AAM and IVC form alliance to combat digital ad fraud, promote accountability

Two of the world's leading independent media auditors – the Alliance for Audited Media and the Institute of Verified Communications – have aligned to form the Global Alliance for Digital Assurance. The partnership is dedicated to helping the global media industry address online ad fraud, invalid traffic, viewability and transparency of digital advertising metrics and practices to help marketers and media companies transact with greater trust and confidence.

AAM and IVC are internationally respected auditors with deep expertise in digital media and interactive advertising. With this new partnership, they are aligning to standardize digital audit techniques and best practices, jointly develop verification technologies and tools and share cross-border resources and knowledge customized for local markets.

The international nature of digital media – with all the good and bad that goes with it – is a core reason the alliance was formed. Standards and measurements may vary slightly from country to country, but the issues of accountability, transparency and fraud reach across borders. AAM and IVC see many of the same issues in their work and this alliance is a way to join forces to share common solutions for publishers, marketers, ad agencies and advertising technology platforms.

The first product developed under the partnership is called "Site Certifier," which provides real-time, independent verification of publishers' monthly digital audience metrics as reported by Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics. The product, which was initially develop by IVC in Brazil, independently verifies key measurements across desktop web browsers, smartphones and tablets to help publishers present advertisers with cross-channel media measurements that have been independently verified by trusted digital auditors. Verified data is compiled in AAM's and IVC's respective databases to help marketers plan their digital media investments. The Site Certifier service is currently available from IVC in Brazil; AAM expects to launch it in the first quarter of 2016 in the U.S. and Canada.

AAM and IVC are also developing additional technical capabilities to address some of today's hot-button digital advertising issues.

• One new service expected later in 2016 will help marketers monitor digital campaigns in real time for ad fraud, invalid bot traffic, viewable impressions and ad targeting.
• Another future service will address ad blocking, allowing publishers to account for website visitors with ad blocking software installed to better understand the business impact and make informed decisions pertaining to content and advertising sales strategies.

Via the partnership, AAM and IVC will continue to promote and support standards developed by the Media Rating Council, Interactive Advertising Bureau, Mobile Marketing Association and the Trustworthy Accountability Group. Their industry-agreed standards cover a host of interactive ad measurement guidelines, anti-fraud and anti-piracy programs and transparency around digital advertising practices, including programmatic media buying.

The Global Alliance for Digital Assurance will be selectively open to other international audit bodies that share a common mission and goals and wish to collaborate with AAM and IVC on digital assurance best practices, standards and techniques.

AAM and IVC audited information is highly relied upon by the media industry as a trusted third-party source for planning and investing in premium media channels. For example, AAM information is housed in a sophisticated online database, the Media Intelligence Center, which is widely used by North American marketers, ad agencies and publishers. This audited information is also disseminated via leading industry resources like Gfk MRI and Kantar Media SRDS and is distributed directly to many prominent ad agencies and client-side marketers. In all, AAM data is queried or viewed more than five million times annually.

IVC information is available through an online database that includes custom tools like MediaPlanner, Total View and Total Readers, with customizable charts, dayparts and geo-located views. This audited information is disseminated by audited publishers and more than 270 agencies affiliated to IVC.