Contextual Targeting Archives - Integral Ad Science

Break Through the Holiday Noise

IAS Team — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

How reaching consumers with contextual relevance during peak holiday moments drives performance

Holiday shopping has become a long game. By October last year, nearly 1 in 5 consumers had already started their gift lists, and by November, more than half were actively shopping. For advertisers, that means the pressure to deliver is spread across the entire quarter.

But with inflated CPMs, crowded ad environments, and opportunistic low-quality inventory, capturing consumer attention isn’t easy. Success depends on knowing when to activate and where to appear.

That’s why IAS created Break Through the Holiday Noise — a guide to help marketers navigate the busiest shopping season with confidence and control.

Inside the guide, you’ll uncover:

The key shopping window that delivered a 4.6x lift in conversions for one CPG brand
Why conversion rates are 174% higher on quality sites vs. MFA, and how to keep your spend focused on environments that drive performance
The seasonal spikes in impressions for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Cyber Week — and what they mean for campaign timing
The IAS Context Control Targeting & Avoidance segments proven to capture consumer attention across retail, travel, food, and entertainment

The holiday season only comes once a year — make every impression count.

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Media Quality Report: 20th Edition

IAS Team — Tue, 20 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Industry-leading benchmarks for superior media quality

IAS is pleased to share the Media Quality Report: 20th Edition — offering trusted benchmarks and global insights based on more than 280 billion digital interactions daily.

As the gold standard in media quality, the Media Quality Report (MQR) is here to help marketers across the globe assess performance through the industry’s most actionable data. This year’s report offers an in-depth look into global media quality data, key trends shaping the digital landscape, and a step-by-step guide for how to get the most out of the MQR.

Dive into this year’s report, with key trends including:

BRAND RISK: The share of offensive content increased 72% year-over-year.
AD FRAUD: Fraud rates for campaigns that were not protected against fraud increased 19%.
VIEWABILITY: Overall viewability stabilized, but global desktop video viewability reached a record high of 83.9%.

With digital media evolving every day, reliable benchmarks are more important than ever. See how your media stacks up — and where to take action next.

Download the report today to access IAS’s industry-leading global benchmarks.

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The 2025 Industry Pulse Report

IAS Team — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Industry experts reveal what’s next for digital media in 2025

IAS, in collaboration with YouGov, surveyed U.S. digital media experts to uncover the trends, technologies, and solutions that will drive digital advertising forward in 2025.

From shifting priorities to anticipated challenges, this year’s Industry Pulse Report offers a comprehensive look at how media experts are preparing for these shifts so you can stay ahead of the curve.

Sneak Peek: Top Priorities & Challenges for 2025

Social Media Takes the Lead: 61% of media experts place social media at the top of their list, but not without its challenges. With deepfakes becoming more common and new opportunities like social shopping emerging, advertisers will need to adapt quickly.
Digital Video Growth: 43% of respondents expect digital video to dominate formats, particularly as it becomes more intertwined with social media. This format’s rise will require attention to new media quality threats like AI-generated content.
Influencer Marketing Ramps Up: 28% of experts are prioritizing influencer campaigns to drive social purchases, but the format may face challenges due to growing pains.
Safety Concerns Persist: Advertisers continue to rank safety as a top challenge, particularly in ensuring ads do not appear alongside risky content or misinformation. Deepfakes and ad waste are also high on the list, requiring strategic planning.

Download your copy of the 2025 Industry Pulse Report now to access the industry’s most actionable insights for a stronger 2025.

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What is Contextual Targeting?

IAS Team — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In the complex digital landscape, knowing how to reach your audience is crucial for success. Driving brand messaging with precision can be tricky as consumers become more concerned with data privacy, but there’s good news. Contextual targeting has come a long way since its beginning, now offering more precision and accuracy than ever before — letting advertisers optimize campaigns for the right context and in brand safe and suitable environments.

What is Contextual Targeting?

Contextual targeting gives advertisers the power to reach their unique brand goals before a programmatic bid is placed. Contextual targeting uses curated segments that are available programmatically for advertisers to choose from based on their brand’s needs.

A contextual targeting platform uses predictive science that pre-screens pages and categorizes them using emotion and sentiment analysis. This sophisticated targeting method lets advertisers understand the true context, sentiment, and semantics of a given webpage to optimize strategies and reach desired audiences without the use of third party cookies. By scanning page content to display ads within suitable environments, advertisers can increase recognition, personalization, engagement, and favorability towards their brand’s messaging.

