Brand Activate Announcement Provides Key Optimisation Opportunities

Friday 20th April by Stephanie Clark

Brand Activate Announcement

The recently announced Google Brand Activate Initiative is made to enable Internet marketers to better target and optimize campaign based on the introduction of back up for additional, standards-based metrics for online display ad viewership, regularity and reach.

Insight

Marketers have long sought insight into whether customers saw an ad on page 145 of a magazine, or swapped the channel in the course of a TV commercial break. It's similar online, so we're presenting a technology, which will be submitted for Media

Active GRP

Active GRP is based on the concept of GRP, or a gross rating point, which is central to traditional, non-digital media measurement. For instance, when a nationwide brand needs their TV campaign to reach 4 million men with three ads each, they use GRP to measure that. Google DoubleClick is introducing a new version of GRP for the web in its Active GRP capabilities.

Active View

The Active View systems will be put forward for Media Rating Council (MRC) certification that can count "viewed" impressions as a display ad that is at least 50 % viewable on the screen for at least one second. This is based on IAB proposed standards, which may leave some wondering if one second is a significant view and the probable impact for such a view.

Active View will first be accessible in coming weeks within Google Display Network Reserve. They will also be making this metric a global currency, ultimately offering it within DoubleClick for Advertisers, along with to our publisher partners. Active View facts will be immediately actionable-- marketers will have the ability to pay only for for viewed impressions. Going forward, they're working on viewed impression standards with the IAB, and our agency and publisher partners.

Potential Problems

Active GRP is worked out by a statistical model that combines aggregated panel data and anonymous user data (either inferred or user-provided), and will work in conjunction with Active View to measure viewed impressions. This approach overcomes problems of potential panel skewing and reliance on a single data source. This approach also has the advantage of never using individually identifiable information, not distributing user data with third parties, and enabling users, through Google's Ads Preferences Manager, to opt-out. We will be submitting our methodology for MRC accreditation.