comScore recently released its latest rankings of “ad-focused properties” (aka ad networks). “Who’s up and who’s down” always attracts much ink in the broader industry/business press. In seriousness, many of the agencies use this ranking as a filter to decide whom to work with: the higher the ranking, the better the chance of scoring that RFP.
That “footprint filter” may well have made sense at a point in time. But RTB is completely changing that. Here’s why: (a) the Exchanges/SSPs/DSPs provide a massive, if not near complete, coverage of US internet audience and (b) most ad networks (Brand.net included) are making full use of the inventory footprint enabled by these platforms. Essentially, all of us can potentially reach the entire US internet audience. In short, comScore understates the reach of ad networks that are successfully integrating RTB. As RTB grows, this understatement becomes more profound.
Given all of the above, Agency buyers no longer have an accurate way to determine the meaningful potential reach accessible through their largest media partners. Who in the ecosystem can and/or should step in to fill that gap? And what will new planning metrics look like?
One potential outcome would be for existing big players in measurement (e.g., Nielsen, comScore) to release new metrics that resolve the gap. Alternatively, Google or QuantCast, who have measurement capabilities but less tangible footprint with buyers, could use this as an opportunity to leapfrog the more established players.
Or the most intriguing option: perhaps there are startups on the horizon that will challenge existing measurement companies by innovating new methodologies and metrics to help buyers make informed decisions in our new RTB-enabled world?
In our next post on this topic, we’ll explore some related questions and alternatives that agency buyers should consider to address this issue. In the mean time, who do you think is most likely to take advantage of this opportunity?
