Adform expands data offerings, maintains MRC accreditation

Adform has announced developments in its data offerings and industry accreditations. These updates, occurring in late September 2024, demonstrate Adform's commitment to providing robust, transparent advertising solutions for its clients.

On September 30, 2024, Adform revealed a new partnership with Mastercard, integrating the financial services giant's data into the Adform Audience Marketplace. This collaboration grants advertisers access to Mastercard's anonymized transaction-level data, segmented by postal codes, for audience targeting purposes in four European countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

The integration allows marketers to leverage spending frequency and behavioral data to refine their audience targeting strategies. This granular level of data, when used responsibly, can potentially lead to more effective and relevant advertising campaigns.

According to Adform's announcement, the data is anonymized to protect individual privacy while still providing valuable insights into consumer behavior at a postal code level. This approach aligns with growing concerns about data privacy and regulatory compliance in the digital advertising industry.

Adform maintains Media Rating Council accreditation

In a separate development on September 27, 2024, Adform announced the continuation of its Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation. The company retained its accreditation for Display and Video Impressions across multiple digital environments, including Desktop, Mobile Web, Mobile In-App, and Connected TV (CTV).

The MRC, an independent industry organization, conducts rigorous audits to ensure that measurement and analytics providers meet industry-established standards for valid, reliable, and effective measurement services. Adform's continued accreditation, which it has held since 2017, covers several key metrics:

1. Display and Video Impressions
2. Viewable Impressions
3. Related viewability metrics
4. Custom Viewability metrics

These accreditations apply to Desktop, Mobile Web, and Mobile In-App environments, with the exception of Custom Viewability metrics, which are not applicable to CTV.

The MRC accreditation process involves a comprehensive examination of a company's measurement methodologies, systems, and processes. By maintaining this accreditation, Adform demonstrates its ongoing commitment to transparency and quality in digital advertising measurement.

Advertisers and agencies working with Adform can have increased confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the metrics provided by the platform. This is particularly important in an industry where concerns about ad fraud and measurement discrepancies are prevalent.

Streamlined Programmatic Guaranteed Workflow

Earlier in the month, on September 24, 2024, Adform introduced enhancements to its programmatic guaranteed (PG) workflow within its Demand-Side Platform (DSP). This update aims to simplify and improve the process of setting up and managing programmatic guaranteed deals.

The key features of this enhancement include:

1. Introduction of a new "programmatic guaranteed" line item type
2. Removal of incompatible setup options
3. Reduction in setup errors and delivery issues

Programmatic guaranteed deals allow advertisers to secure premium inventory at fixed prices while still benefiting from the efficiency and data-driven targeting capabilities of programmatic advertising. By streamlining this process, Adform aims to reduce friction in the setup and execution of these high-value deals.

The new line item type is designed to include only those settings that align with PG delivery principles. This focused approach minimizes the risk of configuration errors that could impact budget delivery and campaign performance.

Industry implications and future outlook

These developments at Adform reflect broader trends in the digital advertising industry:

1. Increased demand for granular, transaction-based data for audience targeting
2. Growing importance of third-party accreditations and industry standards
3. Continued evolution of programmatic advertising workflows to accommodate different buying models

As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, companies like Adform are adapting their offerings to meet advertiser needs while navigating complex regulatory and privacy considerations.

Key Facts

• September 30, 2024: Adform partners with Mastercard to provide transaction-level data for audience targeting in Germany, UK, Spain, and Italy.
• September 27, 2024: Adform maintains MRC accreditation for Display and Video Impressions across multiple digital environments.
• MRC accreditation covers viewable impressions and related metrics for Desktop, Mobile Web, and Mobile In-App.
• Adform has held MRC accreditation since 2017.
• September 24, 2024: Adform introduces a streamlined workflow for programmatic guaranteed deals in its DSP.
• The new PG workflow includes a dedicated line item type and removes incompatible setup options.