Research Archives - Integral Ad Science

Power Stronger Performance on Social

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

Learn how top advertisers are maximizing performance on social this holiday season

Social media is a high-stakes arena for advertisers. It’s where your audience spends the bulk of their time. But while the reach is undeniable, the content environment is constantly shifting. Virality, user-generated content, and platform-specific trends can change the tone of a feed in minutes — and during the holidays, the pace of change accelerates even more.

In our latest white paper, we explore how Social Optimization is helping global advertisers make their holiday campaigns more efficient, more effective, and more aligned with brand strategy. You’ll find out how top brands are taking charge of their social campaigns this holiday season with real-time suitability controls, seeing results like:

3x ROI on social media campaigns for a global telecommunications brand
48% decrease in wasted ad spend, enabling a leading insurance brand to reinvest back into suitable media
65% reduction in brand suitability fail rates, increasing performance and decreasing waste for a major retail brand

Marketers no longer have to compromise between safety and scale. Maximize your social investment and see better results during the holidays — and beyond.

Download the full white paper to find out how.

The post Power Stronger Performance on Social appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Performance & Brand Equity in the New Media Landscape

IAS Team — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

How advertisers can drive performance and elevate brand reputation in a dynamic media landscape

In a digital world where unpredictability is the norm, advertisers face the constant challenge of safeguarding their brand’s reputation — but cost often gets in the way. So how can advertisers proactively protect their brands while also prioritizing cost efficiency?

Our latest white paper, Performance & Brand Equity in the New Media Landscape, is a must-read for advertisers looking to improve end-to-end campaign performance and maximize ROI. Backed by real-world case studies, this white paper is your roadmap to simultaneously driving brand equity and cost savings.

Download the white paper now to learn how to:

Leverage a proactive approach to brand safety without sacrificing scale
Reach more consumers in environments you deem safe and suitable
Boost campaign performance and cost savings with Context Control Avoidance

The post Performance & Brand Equity in the New Media Landscape appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

The 2025 UK 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 UK 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: 72% of media experts place social media as their top priority, social shopping and influencer marketing fuelling growth. However 52% of media professionals see social media as the environment most vulnerable to brand risk.
Digital Video Growth: 42% 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 prioritising influencer campaigns to drive social purchases, but the format may face challenges due to growing pains.
Safety Concerns Persist: 34% of advertisers expressed concern with delivering ads alongside risky content and depfakes (31%). 77% of media professionals agree that third-party measurement and optimisation will be important to protect ads from being served alongside deepfakes.

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

The post The 2025 UK Industry Pulse Report appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

3 Ways to Keep Your Brand Safe on Social Media

IAS Team — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

How to maximize impact while ensuring brand integrity in social media advertising

Brands know that the social media landscape is rife with opportunity. With 97% of U.S. consumers actively using social media platforms, this environment offers an unparalleled opportunity to reach consumers where they spend a significant portion of their time.

The numbers speak for themselves: nearly 9-in-10 consumers have engaged with an ad on social media within the past year. This level of interaction highlights the immense potential for brands to not only reach their target audience but also to drive engagement and conversions through carefully crafted campaigns. Social media platforms also provide the unique ability to create personalized and dynamic ad experiences, allowing brands to tailor their messaging to specific consumer segments, leading to better business results.

The social media struggle

While social media platforms offer unparalleled access to a vast audience, they also present significant hurdles. The dynamic and often unpredictable nature of social media, especially during sensitive periods like election seasons, can make it difficult for advertisers to maintain control over where and how their ads are displayed.

The rise of misinformation and AI-generated content adds another layer of complexity, making it harder for advertisers to ensure that their messages are seen in a suitable, trustworthy context. In fact, consumers say misinformation is the number one type of questionable content that consumers want to avoid on their social media feeds, with AI-generated content coming in at number three. So not only can adjacency to misinformation and AI-generated content hurt a brand’s credibility, consumers also simply don’t want to come across that content.

These challenges mean that advertisers must be more vigilant than ever, carefully managing their campaigns to avoid potential pitfalls that could harm their brand. Ensuring that ads appear in brand-safe and suitable environments is no longer just an option — it’s a necessity in a landscape where consumer trust can be easily undermined by misleading or controversial content.

Why brand safety and suitability matter more than ever

Brand safety and suitability go far beyond merely avoiding inappropriate content. It’s about ensuring that your brand’s message is consistently delivered in a context that aligns with your values and resonates positively with your audience.

The stakes are high—35% of consumers hold brands responsible for ads appearing near unsafe content, underscoring the importance of careful placement. Additionally, 82% of consumers have encountered questionable content in their social media feeds that they’d prefer to avoid, highlighting the growing challenge of maintaining a safe and trustworthy brand presence online. As the volume of unsafe content on social media continues to increase, the responsibility on brands to prioritize safety will only intensify.

