May 30, 2017

Nearly half of digital ads still aren’t considered viewable

Sara Fischer

New data from Integral Ad Science finds that only 53% of display ads in the U.S. met the industry's viewability standards and only 58% of video ads met the industry's viewability standards (below).

Why it matters: Per the study, even if ads do meet viewability standards, digital ad effectiveness in the U.S. still has a long way to go. Only 51% of consumers say they looked at a viewable ad and only 17% say they recalled it. This, combined with an increase in ad-blocking, points to signs that the digital ad landscape needs to continually adjust to consumer preferences and updates in technology.

The good news: New "predictive targeting" tools through programmatic have given advertisers the ability to regain quality control by placing their ads through whitelists in places they are more likely to be loaded and viewed by real people (not bots). For video, the transition from Flash to HTML5 is also helping to weed out unviewable ads.

The U.S. ranks middle of the pack: Per the study, the U.S. digital ad market isn't the worst when it comes to uploading viewability standards, but it's not the best either:

UK: 49.9%France: 50.5%Australia: 51.9%United States: 53.0%Canada: 58.9%Germany: 57.8%

The standards aren't crazy high: The standards are based on recommendations from the media's de facto watchdog group, the independent Media Ratings Council (MRC). According to MRC, here are how often ads need to load in order for them to be considered "viewable":

  • Standard banner ads: At least 50% of the ads are in view for at least 1 second
  • Large format ads: At least 30% of the ads are in view for at least 1 second
  • Video ads: At least 50% of the ads are in view for at least 2 seconds

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Cruise ship evacuations: More Americans test positive for coronavirus

A bus carrying American citizens from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship arrives at the U.S. government-chartered aircraft that is taking them back to the United States while authorities wear protective suits look on at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Another 14 passengers tested positive for the novel coronavirus during their evacuation from the Diamond Princess cruise ship before being flown in a "specialist containment" area of the plane to the United States, per a Trump administration statement early Monday.

Details: Over 40 Americans who had been on the ship had previously been confirmed as infected and will remain in Japanese hospitals for treatment, NIAID director Anthony Fauci told "Face the Nation" Sunday. The rest were evacuated, and these latest cases were among them. All evacuees will undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival later Monday.

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GM to exit Australia, New Zealand and Thailand

GM's Holden brand is popular among racing fans down under, and it's been a regular fixture at events like the Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar Race in Australia. Photo: Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

General Motors is retiring its Holden brand from sales in Australia and New Zealand and winding down operations in the two countries and Thailand by 2021, the company confirmed in a statement Monday.

Why it matters: The Holden brand has been in Australia and New Zealand for 160 years, per a GM statement issued in Australia. It is beloved by many motor racing fans down under. Holden produced Australia's first wholly locally made car in 1948.

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In photos: Deadly Storm Dennis lashes U.K., Ireland and western France

A family is rescued from a property in Nantgarw, Wales, on Sunday. The storm comes a week after the U.K. was battered by storm Ciara, which killed two people, per the BBC. Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Storm Dennis continued to pummel parts of England, Wales and Ireland over Sunday night with heavy rain after battering Northern Ireland and Scotland, per the official British weather agency the Met Office.

Why it matters: It's the second-strongest nontropical storm ever recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean, with its hurricane-force winds and heavy rains that caused widespread flooding across the U.K., the Washington Post notes. Police in Wales confirmed Sunday they found the body of a man who fell into a river as the storm lashed Ystradgynlais.

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