NEW YORK—The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced that for the first time online ad networks and exchanges have agreed to embrace a self-certification regime that abides by IAB's "Networks & Exchanges Quality Assurance Guidelines."
Founded in 1996, the IAB is composed of more than 375 leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. According to its FAQ, the IAB “educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising.”
Released in June, the guidelines provide information for acquiring inventory, contextual taxonomy and targeting, inventory vetting and data disclosure, and establishing a common vocabulary for targeting and data.
In an announcement issued last week, the IAB said the self-certification process requires the participating companies to:
* Attend IAB training sessions developed to guide compliance officers through the proper implementations of the guidelines
* Conduct quarterly internal audits to test compliance with the guidelines
* Submit forms to the IAB from both the compliance officer and business unit leader attesting to adherence to the guidelines
"The IAB Quality Assurance Guidelines demonstrate to marketers and agencies that we put brand safety first," said Jay Sears, General Manager of ContextWeb Inc.'s ADSDAQ Exchange, and co-chair of the IAB Networks & Exchanges Committee. "These 16 companies that have raised their hand must now engage in a full-scale implementation that will require extensive training and investment—it shows a true commitment to control, transparency and simplifying the buying of digital media."
The participating networks include:
24/7Real Media
Google
AudienceScience
ScanScout
Adify
Specific Media
AOL/Advertising.com
Traffic Marketplace
Burst Media
Tremor Media
Casale Media
Yahoo!
ContextWeb Inc./ADSDAQ Exchange
CPX Interactive
Fox Audience Network
ValueClick Media
The guidelines and more information about IAB can be found here.
