DoubleVerify’s inaugural APAC research with WARC spotlights unrecognised impact of media quality on driving performance outcomes

DoubleVerify a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics, today released a report entitled: “Raising the Bar in APAC: How Media Quality and Performance Drive Outcomes“. The report, developed in conjunction with WARC, explores the impact of media quality and attention metrics on driving performance for advertisers in APAC. The study provides an overview of the region’s evolving and nuanced advertising ecosystem, examining key trends, the importance of media quality, and how brands can power performance.

Key findings from the report:

There is a gap between what marketers report and what they are actually doing

The survey revealed that APAC marketers have a positive mindset towards media quality measurement, with 91% agreeing that it is critical for driving media effectiveness. 98% of marketers use ad verification tools in campaigns, with more than half being ‘very confident’ about ensuring quality across almost all media channels (including emerging channels like CTV).

However, according to the study, ad verification is not ‘always on’ for all APAC marketers, with one in three using verification tools only on an ad-hoc basis. Furthermore, a significant portion of marketers surveyed fail to evaluate digital media buys against core quality metrics, with only 17% evaluating critical effectiveness indicators like brand suitability, viewability, fraud, or if the ad was served in the intended geography.

Rhea Teves, Director of Digital Channels and Media at Colgate-Palmolive, highlighted, “Brand safety in itself is reason enough why advertisers should prioritise media quality. We, as a company, recognise the importance of prioritising media impact and quality and we are continuously adapting our approach in the region. For example, by prioritising media quality, we are able to retain or only experience a small decline on traffic despite a slight increase on CPC (Cost-Per-Click) and significant decrease on impressions because of high clicks on our ads. It means we are able to target the right audience that leads to better engagement.”

A wide range of attention metrics are used in APAC

While 98% of marketers surveyed claimed to measure attention through a range of metrics, the metrics used varied greatly based on channel, format, and desired KPIs. This points to the importance of considering all metrics in their entirety for more accurate attention measurement.

Conrad Tallariti, Regional Vice President of Sales for Asia, DoubleVerify said, “Southeast Asia (SEA) is poised to become the fourth-largest economy in the world on the back of rapid digitalisation with markets like the Philippines topping in e-commerce retail growth. While the potential for digital ad spending growth in APAC is huge, advertisers must safeguard their investments by ensuring always-on verification across all channels or risk wasting media dollars. Media quality should be the foundation of every media campaign, and marketers need education on verification.”

The report draws insights from 329 brand marketers responsible for media buying in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines. It incorporates insights from in-depth interviews with brand marketers and industry experts and a review of WARC’s global data, DV’s data and examples to help marketers raise the bar of media quality in APAC.

For the full report, visit: https://doubleverify.com/2023-warc-report/