Failure to do so can lead to decreased consumer trust and a negative impact on your bottom line, making brand safety an essential component of any successful digital marketing strategy.

3 steps to keep your brand safe on social

1. Employ advanced AI-powered prevention solutions

Advanced AI brand safety and suitability tools are essential in the fight against misinformation and harmful content on social media. These solutions can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, detecting and flagging content that could pose a risk to brand reputation. It’s important for advertisers to rely on the most granular brand safety and suitability technology powered by AI that can measure social media content frame-by-frame and aligned to the industry-standard 12th category for misinformation.

By integrating AI-driven brand safety and suitability tools into your strategy, you can automate the identification of unsafe content, allowing you to act swiftly and decisively before any damage is done. This proactive approach not only protects your brand but also ensures that your advertising dollars are spent in environments that won’t hurt brand performance.

2. Reallocate ad spend for optimal impact on social media

Regularly evaluating your ad spend is essential to ensure that your investments are yielding the desired results. This involves more than just monitoring basic metrics like impressions and clicks; it requires a deep dive into viewability, invalid traffic, brand safety, and brand suitability metrics.

By analyzing these factors, you can identify areas where your ads are performing well and areas that may need adjustment. For instance, if a particular platform or channel shows high levels of invalid traffic or low viewability, it may be wise to reallocate your budget to more effective environments. This not only maximizes the return on your investment but also reinforces your commitment to maintaining a safe and suitable brand presence on social media.

3. Leverage measurement and optimization platforms for custom insights

Ensuring that your ads appear in contexts that are both relevant and safe is a key component of maintaining brand integrity on social media. Measurement and optimization partners like IAS can offer in-depth analysis of ad placements, including insight on viewability, invalid traffic, and brand safety, helping you understand where your ads are appearing and how effective they may be to your intended audience. Going a step further, trusted measurement and optimization partners have the ability to provide custom brand suitability metrics and graphs tailored to your brand that allow you to take action more effectively.

Third-party measurement and optimization partners go beyond social media to help you navigate the complexities of other advertising channels, including emerging media formats like gaming, retail media, digital audio, and more, providing guidance on how to maintain brand safety and suitability across campaigns.

Safeguard and scale on social with IAS

Not all social media ads are created equal. IAS’s latest research into brand safety on social media, “The State of Social,” provides invaluable insights into how consumers’ perceptions of and interactions with brands are influenced by the content surrounding ads on social media. Understanding these preferences allows advertisers to craft campaigns that align with consumer expectations, increasing the likelihood of superior advertising results.

The conversation around social media’s influence is more critical than ever. Its ability to shape consumer perceptions, rapidly spread information, and provide unique advertising opportunities makes it an indispensable tool for modern marketers. As social media platforms continue to evolve, understanding and leveraging these changes will be essential to driving successful campaigns.

Download The State of Social to discover:

How misinformation and AI-generated content on social feeds impact ad performance
What kinds of ads consumers are interacting with on social media
What types of ad adjacencies drive purchase intent and brand awareness

The post 3 Ways to Keep Your Brand Safe on Social Media appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

RESEARCH: The Mind on The Stream

IAS Team — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

A neuro-investigation into the brain while watching CTV ads

Connected TV (CTV) has revolutionized how we watch and monetize television. With the freedom to watch on demand and the power of precise targeting and placement, both consumers and advertisers have been presented with unprecedented opportunities. Yet, many viewers still face frustration from irrelevant and disruptive ads that detract from their viewing experience.

In the search for best practices that drive performance and satisfy audiences, IAS and Neuro-Insight embarked on a groundbreaking neurostudy. This pioneering research dives deep into viewers’ brains to uncover how tone, context, and frequency influence CTV ad effectiveness.

Here’s a quick look at what we discovered:

Unrelated ads break viewers’ neuro-state: Ads that don’t align with the content disrupt viewers’ engagement, reducing their impact.
Repeated ad viewing leads to higher connection, but lower interest: While repetition builds recognition, it can also diminish excitement.
Context-matched ads are highly memorable to viewers: Ads that fit seamlessly within the content are more likely to stick with your audience.

Surveys provide a glimpse, but brain activity reveals the full story. Discover how to enhance brand impact and forge the future of CTV advertising with insights straight from the mind.

The post RESEARCH: The Mind on The Stream appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

3 Things Marketers Must Know About Emerging Media

IAS Team — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Retail media, digital audio, and virtual reality are growing in popularity. Where should you start?

Digital media never stands still. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for marketers. As new forms of media emerge, they bring both challenges and opportunities. Emerging media channels in particular are skyrocketing in popularity across the globe, compelling advertisers and agencies to consider these channels in their media budgets.

