New Survey Suggests Trust Remains An Industry Issue Due To Rebates And Digital Fraud
Transparency Remains a Key Concern for One Third of Marketers
NEW YORK (Sept. 24, 2019) — Media rebates are the top issue contributing to the breakdown of trust in the advertising ecosystem, according to a new survey from ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and its outside counsel, Reed Smith.
The study showed that 32 percent of respondents cited media rebates as “a big problem.” Other issues cited as contributing to the breakdown of trust included invalid traffic and digital ad fraud, data confidentiality, and agencies reselling media to clients with an undisclosed markup – all cited as “a big problem” by 30 percent of respondents.
Respondents were asked to rate 18 issues on a scale of 1-10 on how the respective issues contributed to the breakdown of trust in the advertising ecosystem with a No. 1 ranking representing “no problem” and No. 10 representing “a big problem.”
“The 2016 ANA/K2 Intelligence report validated longstanding concerns about non-transparent rebate behavior, but it also illuminated marketers’ lack of discipline to keep their media contracts fresh and updated,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice. “While significant progress has been made since then, this new survey indicates the persistence of those issues. Going forward, ANA’s Trust Consortium will work collaboratively with the industry to achieve even greater progress and more disciplined behavior.”
Additional issues of concern to respondents included:
- Rebates for digital ad data
- Lack of transparency into the cost components of the programmatic media supply chain
- Data integrity issues (i.e., accuracy and relevance)
- Walled garden limitations on measurement
- Brand safety
- Influencer fraud (i.e., fake followers, fake engagement stats).
The survey was conducted in August by the ANA’s Trust Consortium, which was launched in April of this year in partnership with Reed Smith to help address the issue of trust between marketers and the advertising ecosystem. The Trust Consortium consists of subject matter experts committed to working together to prioritize the trust issue and to emphasize transparency, integrity, and growth for the overall well-being of the industry.
The survey was conducted to identify areas for the Consortium to focus on going forward. There were 188 respondents.
“The survey’s results show the important role the Trust Consortium can play in restoring trust and growth through collaborative efforts throughout the supply chain,” said Douglas Wood, a partner with Reed Smith. “It’s a call to open discussions and focus on what we can change and where we can’t agree, to understand one another’s concerns. It won’t be simple, but if we can begin open and honest discussions between brands, agencies, publishers, auditors and consultants, DSPs, SSPs, trading desks, and publishers, we can start to restore trust and contribute to growth.”
The Trust Consortium’s future plans include the creation of white papers on best practices and key issues, FAQs, templates, and industry standards for marketers, agencies, and suppliers. Its focus will cover both demand-side and supply-side platforms, including media buying agencies.
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ABOUT THE ANA
The mission of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.
ABOUT REED SMITH
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 29 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. Founded in 1877, Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping blue-chip clients move their business forward. Its long-standing relationships, international outlook, and collaborative structures make it a go-to partner for speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. Reed Smith’s lawyers provide litigation and other dispute-resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and high-stake matters, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including advertising, entertainment and media, financial services, life sciences, health care, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing and technology, and education.
MEDIA CONTACT
John Wolfe
ANA
Director of Communications
Office: 212.455.8011
Cell: 914.659.8663
Email: jwolfe@ana.net