Behavioral targeting vs. contextual targeting

Behavioral targeting relies on user data, such as browsing history, interests, and past interactions, to serve ads tailored to individual behavior patterns. While this method can drive engagement by delivering highly personalized ads, it often raises concerns about privacy, especially as regulations tighten. Unlike behavioral targeting, which aligns ads with the content of the webpage, a contextual targeting platform enables advertisers to serve ads in real-time based on page-level classification, without needing personal data.

With consumers increasingly concerned about privacy (68% are uncomfortable with their online data being used for advertising purposes), the shift toward strategies that don’t involve user data, like contextual targeting platform solutions, is becoming essential for advertisers aiming to maintain relevance while respecting user privacy.

Why contextual targeting is here to stay

A contextual targeting platform is more than just a privacy-compliant option—it’s a strategic approach to reaching audiences in a meaningful way. And it’s no wonder why: contextual advertising spending is forecasted to reach over $562 billion per year by 2030. This massive growth reflects its increasing importance in the digital advertising landscape, where relevance, performance, and privacy are key priorities.

Unlike behavior-based targeting, which relies on user data tracking, contextual targeting focuses on the content of a web page. This makes it inherently more privacy-compliant while still providing advertisers with a powerful way to engage users. By aligning ads with the context of what users are already viewing, advertisers can increase ad relevance and deliver non-intrusive experiences that feel natural, not disruptive.

As privacy regulations continue to tighten, the advantages of contextual targeting become even clearer.

How do advertisers use contextual targeting?

Advertisers turn to contextual targeting to reach audiences based on specific interests, relevant events, and more. Advertisers can choose from contextual segments that are offered within demand-side platforms (DSPs) and allow them to target based on industry vertical, season, topic, and more. For example, a travel brand may want to use a “Spring Break” contextual segment as that time of year approaches to show up in contexts that match that specific segment.

Additionally, contextual targeting helps advertisers avoid unsuitable environments for their ads. Using AI and machine learning, contextual targeting uses deeper classification of content to focus on driving relevant, authentic ads. Contextual targeting remains one of the most efficient and effective solutions to market your brand, enabling advertisers to improve their return on investment (ROI).

The benefits of a contextual targeting platform

There are many contextual advertising benefits. Contextual targeting delivers ads based on the content of a webpage, not on personal data. As data privacy regulations grow stricter worldwide, it offers a compliant, reliable way to reach audiences. Here are some of the top benefits it provides:

1. Enhanced user relevance

Contextual targeting matches the content of a webpage, ensuring that users see ads that are relevant to what they are currently reading online. This increased relevance often results in better engagement, as users are more likely to interact with ads that align with their interests or immediate needs. IAS found that 60% of consumers are likely to purchase a product after being served a targeted advertisement. It’s simple: positive user experiences lead to positive conversions for brands.

For instance, a user reading a review about hiking gear is more likely to click on an ad for outdoor apparel than an ad unrelated to the article. By aligning ads with users’ content consumption, advertisers can drive more meaningful interactions to increase conversions.

2. Improved ad performance

Ads that are contextually aligned with the environment they’re placed in generally outperform those that rely on behavior-based data alone. This increased performance can translate to higher conversion rates, increased time spent with ad content, and better overall engagement.

Since the content is topically relevant to users, they are less likely to perceive the ad as disruptive. Instead, ads become a natural extension of the content, which can enhance ad recall and brand favorability. Studies consistently show that ads placed in a contextually relevant environment yield better campaign results.

3. Contextual targeting is a privacy-first strategy

With the rise of data privacy regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, and others, marketers are increasingly adopting privacy-friendly approaches to targeting. A contextual targeting platform doesn’t rely on personal data, making it a compliant option for brands looking to respect users’ privacy while still achieving superior results.

4. Reduced risk of brand safety incidents

Brand safety is a major concern for advertisers, and contextual targeting helps mitigate this risk. By using advanced technology, such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, contextual targeting can analyze the nuances of the content to avoid negative associations. This capability protects a brand’s reputation while also delivering ads in a contextually relevant and suitable environment.

5. Better ROI

Contextual targeting has a direct impact on ROI. By delivering ads that are more relevant to the user’s current interests, the likelihood of conversion increases. This efficiency not only improves cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) metrics but also ensures ad budgets are used effectively.

Furthermore, since contextual targeting typically results in higher engagement rates, it also drives better quality leads. By reaching users at a moment when they are already engaging with relevant content, brands can create deeper connections that lead to higher lifetime customer value (LTV).