Why is everyone talking about emerging media?

The buzz surrounding emerging media is impossible to ignore. From retail media platforms and gaming to virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) experiences and digital audio, emerging media channels are reshaping how brands connect with their audiences. But what exactly is driving all this excitement, and why should marketers pay attention?

Diverse engagement opportunities

Emerging media offers a diverse array of engagement opportunities that traditional channels simply can’t match. By leveraging emerging media, brands can build stronger and more meaningful relationships with their customers.

Engagement metrics such as click-through-rates, dwell time, and social shares provide valuable insight into consumer behavior and preferences, allowing marketers to refine their strategies for maximum impact. Ultimately, emerging media not only improves customer engagement but also drives brand loyalty and advocacy through innovative and personalized experiences that resonate with today’s digitally savvy consumers.

Evolving consumer behavior

Consumer behavior is constantly evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing societal norms. Media experts cite dwindling consumer trust as a top concern for advertising on social media and other traditional channels. Today’s consumers demand seamless, personalized experiences from brands. Emerging media channels not only meet these expectations but also anticipate future trends, providing marketers with the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and connect with their audience in meaningful ways.

As the conversation around emerging media continues to intensify, marketers are increasingly drawn to the unique opportunities these platforms present. From expanding reach through innovative channels to leveraging advanced targeting capabilities, emerging media is reshaping the advertising landscape in profound ways.

Emerging media channels offer distinct advantages that traditional advertising methods often cannot match.

Here are three essential aspects marketers need to know before investing in emerging media.

1. Future-focused marketers are including emerging media in their ad budgets

Marketers are increasingly focusing on advertising through emerging media channels to stay competitive and engage with their target audiences effectively. Over 85% of marketers have already ventured into advertising on emerging media channels, recognizing the opportunities these platforms offer to reach and connect with modern consumers. Looking forward, 69% of marketers are planning to ramp up their investments specifically in virtual reality (VR) and retail media networks within the coming year. This proactive stance reflects a strategic approach to leveraging cutting-edge technologies and expanding reach across innovative platforms.

In today’s dynamic and competitive landscape, staying ahead of the game is crucial. Marketers are constantly challenged to achieve more impactful results with constrained budgets and resources. As such, 42% of marketers prioritize the potential for technological innovation when evaluating whether a new media channel is ready for investment. This forward-thinking mindset ensures that investments align not only with current consumer behaviors but also with future trends in digital engagement and advertising effectiveness.

By embracing emerging media channels and harnessing the power of technological advancements, marketers can not only enhance their brand visibility but also foster deeper connections with their audiences. This strategic shift toward innovative platforms underscores the industry’s commitment to evolving alongside consumer preferences and technological advancements, ultimately driving growth and competitive advantage.

2. Marketers must consider media quality, inventory, and performance factors when investing in emerging media

As the digital landscape continues to expand, so does the array of channels available for marketers to reach their target audiences. Emerging media channels, including digital audio, gaming, and virtual reality, offer unique opportunities for brand exposure and engagement. However, investing in these new avenues requires a strategic approach to ensure resources are allocated effectively.

Media quality is more important than ever

64% of marketers look to media quality as a top consideration for advertising on emerging media channels. Ensuring high media quality is paramount when venturing into emerging media. This involves selecting ad placements that guarantee high viewability and relevance. Ads should appear in prominent positions where they are likely to be seen by the target audience, ensuring that the surrounding content aligns with the brand’s values to maintain a safe advertising environment.

Collaborating with reputable publishers known for delivering high-quality traffic and engagement is also essential. Quality media placements help in building brand credibility and ensuring that advertising efforts resonate with the intended audience.

Optimize inventory for maximum impact

Effective inventory management is crucial for maximizing the reach and impact of campaigns in emerging media. 68% of marketers look at inventory factors as a top consideration for advertising on emerging media channels. Inventory considerations include the potential for future technological innovation on the channel, as well as the availability of interactive ad formats and price of inventory. Diverse inventory that provides broad reach across different channels and platforms maximizes exposure and engagement opportunities.

Ad performance is a top factor for consideration

It’s no surprise that six-in-10 marketers look to performance factors as top considerations of advertising on emerging media. These factors involve evaluating the cost per acquisition and return on investment to ensure media spend is justified by the results. Monitoring engagement metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall engagement levels also helps marketers assess ad effectiveness.

By carefully considering these three factors (media quality, inventory, and performance), marketers can make informed decisions about their investments in emerging media, increasing the impact of their marketing efforts while mitigating potential risks like low-quality inventory and fraudulent activity.

