Backed by Unilever, Shell and Volvo, GroupM unveils new viewability standards

GroupM has rolled out viewability standards globally to support continued investment in digital media, a move backed by key clients such as Unilever, Campbell Soup Company, Shell, Subway and Volvo Cars.Its enhanced viewability standard requires a display ad to be 100% in view for at least one second. Previously, GroupM required 100% of the pixels within a display ad to be in view for any amount of time. For video, 50% of it must be played at the user's initiation with the sound on, while 100% in view.(Read also: Marketers to take back control of their media spend)GroupM, along with its clients and partners, will also analyse the performance of social and newsfeed video, measuring more than 100 data points with DoubleVerify, Moat and Integral Ad Science across Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Snapchat. This is to determine which data points are most meaningful in evaluating different ad formats on mobile and social media platforms. It is also in "active dialogue" with all digital media partners globally regarding viewability measurement and the delivery of new global standards.“Unilever and GroupM have been at the forefront of the viewability and transparency conversation. We support GroupM's ongoing assessment in this space to reflect changes in consumer behavior and available ad formats, and to ensure full accountability and verification,” Keith Weed, chief marketing and communications officer, Unilever, said.John Montgomery, executive VP, Brand Safety, added that GroupM's ambition is to offer clients the "absolute best quality digital media in every market".“By working with clients and progressive media and technology partners, we can help shape the digital marketplace for the better. It was always our goal to operate around a consistent standard globally and following many months of partner dialogue, now is the right time for us move forward with these enhanced standards that consider the evolution in social and mobile platforms, as well as user behaviors," he said."These enhanced metrics will help marketers properly evaluate the relative value of each screen, and the context in which a campaign is delivered. Only then can media buyers build truly cost-effective campaigns and execute on impactful cross-media strategies," Aaron Fetters, senior VP, comScore, said.