6. Improved ad placement flexibility

Advertisers can be highly specific in their targeting with contextual ads. Using keywords, phrases, categories, or even sentiment analysis, advertisers can control exactly where their ads appear. For example, a financial services brand might want to target content about investment strategies, while a fashion retailer might focus on news surrounding fashion week.

This flexibility allows brands to experiment with different ad placements and optimize campaigns based on content types that generate the highest engagement and conversions.

7. Scalable and adaptable

Contextual targeting can be scaled across various content types. As media consumption shifts to more diverse platforms, the adaptability of contextual targeting ensures advertisers can reach audiences across multiple channels.

Advertisers can also update their contextual targeting strategies quickly, responding to trends, news events, or seasonal content to maintain relevance. This adaptability makes it an agile strategy for brands looking to stay current in a rapidly evolving digital environment.

How to integrate contextual targeting into broader marketing strategies

Integrating contextual targeting into broader marketing strategies requires a strategic approach that complements other targeting methods, enhances campaign performance, and supports overall marketing goals. Here are some steps to help marketers effectively blend contextual targeting with existing efforts:

Combine with geotargeting: By using contextual targeting alongside geotargeting, advertisers can reach audiences based on both location and content relevance. For example, a regional restaurant chain could serve ads related to local food trends, enhancing both relevance and local appeal.

Enhance retargeting efforts: Retargeting typically uses behavioral data, but contextual targeting can provide an extra layer of relevance. By showing ads that align with the content a user is currently viewing, advertisers can drive stronger engagement and increase the chances of conversion.

Leverage near real-time event targeting: During major events, contextual targeting allows advertisers to place ads within relevant content, keeping campaigns timely and impactful. For example, during a major sporting event, advertisers can use sports-themed contextual segments to maximize visibility and engagement.

Align with content marketing efforts: Contextual targeting works well in conjunction with content marketing strategies, allowing brands to serve ads alongside relevant articles, blogs, or videos. This helps maintain a consistent message and reinforces brand positioning, driving better engagement and recall.

By integrating contextual targeting with these broader strategies, advertisers can maximize their campaign impact, increase ROI, and maintain a privacy-first approach that aligns with consumer expectations.

How IAS can help

IAS empowers brands to tailor ad content to meet specific goals with our Context Control Targeting products. Our advanced predictive science analyzes the true context, sentiment, and semantics of web pages, enabling programmatic buyers to optimize media quality — all without relying on third-party cookies.

With IAS’s contextual targeting products, marketers can leverage key benefits including:

Page-level classification to curate content for actionable campaigns
350+ industry vertical, topical, seasonal and audience proxy contextual segments for targeting within major DSPs
The industry’s largest knowledge graph to enable deeper classification of content at scale, plus easy activation in all major DSPs
Proprietary cognitive semantic technology which leverages Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Cookie-free and privacy-safe targeting using emotion and sentiment-based efficiencies
Scaled content adjacency to drive optimized results
Personalized recommendations for selecting the best targeting segments for your campaigns

Learn more about how IAS’s suite of contextual targeting products can help you drive superior results for your brand. Contact an IAS representative today to get started.

The post What is Contextual Targeting? appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

OMD & Nissan Lift Conversions Through Comprehensive Measurement & Optimization Solutions

IAS Team — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The Challenge

OMD and their client, Nissan, wanted to find a solution that would lift their KPIs (qualified visits, key business actions, and conversion rates) across an open web campaign on mobile, tablet, and desktop on both video and display formats.

The Solution

OMD and Nissan enlisted the help of IAS, implementing key measurement and optimization products including Quality Attention, Total Visibility, and Context Control.

Quality Attention helped OMD and Nissan navigate through media clutter to elevate campaign performance, while Total Visibility provided programmatic supply path transparency and impression-level financial reporting to optimize ad spend while campaigns were in-flight. Finally, Context Control enabled OMD and Nissan to identify which contextual segments would drive the highest attention and conversion rates.

Results by Conversion Rate

6X conversion rate across “Automotive-Hybrid” content
5X conversion rate across “Travel” content
3X conversion rate across “Buying A Car” content

Download the case study now for more results from OMD and Nissan and to learn how comprehensive measurement and optimization solutions drive superior business results for brands like yours.

