Addressing 'Big Data' Issues in Agency Agreements

The era of "big data" has created both greater opportunities and greater complications for marketers in terms of access and use of data. In fact, Advertising Audit and Risk Management (AARM), a North American provider of independent advertising audit and consulting services, recently urged advertisers and marketers to review agency contracts to make sure they address evolving "big data" issues. Data can drive a precisely targeted marketing strategy by leveraging insights from transactional and customer behavioral data--assuming that the advertiser has the right to receive and use that data. Based on their experience, AARM cites at least six key, but often unanswered, data questions that should be covered in contracts: Who owns the data; where the data is stored; how long the data is stored; how secure the data is; whether the data is kept separate from that of other advertisers; and whether the data is being used to aid other advertisers. AARM points out that data ownership is not automatically ceded to an advertiser or marketer despite investment in a media buy generating a data stream. Many within the media chain may try to claim the generated data: Ad agencies, trading desks, publishers, demand-side platforms, and third-party ad servers all may seek unrestricted access, if not ownership, of valuable customer data. That's why marketers and advertisers need to be sure that legal agreements clearly and consistently spell out data ownership rights, privacy considerations, security and access rights for first-, second- and third-party data. For more, see the full post at http://www.acculistusa.com/what-data-questions-should-agency-agreements-address/

Over Half of Online Display Ads Unseen, Per Google

Online advertisers potentially throw away half their budgets paying for display ads that go unseen, per a new Google study. Business Insider recently reported that Google's analysis of its own display ad platforms found a whopping 56.1% of all impressions served could never have been actually seen because they were served outside of the browser window. Of course, if advertisers buy on a cost-per-click basis they are not paying for those lost impressions, but expected response is slashed regardless. What are the factors determining viewability per Google's study? Page position is an obvious issue. Google found that the most viewable ad position is right above the page fold (the lowest point on the page before a user has to scroll) rather than right at the top of the page as many advertisers assume. Above the fold is still not always viewable, but it’s the most likely place for an ad to be seen. Another factor impacting viewability is ad size. Bigger is better, and vertical ads garner the highest viewability rates, probably because they stay on the page longer as a user scrolls. The targeted content vertical also makes a difference to viewability. Sites associated with the most captive engagement levels—reference, online communities and games—have far higher viewability scores than content about food and drink, news or real estate, for example. For details of Google's online ad viewability statistics, see the Business Insider article at http://www.businessinsider.com/google-display-ad-viewability-study-2014-12