• by adam.m , Michael Deibert , August 30, 2005

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies announced on Monday that after a long uphill battle for acceptance, some 300 marketers had decided to begin using a universal ad coding model known as Ad-ID.

The system, which allows for digital trafficking of advertisements across multiple markets, has been likened to a "UPC" code for advertisers, and some 875 companies have registered for it. An estimated 14,000 individual codes have thus far been generated.

After some initial skepticism, companies such as Discovery Networks, Ford Motor Company, and HBO have evidently been convinced that Ad-ID had benefits in tracking and measuring campaigns. The so-called "Big Four" television networks--ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox--are also fully Ad-ID-compliant.

"It was a slow ramp up, but we've finally got the momentum. so people should know that it's not going away," said Cynthia Del Rosario, ANA's Vice President for Sales and Marketing. "Ad-ID develops a standard across all media for the coding of media assets, and that was the important portion of putting together the initiative."