Online ad viewability levels in the
UK decreased dramatically from 54% to 47% in the second quarter of 2016, the
lowest level for 18 months, according to a new report from ad verification
company Meetrics. The last time it was lower was 46% in Q4 2014.
Consequently, the UK lags further behind other European countries in terms of
viewability levels: Austria stands at 69%, France at 62% and Germany at 60%.
“Viewability in the UK is more volatile than other major European markets due
to the higher penetration of programmatic and automated ad buying,” said Anant Joshi, Meetrics’ Director of International
Business.
“The surge in ads bought programmatically contributed to the
decline in viewability, which was compounded by publishers upping the speed at
which ads are re-loaded or auto-refreshed to raise inventory levels and
revenue. Around 20% of ads weren’t viewable because they weren’t in the frame
for long enough – the highest rate we’ve seen due to this reason for some
time.”
Based on the IAB/PwC’s Adspend figures, Joshi estimates the 53% of banner ads
not viewable in the UK is
“getting on for £700 million¹ being wasted
annually on non-viewable ads.”
An ad is considered viewable if it meets the IAB and Media Ratings Council’s
recommendation that 50% of it is in view for at least 1 second.
The impressive figures for the Austrian market come off the back of an
agreement by the majority of publishers to move to billing by viewable impressions
by selling their inventory based on an independent viewability definition
agreed by a dozen leading advertisers.
Joshi notes:
“The Austrian market was one of, if not the, first to try such
an initiative and the benefits in terms of far higher viewability rates are
plain to see.”
