ANA
programmatic
transparency study
Complete report, key findings
and next steps
ANA Study confirms +$20bn opportunity to improve programmatic efficiency
Conducted with TAG TrustNet, the ANA Programmatic Media Supply Chain Transparency study - the most comprehensive study of its kind - confirms in the complete report the opportunity for marketers to allocate +$20bn in programmatic investments more efficiently.
The complete report examines the log-level data (LLD) of 21 major advertisers to understand the complete flow of their programmatic investments, from media buy to site-side delivery, and identify key areas of threat and opportunity for brands. It holds critical insights for advertisers looking to optimize the productivity of their programmatic ad spend, in particular by using impression log-level data.
Pricing impressions based on quality can lead to an increase in ad spend productivity of more than +20%
As the platform selected by the ANA to process the data for the study, TAG TrustNet automates the deterministic reconciliation of LLD across programmatic supply chains to provide a unified record of every impression. This enables advertisers to understand exactly how their investment travels through their supply chain, benchmark the findings against industry averages, identify opportunities for increased efficiency and effectiveness, and action those opportunities in real-time.
Here you will find an executive summary of the study’s key findings and recommendations, links to download the full report, as well as further resources for joining the effort to secure full transparency in programmatic media for individual advertisers and the industry at large.
Marketers, we have to take our industry back and we have to do it with intelligence, insights, analysis, data and all the things that lead to effective decisions.
Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA
TAG TrustNet event, Cannes 2023
Key Findings – ANA Programmatic Transparency Study 2023
Of the considered total ad spend just 36% went to brand safe impressions that are non-MFA, measurable and viewable (Source: ANA Programmatic Transparency Study)
Data Asymmetry - Of 67 advertisers wanting to participate, just 21 were able to get access to impression log-level data (LLD).
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Optimization Opportunity - Simulations showed that advertisers can see a +20% increase in ad-spend productivity by connecting and matching log-level-data (LLD) to identify optimization opportunities.
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Transaction Costs - Transaction costs accounted for 29% of total
programmatic spend, with 71% making it to publishers. The 29% is formed by 8% in demand-side platform (DSP) transaction costs, 2% in DSP additional costs, 6% DSP data costs, and 13% in supply-side platform (SSP) costs.
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Loss of Media Quality - Of the 71% of total ad spend making it to publishers, 35% is lost to poor quality, leaving 36% in TrueAdSpend, the % of the total budget going to working media. The 35% is formed by 9.5% of non-viewable impressions, 0.5% IVT, 15% non-measurable impressions and 10% MFA inventory.
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Average Number of Sites - The average number of websites on which campaigns ran was 44,000. Advertisers should consider a focus on 75 to 100 trusted sellers to provide access to thousands of high-quality websites without compromising control.
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MFA Websites - An average of 10% of investment went to ‘made for advertising’ (MFA) websites. Advertisers need to prioritize the creation and use of site inclusion (rather than exclusion) lists and determine if MFA sites are suitable for their campaigns.
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OMP vs PMP - PMPs cost more but only marginally deliver better quality. An average of 14% of spend within private marketplaces (PMPs) contained MFA inventory. PMPs with more than 500 domains delivered quality similar to open marketplace (OMP) deals, but at double the cost.
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Number of SSPs - 13 SSPs are used in average, but it can go up to 58.
Advertisers need an SSP optimization strategy; 5 to 7 SSPs are likely optimal and can provide access to close to 100% of the supply.
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Price vs Quality - An average of 24.5% of total spend was on non-measurable or non-viewable impressions. Advertisers must balance their pursuit of low-cost inventory with ad quality — meaning valid, viewable, measurable, and brand safe or ‘TrueImpressions’.
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Sustainability - More productive buys can lead to lower carbon emissions. The longer the supply chain, the higher the carbon emissions. MFA sites generate 26% more carbon emissions than non-MFA inventory.
Download the complete report:
Find out how to Benchmark your supply chain against the ANA study findings:
Find out which programmatic suppliers are LLD registered:
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Next Steps – Take control of your programmatic supply chain
With a TAG TrustNet enterprise license you gain a unified record of every impression you buy, plus your data becomes actionable, enabling you to optimize ad-spend productivity in real time.
The ANA Study has validated that, with the use of the TAG TrustNet platform to connect and reconcile impression log-level data and price impressions using a set of quality metrics, the increase in TrueAdSpend can reach well over 20%.
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Find out more about how impression log-level data, connected through TAG TrustNet can help you optimize your programmatic supply chain productivity, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of the page.