• AdExchanger, Friday, February 13, 2015 3:34 PM

“Advertisers’ demand for viewability is frustrating for publishers, who must contend with new contracts, new billing structures and new ways to value inventory, all while ensuring meeting viewability standards doesn’t erode ad revenue,” writes AdExchanger.

At the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting in Phoenix, AdExchanger notes that about half of the publishers said they have sold campaigns based on viewability.

But what “viewability” means is still up for debate, even after the Media Rating Council (MRC) spelled out its standard (50% of the pixels being in-view for at least one second).

“Several criticized the decision by Unilever and media management company GroupM to forego the MRC’s viewability standard for online ads … and demand 100% viewable inventory without paying more,” writes AdExchanger.

“The decision angered the IAB, which had worked to develop a universal standard to keep the industry running smoothly,” the article reads.

“We have had some institutions trying to seek real advantage, in part by undermining six years of work,” IAB CEO Randall Rothenberg said. “It’s infuriating to have gone this far, and have some agencies and marketers go out and co-opt the standardization and recreate that chaos.”

Read the whole story at AdExchanger »