video:
forensic analysis of post buy
brokering
• Project “Depth charge”
– Online video ads relayed in i-frame depths of >4
– Invisible to the website viewer
• Project “Saigon”
– >$500k worth of media delivered into Vietnam
– Muted, thumbnail size and fake referrers
• Project “Cross rider”
– 215 apps
– Re configure Facebook and insert ads
The Digital Media Forensics Company

14. Project
“Depth
Charge”
The Digital Media Forensics Company

15. Project
“Saigon”
The Digital Media Forensics Company

16. Project “Cross
rider”
The Digital Media Forensics Company

17. Online video:
post buy immunization tips for you
• Preclude undesirable activity within your insertion orders
• Pay for what you want, not what you get
• Independently vet agency DSP and vendor SSP win
criterion
• Meet your ad server, meet key vendors and pitch
• Pre vet new vendors with donated media
• Accept and acknowledge that agencies are not engineers
The Digital Media Forensics Company

18. Online video: post buy
five questions for you to ask your
roster
• Who is my ad server and are they a publisher?
• How are my online video ad placements verified?
• What am I paying for: an ad start or an ad request?
• What performance criteria are vendors held accountable
to?
• What percentage of my ads are brokered or DSP/SSP’d?
The Digital Media Forensics Company

19. Live poll: opinion on the information
received in advance of a pre-buy..

20. Online video: pre buy transparency
The Digital Media Forensics Company

21. Online video: pre buy transparency
The Digital Media Forensics Company

22. The TLM100
• World’s first independent online video inventory indexing and rating
program
• Free to use for advertisers and agencies
• Always on and in real time
• Fueled by an independent ratings council from the demand side
• Generated via transponder code placed into online media players
• Vendor online video spots index scored
• Vendor product category rated against risk to advertisers
• First ratings council meeting 16th Jan 2013. TLM100.com available
thereafter.
The Digital Media Forensics Company

23. Online video: pre buy transparency
The Digital Media Forensics Company

24. What does the buy side think?
You asked me about our thoughts on the need for transparency in the
digital media market. Given this is an industry initiative supported by
the ANA and the IAB, I am happy to let you know where we stand:
Transparency = Confidence
Confidence = Ability to Move Investments
Ability to Move Investments = Leadership in Media’s Future
Leadership in Media’s Future = Future-proofing My Business
Of course, I am all for securing the future on my business, I’m for
leadership in media, I see the necessity to move my investments, I
need confidence to do it, so I need transparency to facilitate it….so
naturally, I’m a supporter of the TLM100!
Marc Fonzetti, Media
Director, Verizon Wireless
The Digital Media Forensics Company

25. And finally…
We wouldn’t be serving and verifying
290M online video ads per day if they
couldn’t ROI

26. What’s next for WFA members?
• on agenda at MEDIAFORUM 7th Feb (Shell, London)
• …also DIGITALFORUM 21ST March (location TBC)
• more detailed peer research
• transparency guidance: contract checklist WIP

27. Anthony Rushton
arushton@telemetry.com
Rob Dreblow
r.dreblow@wfanet.org