3. Measurement and optimization solutions are critical when deciding to invest in emerging media

No digital advertising campaign is complete without the actionable data to match — especially on emerging media channels. A substantial 52% of marketers prioritize the measurement of invalid traffic, aiming to ensure that their advertising budgets are protected from fraudulent activities that could skew performance metrics and waste resources. Marketers also place importance on contextual avoidance and targeting within digital audio, ensuring that ads are placed in safe, appropriate contexts to enhance relevance and effectiveness.

Attention measurement is also climbing the ranks as a top consideration, with marketers commonly turning to this metric on both digital audio and gaming platforms. On the latter channel, 44% of marketers consider high-risk content identification a must, considering the fact that gaming content can often be risky.

These metrics, and the ability to optimize toward them, underscore the growing emphasis on accountability and effectiveness in the realm of emerging media investments, guiding marketers toward informed decision-making and superior business results.

Stay ahead of the curve with IAS

The buzz around emerging media is well-deserved. Its ability to reach vast audiences, offer innovative advertising formats, adapt to trends, and foster authentic consumer connections makes it a powerful tool in the modern marketer’s arsenal. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and embracing emerging media will be key to achieving marketing success.

Download IAS’s Emerging Media Outlook to find out more on:

How expert marketers determine if a media channel is ready for investment
Where marketers plan to increase investments this year
What common barriers prevent marketers from investing in emerging media

Gain insights from industry leaders and make informed decisions for your next campaign — download the study today and learn more about our emerging media partnerships.

The post 3 Things Marketers Must Know About Emerging Media appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

Taking Action on Attention: Volume II

IAS Team — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Deep dive into the impact of attention on ad performance

Attention continues to be a crucial focus in the digital media landscape. As marketers aim to capture and maintain consumer interest, the methods and metrics for measuring this elusive concept have evolved. While traditional metrics like viewability have provided a foundation, it’s clear that a holistic approach to measuring attention is essential for driving meaningful results.

To better understand how attention is related to performance, Integral Ad Science (IAS) conducted extensive research, incorporating data from billions of impressions and millions of conversion events.

Download Taking Action on Attention: Volume II to find out:

How attention metrics differ from traditional engagement metrics
The impact of high attention scores on conversion rates
Insights into consumer behavior and interaction with ads
Strategies for optimizing ad campaigns using attention metrics

The post Taking Action on Attention: Volume II appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

RESEARCH: Emerging Media Outlook

IAS Team — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

How marketers are planning for and investing in digital media's newest channels

The digital landscape evolves every day — and marketers, whether we like it or not, are forced to follow. As new media channels gain traction, marketers often shift their plans, and their budgets, without knowing if it’s worth the investment.

So is jumping onto the latest digital trend worth the gamble?

In this study, IAS and YouGov partnered together to take a close look at marketers’ investment plans in emerging media channels, including virtual and augmented reality, retail media, digital audio, and gaming. Plus, we examine what may be preventing marketers from investing in these channels — and what can be done about it.

Download IAS’s Emerging Media Outlook study to find out:

Where a majority of marketers plan to increase investments this year
How expert marketers determine if a media channel is ready for investment
What barriers are preventing marketers from advertising on emerging media

Forge the future of digital media with IAS and drive superior results on any emerging digital media channel. Download the Emerging Media Outlook study today to find out how.

The post RESEARCH: Emerging Media Outlook appeared first on Integral Ad Science.

MEDIA QUALITY REPORT: 19TH EDITION

IAS Team — Wed, 22 May 2024 12:51:59 +0000

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.

RESEARCH: The State of Brand Safety

IAS Team — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Exploring consumer perception of appropriate online content and misinformation

The amount of online content that consumers deem inappropriate is growing — and brands are being held more accountable for ad placement than ever before. In a digital landscape where an ad’s surrounding content can make or break consumers’ perception of a brand, what can marketers do to avoid risky content and increase trust and favorability among consumers?

In our latest study, IAS explores what content UK consumers consider to be brand safe and unsafe and uncovers the impact that ad environments have on consumers’ perceptions of brands and their advertising. Plus, we deep dive into what consumers think of brands supporting quality journalism versus misinformation

Key findings include:

92% of UK consumers say it’s important to them that the content surrounding online ads is appropriate
80% of UK respondents feel less favourable toward a brand that advertises near inappropriate content
More than half of consumers say that they are more likely to purchase a product or service when a brand’s ad appear near appropriate content

Understanding the environment where your ads appear is crucial for mitigating adverse impacts. By prioratising consumer-centric brand safety strategies and ensuring brand suitability, you can prevent detrimental ad placements that could negatively impact your brand’s engagement, favourability, and loyalty.

Harness IAS brand safety and suitability tools to build trust with consumers and drive superior results today.

Download the study to get started.

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