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How To Maximize Political Ad Performance in Swing States

IAS Team — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The IAS Election Lab explored contextual targeting across seven key swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — to pinpoint the top-performing segments based on volume, media quality, and campaign results. By examining data from the week of June’s presidential debate, we reveal how political advertisers can scale their efforts across the open web by targeting high-performing, non-political content to supplement targeting alongside news and other political content.

While placing ads on high quality news sites increases ad engagement and favorability, targeting non-political content can provide additional benefits too. In this analysis, we show how contextual targeting can unlock additional scale by placing ads in environments with high levels of attention through results-focused KPIs, like clicks and conversions.

Standing out in the crowded political ad space

Political advertising is one of the most competitive and fast-paced sectors in the ad industry. With candidates and campaigns vying for voter attention, it’s essential to deliver targeted, data-driven ad campaigns that aren’t just compelling, but that land with precision, driving meaningful engagement and influence when it matters most.

As the U.S. election cycle heats up, political advertising has reached unprecedented levels, with projections indicating it will surpass $12 billion this year. In fact, digital political ad spend alone has surged by 156% compared to the 2020 presidential election.

The lion’s share of this spending is concentrated in swing states — regions where the outcome could tip the scales in the electoral college. These battlegrounds have seen nearly 70% of the total presidential election ad spend this year, with Pennsylvania alone more than doubling its political ad spend from 2020 to reach $239 million on House and Senate races.

The power of contextual targeting in swing states

As election cycles become increasingly competitive, political advertisers are constantly seeking innovative strategies to maximize their impact. One such strategy that has gained prominence is contextual targeting — a method that allows advertisers to reach a broader and more engaged audience by aligning their ads with relevant content. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of political campaigns but also ensures that messages resonate with voters in meaningful ways.

Can ads beyond political environments drive results?

Non-political ads excel when they align with contextually relevant content. For political advertisers, sticking strictly to political content can restrict campaign scale and impact. Even during the high-stakes June presidential debate, political content accounted for only 1.9% of open web impressions in swing states — and over half of that content (53%) carried a negative sentiment.

Moreover, past research from the Election Lab shows that ads adjacent to politically risky content underperform, resulting in higher costs per conversion and lower success rates than ads placed alongside non-political content.

The good news? Political advertisers can leverage contextual targeting to direct their ads toward high-performing non-political content, reaching new audiences and supplementing their first-party targeting efforts toward news and other political content.

One of the key advantages of contextual targeting is its ability to expand the reach of a political campaign. Traditional political targeting methods, like utilizing voter files, often have limitations and blind spots, such as including individuals who recently moved and aren’t registered to vote in their new residences and people who are unengaged or indifferent to political discourse. While voter files can be effective, they may exclude voters who could be influenced by the campaign’s messaging.

Contextual targeting, on the other hand, allows political advertisers to reach a broader audience by focusing on the content that potential voters are engaging with rather than their demographic or behavioral characteristics. This approach can uncover new voter segments that may not have been previously considered, increasing the campaign’s overall reach and impact.

For example, during the week of the June presidential debate, the highest-volume segment in swing states targeted Tech Enthusiasts, accounting for nearly 1 in 4 impressions served. Across Q3, this segment is expected to unlock 80.4 billion impressions in swing states and engage 302 million users, according to Xandr DSP inventory projections.

Other high-volume segments included retail categories like Retail – Food (12%) and Retail – Arts & Entertainment (12%), along with sports-related segments such as Sports Enthusiasts (11%) and Entertainment – Sports Events (8%).

Capture viewer attention with high-quality contextual targeting segments

In the crowded media landscape during election season, simply reaching a large audience isn’t enough — capturing and holding their attention is key. High-volume segments can help extend reach, but to truly engage voters, especially in the upper funnel, it’s crucial to prioritize quality. High-quality media environments are more likely to foster meaningful interactions and leave a lasting impression, which is essential for building candidate awareness and sparking voter interest.

Attention in media has become a critical metric because it directly influences ad results. IAS Quality Attention leverages machine learning to evaluate how media visibility, ad environments, and consumer interactions impact campaign performance. By optimizing toward attention, advertisers can focus their media spend on the most effective placements — those that are most likely to engage audiences and drive desired actions. This approach not only enhances campaign performance but also boosts brand lift and sales lift, ensuring that political messaging resonates with voters in a meaningful way.

During the week of the presidential debate, the Election Lab identified the top contextual targeting segments in swing states that drove the highest attention scores. Leading the pack was content related to allergies and hay fever, boasting an average attention score of nearly 58 out of 100. Other high-attention segments included Columbus Day (57.6), Telco – Family Voice (57.3), and upcoming seasonal fashion trends like Winter Apparel (57.6) and Autumn Fashion (57.2).

