October 2024

• US Fraud Savings Report 2024
• State of the Fight: The Future of Self-Regulation & SOTF Content
• US Fraud Benchmark Report 2024
• Member Spotlight: Media.net's Mcleod Sims
• Recertification: Todd's After Party
• Where in the world is TAG? 🌍
• One More Thing

New Study Finds Industry Anti-Fraud Efforts Saved Advertisers $10.8 Billion in 2023

As TAG members know, ad fraud was historically a persistent and intractable issue in digital advertising, with a 2015 study by the IAB and Ernst & Young finding that $4.6 billion was lost to ad fraud in the US, while a 2018/2019 Bot Baseline study from the ANA and White Ops projected the cost of ad fraud to be $5.8 billion globally.

Happily, after a decade of collaborative cross-industry efforts to fight ad fraud, the first study to analyze the financial impact of those efforts found that US advertisers saved an estimated $10.8 billion in 2023 over the losses they otherwise would have incurred without those industry standards in place.

Conducted by TAG in partnership with the 4A’s, ANA, and IAB, the 2024 US Ad Fraud Savings Report found that total losses to invalid traffic (IVT) for all display and video advertising in the US would have been approximately $11.78 billion in 2023, but - thanks to TAG Certification and other industry programs - those losses were held to just $979 million, a 92% reduction. The report also found that more than 90% of digital display and video advertising in the US last year flowed through companies that had earned TAG’s Certified Against Fraud Seal.

That remarkable progress was achieved thanks to the unified efforts of the major ad trades and their members, including:

• The development and implementation of the “Invalid Traffic (IVT) Detection and Filtration Guidelines” by the MRC;
• The launch and expansion throughout the industry of the TAG Certified Against Fraud Program by the 4A’s, ANA, and IAB; and
• The dissemination of innovative tools and standards such as Ads.txt and Sellers.json by IAB Tech Lab.

Thanks to those efforts, multiple studies have shown that IVT rates have now been reduced to less than 1% worldwide in TAG Certified Channels (TCCs), where at least three companies have adopted TAG’s anti-fraud standards. 

Commenting on those results, TAG CEO Mike Zaneis said, “Over the last decade, industry anti-fraud efforts have succeeded in reducing IVT rates to a low, predictable, and manageable level, but until now, we haven’t known exactly how valuable those programs have been. By working together to fight fraud, the digital advertising industry successfully saved more than $10 billion in 2023 alone, taking money from the criminals who used to prey on our supply chain and reinvesting it in innovative and impactful advertising strategies. Despite that success, we must continue to remain unified and vigilant in this effort to ensure we remain ahead of the bad guys.”

Other industry leaders also praised the findings of the report.

David Cohen, CEO, IAB: 

"Since the inception of digital advertising, eliminating ad fraud has been a top priority. We have made a lot of collective progress, and this study quantifies the progress accomplished through industry standards and collaboration.The tools and frameworks developed by IAB Tech Lab and codified as part of TAG’s certification programs are the foundation of our industry’s anti-fraud success, and these results show that our collective efforts are paying off. Of course, there is always more to do, and industry adoption of IAB Tech Lab standards including ads.cert and Supply Chain Object would go a long way towards further securing the digital supply chain from fraud.”

Marla Kaplowitz, President & CEO, 4A’s: 

"Protecting clients’ investments is a top priority for agencies, and the 4A’s is committed to continued efforts to reduce all forms of fraud in advertising. While the industry has come a long way, fraudulent activities continue and evolve to take on new forms. It requires the ongoing diligence of groups like TAG to identify and minimize fraud in the advertising ecosystem."

Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA: 

“Real savings mean real results, and this report demonstrates the impact of our industry’s anti-fraud programs in redirecting billions of wasted dollars from criminals and fraudsters to effective and productive ad campaigns. Thanks to those efforts, a far greater marketing investment now goes to its intended purpose of building our members’ businesses.”

TAG’s Ninth Annual “State of the Fight” Brings Together Industry Leaders to Tackle Top Industry Challenges

On October 9th, TAG held its ninth annual “State of the Fight” briefing in New York City as a forum for the industry’s leaders to hear from their peers, discuss pressing challenges, and chart a collaborative path forward. TAG CEO Mike Zaneis provided the introductory remarks for the event, reviewing milestone industry accomplishments and outlining a bold vision for the future of industry self-regulation. 

