Dive Brief:

• The ad viewability guidelines set by the Media Rating Council and Interactive Advertising Bureau—that video ads need to be 50% in sight for two seconds, display for one second—continue to get push back from marketers. 
• Some agencies are requiring their own standards of ad sellers: GroupM is requiring a user-initiated play, with the sound on, and 50% of the ad play while in view.
• Ad sellers are also creating their own requirements too. Facebook has begun measuring viewability on its own terms, stating that in-stream ads count anytime they are within view. 

Dive Insight: 

While many marketers may not agree with the guidelines set forth by MRC and IAB, completely disregarding them could cause more problems than its worth. An industry standard helps everyone understand if they are getting a fair deal or not. Still, it is starting to become clear that MRC and IAB need to revisit the issue and see if more strict guidelines should be implemented. The continuing battle between marketers and the bureaus who set the standards is one to watch for all marketers.