Advertisers must prioritise media quality over cost to curb adex spillage: Report

DoubleVerify released a report in collaboration with WARC titled "Raising the Bar in APAC: How Media Quality and Performance Drive Outcomes".

The report explores the relationship between media quality, attention measurement, and performance for advertisers across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The findings provide actionable insights for Indian brands looking to make an impact in the digital market.

The report draws insights from 329 brand marketers responsible for media buying in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines. The report found that 91% of marketers recognise the significance of measuring media quality, with 98% using ad verification tools. However, a gap exists in consistently implementing best practices, with one in three marketers surveyed using ad verification tools on an ad-hoc basis and only 17% evaluating media across the four key metrics of fraud, brand safety, viewability and if the ad was served in the intended geography.

“Advertisers in APAC often prioritise media cost over quality, leading to wasted ad dollars. To improve results and brand reputation, advertisers must understand the value of media quality. This ensures campaign efficiency and effectiveness, reduces fraud risks, and boosts long-term ROI. To incentivise media quality, the industry should promote education, transparent metrics, and collaboration with trusted partners while establishing industry guidelines and standards. Emphasising media quality benefits advertisers, publishers, and consumers”, said Anjali Krishnan, Head of Media, Mondelēz International.

Other findings in the report include:

Emerging ad frontiers: CTV and gaming

The rapidly expanding Connected TV (CTV) and gaming landscapes present exciting opportunities for advertisers. Notably, Indian streamers demonstrate a 93% engagement with ads, with 33% translating into purchases. Similar trends in the gaming industry in other APAC markets – 94% of Australian gamers choose ads over in-app purchases – mark an untapped ad frontier in India.

Privacy and quality: The new imperative

An urgency to shift from traditional measurement using third-party cookies has emerged in the face of rising privacy regulations. As per a study by IAB SEA+India, nearly 90% of businesses in APAC anticipate more stringent privacy regulations in the future, while 60% of consumers express doubts regarding using their data for online marketing purposes.

The attention economy: Seizing the moment

India’s dynamic digital landscape, with diverse content and platforms, requires advertisers to create meaningful impressions that captivate audiences. In an era where attention is the new currency, the report reveals that attention metrics are underutilised and misunderstood in the region. While 98% of marketers surveyed claimed to measure attention through a range of metrics, the metrics used varied greatly based on channel, format, and desired KPIs. This points to the importance of considering all metrics in their entirety for more accurate attention measurement.

“In the digital world, ad verification is the compass guiding brands through this complex terrain. This report by DoubleVerify and WARC is an extension of that compass, showing brands how media quality and attention metrics lead to audience engagement and campaign success,” said Nachiket Deole, Head of Sales, India at DoubleVerify.

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