Leveraging segments like these to direct spend toward additional high-attention content will help political advertisers capture the eyes of attentive consumers where they are focused, and therefore likely to consider campaign messaging.

Maximize ROI with low-cost, high-impact targeting segments

Political advertising isn’t just about spreading the word — it’s about driving real-world results, like inspiring voters to volunteer, donate, or cast their ballots. To achieve these goals, it’s crucial to focus on the right contextual targeting segments.

So, which contextual targeting segments are most effective at turning voter engagement into action in swing states?

To answer this, we used IAS Total Visibility data to identify the top contextual targeting segments in swing states during the week of the presidential debate based on highest success rate — clicks and advertiser-defined conversions — and lowest cost per conversion (CPCV).

Spanish Language led the way with an impressive success rate of 0.35%, effectively directing impressions toward content in Spanish. Close behind was the Lifestages: Buying a House segment, achieving a 0.31% success rate. Other high-performing segments included CPG Consumer Electronics: Laptop, Desktop PC (0.28%), fashion-related categories including CPG Fashion: Women’s Fashion (0.27%) and Retail Fashion (0.26%), basketball-related segments such as NBA Playoffs (0.25%) and CPG Consumer Electronic: iPhone (0.24%).

For campaigns focused on maximizing conversions at the lowest cost, the segment related to Lifestages: Buying a Home offered the most competitive CPCV at just $1.89 per conversion. The CPG Consumer Electronics: Laptop, Desktop PC segment followed closely at $2.60 per conversion. Both segments also delivered some of the highest conversion rates in swing states.

Common themes across top-performing segments included consumer electronics and family-oriented content, emphasizing the resonance of these topics in swing states. Segments like Software Developers and Consumer Electronics Show clustered at $3.75-$3.88 per conversion, while Financial Personal Family Investments and Society: Starting a Family ranked at $4.26 and $4.38 per conversion, respectively.

A strategic approach to political advertising

Targeting segments with high success rates and low costs-per-conversion can help political advertisers funnel potential voters toward conversion, while high-volume or high-attention segments can drive upper-funnel awareness and consideration. By enabling IAS Context Control Targeting, political campaigns can ensure their candidates and messages reach the right audiences and make a meaningful impact.

Additionally, IAS Quality Attention is an effective tool for political advertisers to leverage to identify placements with higher attention levels.

How IAS can help

Political advertisers can take further control of tailoring ad content that meets unique campaign goals with IAS’s Context Control Targeting. Context Control Targeting segments help political advertisers control where their candidate or issue is seen, which can be especially crucial when reaching voters in swing states. These targeting segments protect brand safety while opening up scale so you can continue to drive superior results throughout an election year and beyond.

With IAS’s Context Control Targeting, advertisers can leverage key benefits including:

Page-level classification to curate content for actionable campaigns
370+ industry vertical, topical, seasonal, and audience proxy contextual segments for targeting within major DSPs
Proprietary cognitive semantic technology which leverages Natural Language Processing and the industry’s largest knowledge graph to enable deeper classification of content at scale
Easy activation in all major DSPs
Cookie-free and privacy-safe targeting using emotion and sentiment-based efficiencies
Scaled content adjacency to drive optimized results
Personalized recommendations for selecting the best targeting segments for your campaigns

For a step-by-step guide to scaling your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our Election Lab for more insights.

Methodology

The Election Lab sampled data from the United States swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) from June 23-29, 2024, the week of the presidential debate. This included several separate analyses outlined below:

We sampled over 25 million impressions to compute the percentage of content in U.S. swing states during that time that were categorized as a) political versus non-political content and b) negative versus positive political content based on our Context Control Avoidance Segments.

To identify the top contextual segments by volume, we sampled over 6.5 million impressions to compute the number of impressions that were categorized for all of our off-the-shelf Context Control Targeting Segments and reported the seven with the highest volume in swing states during the target date range. To quantify the number of impressions and users unlocked when targeting the Tech Enthusiast segment, we used the Xandr DSP inventory forecasting projections for activating this segment in swing states for all of Q3 2024.

We used a similar approach to identify the top contextual segments by attention, conversion rate, and cost-per-conversion with the caveat that these segments sampled data from impressions served by clients who implement our Quality Attention (~4 million i impressions sampled) and Total Visibility ~11.7 million impressions sampled) products respectively.

