Omnicom Media Group Calls for Better CTV Standards

Connected TV is widely regarded as the most dynamic channel in the media industry with buyers spending close to $10 billion to serve ads on such screens. Media agency Omnicom Media Group (OMG) cites figures forecasting that U.S. CTV-spend will top $13.4 billion this year, representing a 50% year-on-year growth rate, but amid such heady times the media buying giant is also asking for better assurances from suppliers. To mark this stance, OMG is launching the CTV Signals Standardization Initiative. It is a series of protocols it is calling upon the CTV supply-chain to sign up to assure marketers of transparency. According to OMG, there are certain "fundamental flaws" in the CTV sector with the media agency highlighting transparency concerns over the placement of their ads (when compared to linear TV), an inability to understand audiences at a household level, plus measurability concerns. These include heightened concerns over fraud with OMG claiming that while some CTV providers have offered a limited response, a truly scaleable solution has proven elusive. How the Digital Industry Plans to Woo Traditional TV Ad Dollars Inventory, identity and fraud The CTV Signals Standardization Initiative identifies inventory, identity, and fraud as the three most crucial areas of concern and makes a number of recommendations for the supply chain to implement in order to win over its confidence. These include: Standardization of how CTV inventory is labeled, including better contextual information such as pod and programing placement. Transition to household IDs that are standardized through a framework provided by an industry body. Better supply chain transparency including widespread adoption of ads.cert 2.0 to reduce fraud. Megan Pagliuca, chief activation officer, OMG, told Adweek the investment thesis behind the launch of the current initiative is to assuage any trepidation from marketers so that media spend no longer lags behind consumers' eyeballs. "We believe more dollars will flow because we have more granularities and then you have more optimization and better performance," she said, adding that widespread adoption will help the migration of ad spend from linear to CTV. Speaking with Adweek last month, OMG execs revealed how they developed a certification program for TV buyers across all its agencies to help clients better protect their ad dollars against fraud in the space (see below for recommendations included in the program). Fraud Prevention Tactics Educate your organization on fraud, common attack vectors and areas of risk across all areas of the supply chain.Develop strong 1:1 relationships with content makers, device manufacturers and service providers.Access CTV inventory through vetted private methods, not on the open exchange.Demand more transparency and granularity from your platforms and partners.Partner with fraud verification companies to develop new detection methods for fighting fraud. All of these recommendations come as research from consultancy outfit Jounce Media found that while the CTV landscape is one that should excite marketers there are a number of challenges for the sector to get to grips with as it matures. These include the fact that nearly half of all CTV bid requests lead to "multihop supply chains" which can lead to both price-escalation, as well as opening a window for fraudsters. "While we generally agree with the industry sentiment to 'only buy direct,' we see two challenges with this simplistic approach to the CTV supply chain," reads the report. "First, it’s not entirely clear what 'direct' even means for CTV ... Second, there really are value-adding intermediaries that unlock access to exclusive supply, improved targeting and enriched creative executions."