Evolves Program Beyond Networks & Exchanges to Include All Major Stakeholders in the Digital Supply Chain
Accuen, Adap.tv, Brightroll, Cadreon, CBS Interactive, Data Broadcasting Group, DataXU, Google, GroupM, Microsoft, Mojiva, NBCUniversal Audience Platform, Pubmatic, Rocketfuel, SpotXchange, Telemetry, TubeMogul & Valueclick Join QAG 2.0 Task Force
NEW YORK, NY (October 02, 2012) — The IAB’s Network and Exchange Committee launched the Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG) compliance program on April 4, 2011. This program provides brand safety assurances to advertisers that their ads will not appear next to inappropriate content. Today, at its annual MIXX Conference & Expo in New York, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced that it is building upon the program’s success and expanding QAG beyond networks and exchanges to include marketers, agencies, DSPs, SSPs and trading desks to establish greater marketplace trust on all sides.
“A rigorous brand safety program that unites the entire interactive ecosystem is crucial to establishing a trusted environment to conduct digital transactions,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “Companies that participate in this program will be recognized as operating at the highest industry standards, thereby providing confidence to marketers to invest more in digital advertising.”
IAB has engaged The 614 Group, a global digital management consultancy founded by Rob Rasko and Adam Brothers, to head the initiative. Rasko and Brothers have extensive experience in digital media, and Rasko was one of the original authors of the IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines.
Under the direction of the IAB Ad Technology Council and Networks & Exchanges Committee, The 614 Group will oversee and steer the QAG 2.0 Task Force, currently comprised of representatives from Accuen, Adapt.tv. Brightroll, Cadreon, CBS Interactive, Data Broadcasting Group, DataXU, Google, GroupM, Microsoft, Mojiva, NBCUniversal Audience Platform, Pubmatic, Rocketfuel, Spotexchange, Telemetry, TubeMogul and Valueclick.
“The industry needs a uniform set of policies that speak to the buy and sell-side, if we want to effectively and efficiently reach target audiences,” said John Montgomery, COO, GroupM Interaction, USA. “From online publishers to trading desks, we need a cross industry set of guidelines that isolate the issues and make implementation simpler. In turn, this type of cross-industry compliance program would lead to higher revenue distribution to compliant companies and from a GroupM perspective, we would embrace it fully.”
“All of us across the digital media and marketing ecosystem need to work together to remove barriers to growth and quality enhancement,” said Teri Gallo, Vice President, Programmatic Practice at Mediabrands Audience Platform, Cadreon. “Working with IAB to develop a structured compliance program that addresses brand safety issues is paramount to moving the industry ahead. The QAG program for networks and exchanges was a great start, but now is the time to take the program broader and deeper.”
“This is a timely and welcome opportunity to evolve the QAG initiative to drive safety and transparency to the marketplace,” said Rob Rasko, Managing Partner and Founder, The 614 Group. “One of the core goals is to make the guidelines more closely mirror the way people currently do business, which will ultimately lead to greater adoption of the program and benefits for all. We believe that the QAG 2.0 Task Force will enable the business operations and management teams of all participants in the ad pipeline to reduce overall brand safety risk and better position their organizations to attract and retain larger revenue streams.”
To learn more about the QAG 2.0 Task Force, please email [email protected], and to get information about the current QAG program, go to here.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit iab.com.
IAB Media Contact
Laura Goldberg
347.683.1859
[email protected]