The post How To Maximize Political Ad Performance in Swing States appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Scaling Your Brand Amid Surging Political Content and Misinformation

IAS Team — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The U.S. presidential election year is well underway, with media coverage ramping up across the country. One top-of-mind concern for advertisers during this politically-salient time is misinformation — in fact, marketers cite ads delivering alongside risky content like misinformation as their top media challenge in 2024.

In the heated environment of election season, the proliferation of misinformation can pose significant challenges for brands. Ads placed next to misleading or false information not only risk damaging a brand’s reputation, but can also erode consumer trust. As the media landscape becomes increasingly polarized and the spread of misinformation accelerates, brands must navigate this terrain with caution.

The IAS Election Lab analyzed the rise in political content and misinformation, exploring how IAS Context Control Avoidance segments can be tailored to different brand needs as potentially risky content saturates the media. Plus, we tested the scalability of Context Control Avoidance segments for protecting brands from risky content without overblocking or blocking responsible media, which refers to content that is trustworthy, accurate, and prioritizes diverse and inclusive reporting.

Here’s what we found.

Risky political content and misinformation rose in Q1 2024

The rates of risky political content and misinformation in the U.S. increased in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting potential threats to brand equity for unprotected campaigns. Plus, The Election Lab recently found that risky political content increased during major political events in Q1 2024, including Super Tuesday.

Compared to Q4 2023, risky political content rose 29% to reach 1.03% of all impressions measured in the U.S. in Q1 2024. And there’s a hefty reason why advertisers should steer clear of risky content: more than seven-in-10 U.S. consumers think that the content surrounding a brand’s ads is a reflection of their values.

Misinformation is also surging. Compared to Q4 of last year, Q1 2024 saw a 25% higher rate of misinformation content in the U.S. Consumers have become increasingly sensitive to ad adjacency to misinformation, with 75% reporting that they’d feel less favorable toward brands that advertise on sites that spread misinformation.

As the data proves, risky political content and misinformation are both on the rise. So what can advertisers do to scale despite this risky and misleading content?

Tailor to your brand’s specific risk avoidance

All IAS Context Control Avoidance segments use natural language processing to precisely comprehend context, sentiment, and emotion to protect brands at scale. But Context Control Avoidance segments allow advertisers to further tailor their campaigns to granular levels that make the most sense for them. For example, while some brands may prefer to avoid advertising near any political content, others may choose to avoid only a subset of content, like negative political content or negative content directed toward political parties.

So why would an advertiser choose a less strict threshold? It’s all about scale.

Avoiding only negative political content resulted in a 28% decrease in blocked impressions compared to avoiding all political content, unlocking an estimated 169 billion impressions per year, as estimated by Xandr DSP inventory projections. Advertisers could also choose to avoid only negative sentiments towards political parties, resulting in a 62% decrease in blocked impressions compared to avoiding all political segments, opening up an estimated 374 billion impressions annually.

Similarly, advertisers may have different needs for thresholds surrounding misinformation risk. Avoiding medium risk misinformation reflects a relatively conservative threshold, but advertisers can also opt to avoid only misinformation surrounding politics or high-risk misinformation. Per Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) definitions, medium risk misinformation is a broader category that includes content about misinformation, whereas high risk misinformation only includes content that presents a false narrative.

Simply activating IAS’s high risk misinformation avoidance segment instead of medium risk yielded a 98% decrease in blocked impressions compared to the medium risk misinformation segment, unlocking an additional 492 billion impressions annually, according to Xandr DSP inventory projections. IAS’s Context Control Avoidance segment specific to political misinformation had a 97% decrease in blocked impressions compared to medium risk misinformation, leading to an additional 487 billion impressions annually.

IAS Context Control Avoidance segments don’t block trustworthy content

Just as media experts and consumers alike denounce misinformation, they also recognize the importance of supporting responsible and trustworthy journalism.

To ensure that IAS Context Control Avoidance misinformation segments aren’t blocking trusted journalism, The Election Lab looked at how these segments performed for a sample of high impression volume publishers throughout Q1 2024. The IAS Context Control Avoidance medium-risk misinformation segments block exceptionally small rates of impressions on these sites. In the context of news-related misinformation, no impressions were blocked on these trustworthy publishers for the duration of Q1 2024. Both medium risk misinformation and politics-related misinformation saw a few blocked impressions, but these represented less than 0.01% of all impressions served to these publishers in Q1.

