IAB Tech Lab releases in-app ad measurement platform

Brief:

The non-profit IAB Tech Lab released its Open Measurement Software Development Kit (OM SDK) so that third parties can track and verify viewability of in-app ads without using multiple measurement provider SDKs. The rollout seeks to boost ad verification measurement in mobile apps, helping media buyers and sellers access consistent metrics across all platforms, per a statement.
ComScore, DoubleVerify, Google, Integral Ad Science (IAS), Oracle’s Moat and Pandora are the founding members of the IAB group that provided insights, technology and other contributions throughout the development of the SDK. The IAB Tech Lab published an “Open Measurement SDK Onboarding Guide for Integration Partners” that tells more about deployment and use while also releasing a voluntary compliance service to verify the SDK has been implemented.
Media tracking company comScore is among the companies that now let customers use its ad verification measurement for campaigns delivered in mobile apps, per a statement. The OM SDK works with the comScore SDK to provide in-app measurement among the company’s flagship Media Metrix audience suite and comScore advertising solutions.

Insight:

In-app ad spending is expected to jump 25% to $20 billion this year, per Statista.com data cited by Ad Age. But the difficulty in measuring ad viewability has been a drag on the sector. The IAB’s new tools, which have been in limited release since October 2017 to ensure they work, aim to eliminate the use of different SDKs by app publishers and ad verification vendors. This should help media buyers that have had to dedicate a lot time toward reviewing data from a variety of SDKs belonging to different parties. Consistent viewability measurement and verification across the app landscape will, in turn, enable brands to more accurately assess ROI and determine what is and isn't working. With greater confidence in their in-app ad buys, brands could increase their spending.

The OM SDK covers multiple ad types, such as display, native, native video and HTML, while video verification is supported for all versions of the digital video ad-serving template (VAST). OM SDK is available on iOS and Android platforms and includes “begin-to-render” impression measurement and viewing verification in accordance with definition of the Media Rating Council. The Open Measurement SDK and on-boarding guide can be found at the IAB’s website.

Apps remain an important space where marketers can connect with mobile consumers. While time spent in mobile apps isn't growing at the same robust rate from a couple of years ago, it is still growing, and new apps continue to emerge that are grabbing consumers' attention, such as Trivia HQ and Tenor. The IAB's new open SDK, if widely adopted, will support a more standardized in-app advertising landscape.