To watch all of the sessions from this year's SOTF, see below. TAG community members will have received the password to the page in the latest email version of the TAG Today newsletter.

Annual Fraud Benchmark Study Finds Continued Success With Fourth Straight Year of Sub-1% IVT in TAG Certified Channels

On the heels of the industry study documenting $10.8 billion in fraud savings last year, the 2024 TAG US Fraud Benchmark Report reinforced the industry’s continued success in maintaining low fraud rates in TAG Certified Channels (TCCs). The report showed that the digital advertising industry had successfully held invalid traffic (IVT) rates under 1% in TAG Certified Channels (TCCs) in the US for the fourth consecutive year.

Conducted by The 614 Group, this year’s benchmark report also showed the incredible increase in adoption of TAG’s Certified Against Fraud Program across the advertising supply chain over the last eight years. Since 2017, the volume of TCC impressions analyzed -- in which multiple entities involved in the transaction have achieved the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal -- has skyrocketed more than 114-fold, from 6.5 billion impressions in the first year of the study to 745 billion this year.

“A four-peat in sports is the rarest of events when a team is able to rise to the top and achieve a championship for four consecutive years,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “We are delighted that TAG Certified Channels have pulled off a comparable streak by holding IVT below the industry standard benchmark of 1% in the US for four straight years. Thanks to the collaborative cross-industry efforts of the major trade organizations and hundreds of companies, TAG members have saved advertisers billions of dollars while helping publishers ensure the quality and safety of their inventory.”

In addition to quantitative findings, interviews with agency executives confirmed broad support for TAG’s efforts and reinforced the need for continued vigilance to maintain the success achieved to date. Executives highlighted TAG’s collaborative approach as a model for addressing other challenges, such as improving transparency and addressing supply chain concerns. As fraud detection tools and standards evolve, TAG aims to extend its collaborative model to tackle emerging risks in digital advertising, including those posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chain sustainability.

For additional information on TAG’s Certified Against Fraud Program, visit tagtoday.net/fraud.

TAG Member Spotlight Features Media.net’s McLeod Sims

McLeod Sims, Media.net’s Director of Technical Solutions, joined Todd Miller and Vanessa Goff-Yu to discuss their recent Certified Against Fraud certification, TAG’s “Be Bold for Publishers” initiative, and the importance of maintaining partnerships with key publishers. 

Get Ready for 2025 Recertification! Get a Sneak Peek of the Process in Todd’s “State of the Fight” After Party

TAG’s 2025 recertification process is coming soon, so it’s time to start getting ready. Recertification begins on January 1st and ends January 31st. All supporting documents and evidence must be submitted via the TAG member portal.

For more information about program changes and the recertification process, watch Todd’s “State of the Fight” After Party below. Members with any questions or problems can reach out to at info@tagtoday.net.

Team TAG are always looking to connect with the TAG Community wherever they are! 

In the coming months, you can find us at:

		IAB Tech Lab Summit (November 7th) London UK
		Marketing Club of New York Awards (November 7th) New York City, NY US

If you're going to be there and want to connect with us over a beverage, then reach out to us below!

Keep Up-To-Date With The Working Group Brief

TAG's working groups are a crucial source point of conversation and collaboration for digital advertising. Make sure you stay up to date with the latest progress and developments with the Workin Group Brief. 

Read the latest Working Group Brief 👉 tagtoday.net/working-groups

Leverage TAG Research into Your Everyday!

From APAC Fraud Snapshot reports, to UK Brand Safety Consumer reports, to Best Practices whitepapers, TAG's research is here to support our member's day-to-day compliance as well as strategic planning. 

Visit our Data and Insight page 👉 tagtoday.net/insights

Let's Make Some Noise Together 🤝

We love it when TAG members highlight our work together to fight digital ad crime and improve transparency. Please send any TAG-related press releases, blogs, or other announcements to Andrew Weinstein at andrewwstn@gmail.com for review before release.