The result? Context Control Avoidance segments protected campaigns at scale without blocking responsible media.

Avoiding politically risky content drives superior results

How did politically risky content impact business results across Q1 2024? We examined IAS data enriched with performance and cost metrics to determine the impact of politically risky content and misinformation on success rate (defined as conversions or clicks) and cost per conversion (CPCV) during Q1 2024.

Politics had the biggest impact on the bottom line. Ads avoiding political content had a 32% lower CPCV than ads adjacent to politically risky content, representing $1.04 lower cost per conversion. Ads avoiding political content also had a 179% higher success rate.

Ads avoiding misinformation, on the other hand, had a 29% lower cost per conversion than ads adjacent to misinformation, representing $1.21 less per conversion. This lower CPCV is in part due to the 46% lower success rate for ads adjacent to misinformation.

Overall, ads that avoid risky political content and misinformation lead to more conversions and clicks, as well as lower costs per conversion. Enabling IAS Context Control Avoidance can protect your brand from this risky content while continuing to drive results.

How IAS Can Help

IAS offers 280+ off-the-shelf Context Control Avoidance segments to help advertisers avoid placing their ads alongside negative or risky content beyond the GARM categories. Before a bid is placed, IAS’s predictive science pre-screens pages to filter out tailored content that isn’t suitable for your brand.

Context Control Avoidance segments help marketers control where their brand is seen, which can be especially crucial with the growing uncertainty of the upcoming election cycle. Avoidance segments protect brand safety without harming scale so you can continue to drive superior results throughout an election year and beyond.

In addition, we recently announced the expansion of our Brand Safety and Suitability Measurement capability to now include the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) category of misinformation for leading social platforms, like Meta. Advertisers can now review when their ads run alongside content on the subject of misinformation on the feed, in addition to open web.

A comprehensive solution that protects all ends of the digital ad cycle is critical during the election season and beyond. End-to-end, AI-driven measurement coupled with optimization solutions that are tailored to each brand’s respective needs are key to detecting and avoiding misinformation on the internet’s most prolific and unpredictable environments.

For a step-by-step guide to scaling your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our IAS Election Lab for more insights.

The post Scaling Your Brand Amid Surging Political Content and Misinformation appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Transition with Ease to IAS: A Message for Oracle Customers, Partners, and Employees

IAS Team — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:04:30 +0000

Oracle’s recent announcement to shut down its advertising business comes at a time of rapid transformation for the industry. We understand that this is an unsettling time for Oracle Advertising’s customers, partners, and employees. Our teams are committed to providing support and enabling a smooth transition during this period of change.

For Oracle Advertising customers and partners, IAS is here to facilitate your smooth transition to our Measurement and Optimization solutions. Our teams are ready to help you maximize ROI while serving as a reliable and innovative partner throughout this moment. We offer a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to deliver superior results and accelerate your progress.

Discover more about our offerings below:

Maximize ROI with Measurement and Optimization solutions for Brands & Agencies
Drive Yield with Media Quality solutions for Publishers
Forge the Future of digital media as our Partner

Additionally, we have a wide range of roles available at IAS and are eager to support Oracle Advertising employees affected by this change. If you find a role that aligns with your expertise, we encourage you to apply directly. Please highlight your skills and that you were impacted by this change.

Our mission at IAS is to be the global benchmark for trust and transparency in digital media quality. We are here to support you and ensure a smooth transition to IAS during this turbulent time.

The post Transition with Ease to IAS: A Message for Oracle Customers, Partners, and Employees appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

How Brand Risk Fluctuates Surrounding Political Events

IAS Team — Tue, 14 May 2024 11:59:02 +0000

Though November 5 is months away, the 2024 United States presidential election cycle and surrounding news coverage has already begun. With more than 15 states holding primary elections on March 5, Super Tuesday provided an early opportunity to explore digital advertising opportunities and risks that the industry may face throughout this election year.

The IAS Election Lab examined traffic volume for high risk political content surrounding these primaries, including controversial political party content and news-related misinformation, and investigated how ad adjacency to this content impacts business results for advertisers.

Negative political party traffic rose around Super Tuesday and other politically-related events

Advertising adjacent to negative news or sentiments surrounding Democratic or Republican political parties is a growing risk for brands. So how is negative sentiment defined?

Sentiment refers to whether an article conveys a positive, neutral, or negative tone to the consumer reading it
“Negative” sentiment means a page conveys a negative tone, but does not indicate if the page is brand safe

After tracking the volume of negative sentiment political party impression traffic throughout Q1 2024, the IAS Election Lab found that traffic spiked in tandem with salient political events — including Super Tuesday.

