IAB Issues Broadband Video Commercial Measurement Guidelines for Public Comment; Supports the Aggressive Growth of Broadband

Business Wire, March 21, 2006

NEW YORK -- The IAB, in conjunction with its Broadband Committee and Measurement Task Force, today announced a call for "public comment" on a set of Broadband Video Commercial Measurement Guidelines. These guidelines will determine at what point a broadband video commercial is counted. Specifically they address on-line browser or browser-equivalent based Internet activity that involves streaming video and audio advertising content and are principally applicable to Internet media companies and ad-serving organizations.

As broadband proliferates, the interactive industry recognizes the importance of delivering a standardized set of measurement guidelines earlier rather than later so that infrastructure development and business practices can be informed at the earliest stage.

"We applaud the IAB for taking a leadership role in creating Broadband Measurement Guidelines," said Michael Donahue of the AAAA's. "These guidelines have been reviewed by the AAAA's Digital Video Innovation, Media Research, and Interactive Marketing and New Media Committees."

The industry (advertising agencies, marketers, online publishers and technology vendors) is encouraged to submit comments on the IAB site at www.iab.net/standards/broadband_video.asp. The comment period will last for thirty days. Following a review of the feedback, the guidelines will become final and will be released at the IAB Leadership Forum: Broadband and Beyond on May 15 in New York.

The guidelines state that "a valid broadband ad impression may only be counted when an ad counter (logging server) receives and responds to an HTTP request for a tracking asset from a client. The count must happen after the initiation of the stream, post-buffering, as opposed to the linked broadband content itself. Specifically, measurement should not occur when the buffer is initiated, rather measurement should occur when the ad itself begins to appear on the user's browser, closest to the opportunity to see." A "Broadband Video Commercial" is defined as a commercial that may appear before, during, and after a variety of content including streaming video, animation, gaming, and music video content in a player environment. This definition includes Broadband Video Commercials that appear in live, archived, and downloadable streaming content.

"With the aggressive growth of broadband, a need for measurement guidelines for video commercials within a broadband content experience became clear," said Greg Stuart, CEO, IAB. "As with all IAB measurement guidelines, these guidelines will lend efficiency to the buying and selling of Interactive advertising and further solidify the medium as mainstream."

These Guidelines are intended to further supplement the Ad Campaign Measurement and Audit Guidelines released in 2004, which details the standard for counting an online ad impression. Planners and buyers can use these Guidelines to assist in determining the quality of broadband measurements. For companies who have already been audited against the current Guidelines, it is recommended that inclusion of Broadband Video Commercial Measurement be made upon the next regularly scheduled auditing and certification cycle. These broadband-specific guidelines are intended to be supplemental to the auditing and certification process. For a list of companies who have already been certified or have committed to a "certified-by" date, please visit www.iab.net/standards/measurement.asp.> ABOUT THE IAB Founded in 1996, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (www.iab.net) represents over 225 leading interactive companies that actively engage in, and support the sale of interactive advertising. IAB members are responsible for selling over 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices; fields interactive effectiveness research, and educates the advertising industry about interactive advertising.