The 4A’s and ANA Call for Adoption of IAB’s VAST 4.1 and Ad-ID® Standards
These standards offer a significant step in developing more efficient workflows and provide the foundations for more granular data for advertising assets
NEW YORK (Dec. 12, 2018) — Together, Marla Kaplowitz, the CEO of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) and Bob Liodice, the CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) call for widespread adoption of Ad-ID® and the Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) 4.1.
Ad-ID®, the industry standard for identifying advertising assets across all media platforms and VAST 4.1, the latest communication requirements between ad servers and video players were set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab and will be brought to life at IAB’s Tech Lab Video Summit today.
While previous versions of VAST did not provide all the necessary elements to streamline video ad tracking, VAST 4.1 includes key updates for improved ad verification, measurement and server-side ad insertion. More specifically, the UniversalAdId element in VAST 4.1 allows a registered identifier (Ad-ID® in the U.S.) to be included in the actual VAST tag. Including an Ad-ID® code in the VAST tag will enable the creative asset to be properly identified across all media platforms, facilitating more granular operations and measurement data as well as better management of frequency capping.
“VAST 4.1 provides the industry with a single solution for ad tracking to replace the older versions of VAST as well as other proprietary processes still being used,” said Liodice “By adopting VAST 4.1 and Ad-ID®, advertisers will be able to streamline media workflows and improve audience measurement.”
To further simplify the workflow, VAST 4.1 supports vendor verification, so agencies and advertisers no longer need to use Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition (VPAID). Instead, they can use VAST 4.1 which removes the uncertainty around distribution and measurement of non-VPAID environments, improving viewability and brand safety requirements.
“The new elements of VAST 4.1 provide agencies with the ability to ensure ads are achieving the desired results, said Kaplowitz. “VAST 4.1 will also give publishers the ability to more accurately audit and control ad creative, which will help align digital video metrics to those already available in TV.”
As industry needs change and technology grows, the longstanding ad distribution and measurement processes will no longer be sufficient. The 4A’s and ANA firmly believe that VAST 4.1 and Ad-ID®, which is a trademarked name and symbol, are significant steps in developing more efficient workflows and provide the foundations for more granular data for advertising assets.
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About 4A’s
Founded in 1917, the 4A’s was established to promote, advance and defend the interests of our member agencies, their employees and the industry at large. The organization serves 700+ member agencies across 1,300 offices, which control more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. As the leading trade organization for marketing communication agencies, the 4A’s purpose is to help empower its members to deliver insightful creativity that drives commerce and influences culture, all while moving the industry forward. The organization provides community, leadership, advocacy, guidance and best-in-class training that help enable agencies to innovate, evolve and grow. The 4A’s Benefits division insures more than 160,000 employees, and its D.C. office advocates for policies that best support a thriving advertising industry. The 4A’s Foundation fuels a robust diversity pipeline of talent for its members and the marketing and media industry, fostering the next generation of leaders. The organization is dedicated to, and vested in, our members’ success just as they are dedicated to helping brands create, distribute, and measure effective and insightful advertising and marketing. Visit the 4A’s at www.4as.org.
About 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.
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Media Contacts:
Katie Burger
Katie.burger@digennaro-usa.com
Account Director, DiGennaro Communications