The first spike in traffic volume (up to 0.26%) centered around February 19, more than doubling the Q1 baseline rate (0.12%) in the midst of high-profile civil fraud trials in New York. Around this time, there was a sharp increase in content that included negative sentiments toward both political parties — for example, stories that reported low opinions of the current president or stories that compared a previous president to authoritarian dictators.

A second spike in negative political party traffic volume occurred on March 5, also known as Super Tuesday — more than doubling the baseline rate up to .25%.

During the 2020 presidential election, IAS observed that more than three in four consumers believed online advertising would play an important role in determining the outcome of the election. Avoiding negative political party content and news-related misinformation surrounding elections is especially important for brands aiming to protect themselves from being seen as endorsing a specific political agenda, which could harm brand reputation.

News-related misinformation traffic also spiked around Super Tuesday

Misinformation is an ever-present concern in digital media, but high-profile election cycles can increase a brand’s risk of ad adjacency to misinformation. This year, 59% of media experts expect the U.S. presidential election to create additional advertising challenges surrounding misinformation and fake news.

News-related misinformation appears to rise in conjunction with high-profile news events. This year, traffic peaked two days before Super Tuesday, marking a threefold increase compared to the Q1 volume rate.

Since traffic to news-related misinformation is generally low (representing only 0.001% of all impressions served in Q1 2024), avoiding this content can protect advertisers from this high to medium risk content without hurting scale.

As IAS observed in 2022, brands can build consumer favorability and trust by detecting and avoiding placing ads adjacent to misinformation. Through IAS’s partnership with the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), advertisers can use IAS Brand Safety and Suitability capabilities across open web and social media to detect and avoid misinformation. And with tools like IAS Context Control Avoidance, advertisers can prevent ads from being placed alongside selected risky content while simultaneously protecting scale.

Contextual Avoidance Segments protect campaign results

Beyond protecting your brand, avoiding politically risky content can protect marketers’ bottom lines too. After all, consumers are less likely to engage with or purchase products from ads that are placed alongside misinformation or other risky content.

Using IAS data enriched with performance and cost metrics, we examined the impact of politically risky content on success rate (defined as clicks or conversions) and cost per conversion compared to overall impressions served in the U.S. during the week of Super Tuesday.

Ads adjacent to risky political party content had a 66% lower success rate and a 29% higher, or $0.82 increase, in cost per conversion. Similarly, ads adjacent to news-related misinformation had a 53% lower success rate and an 8% higher, or $0.23 increase, in cost per conversion.

How IAS can help

IAS offers Context Control Avoidance segments to help advertisers avoid placing their ads alongside negative or risky content beyond the GARM categories. Before a bid is placed, IAS’s predictive science pre-screens pages to filter out tailored content that isn’t suitable for your brand.

Contextual avoidance segments like “Politics-GOP,” “Politics-Democrat,” “Misinformation-News,” or other delicate subjects help marketers control where their brand is seen, which can be especially crucial with growing uncertainty of the upcoming election cycle. These avoidance segments protect brand safety without harming scale so you can continue to drive superior results throughout an election year and beyond.

For a step-by-step guide to scaling your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our IAS Election Lab for more insights.

The post How Brand Risk Fluctuates Surrounding Political Events appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Media Quality Report: 19th Edition

IAS Team — Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Industry-leading benchmarks for superior media quality

The digital landscape continues to evolve at a rapid rate, offering marketers endless opportunities for innovation. But in an era where change is the only constant, it’s critical for marketers to know if their campaigns are keeping up with the pace of digital media.

The 19th edition of the Media Quality Report (MQR) is here to serve as a trustworthy tool for marketers worldwide to benchmark campaign success. This year’s report offers marketers an in-depth look into global media quality data, key trends shaping the digital landscape in 2024, and country-level metrics for a more enriched way to make data-driven decisions.

Dive into this year’s key trends, with highlights including:

Fraud rates for unprotected campaigns were 14x higher than campaigns protected against fraud
Time-in-view hit a new low in H2 2023
Brand risk rose in the Americas as election cycles began

As the gold standard in digital media quality, the MQR arms marketers with actionable insights that are key to forging an innovative, impactful, and safer digital future.

Download the report today to access IAS’s industry-leading global benchmarks and drive superior results.

The post Media Quality Report: 19th Edition appeared first on Integral Ad Science.