Today, at CES, DoubleVerify launched a brand-new, real-time measurement platform to evaluate online ad effectiveness called Authentic Performance. For 12 years, DV has focused on delivering authentication technology that vets the quality of media inventory (e.g., real traffic, brand safe, viewability, etc.). With its CES news, DoubleVerify steps in an entirely new category of measurement.
According to DV’s CEO, Wayne Gattinella, Authentic Performance solves a legacy dilemma in understanding digital ad performance. Today, current performance tools are either fast but simple, with basic proxy metrics like CTR standing in for ad effectiveness. Other tools are too slow, sharing insights after a campaign has run, limiting the value. They even introduce bias, as seen with consumer surveys that poll people who’ve seen an ad on its impact and influence. That’s not the case with Authentic Performance, says Gattinella. It’s intended to be a sophisticated solution that also delivers ad performance insights instantly.
But how does it work? The new platform tracks 50-plus data points for an ad in two areas — “exposure” and “engagement.” On the exposure side, that means the ad’s presentation, tracking things like “intensity” and “prominence” through metrics like share of screen percentage, viewable time and audibility. For engagement, DoubleVerify tracks end-user interactions with an ad, such as ad, browser and screen touches, video playback, screen orientation, and more.
DV also emphasized the predictive capabilities here, noting that the technology correlates its data with digital advertising effectiveness (e.g., owning a larger share of screen means better performance in the future, etc.). DV says Authentic Performance can pinpoint underperforming areas of an ad at the impression source, making it possible for buyers to predict the propensity of a campaign to perform. This supports future ad planning and investments.
Per Gattinella, “Authentic Performance addresses a brand’s dilemma in performance measurement and actionability.”
Critically, Authentic Performance overlays its performance data on top of DV’s Authentic Impression. With the Authentic Impression, to be counted as “authentic,” an impression must meet a set of criteria. The impression needs to be fully viewed, by a human, in a brand safe environment, and within the correct geography. This means Authentic Performance is only measuring the effectiveness of quality media.
According to DoubleVerify’s press release, “a number of DV customers, including global CPG brand Mondelez, currently are using Authentic Performance in beta to evaluate and optimize the performance of their campaigns.”
