TAG ANALYSIS OF ASIA-PACIFIC MARKETS SHOWS SUCCESS OF INDUSTRY ANTI-FRAUD PROGRAMS

Asia-Pacific Fraud Snapshot Conducted by The 614 Group Finds 91 Percent Less Fraud in TAG Certified Channels vs. Industry Average

Singapore – April 30, 2020 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity in the digital advertising supply chain, today released a snapshot of ad fraud across a range of Asia-Pacific markets, showing dramatically lower fraud rates in TAG Certified Channels when compared with global industry averages.

Conducted by The 614 Group, the analysis found a 91 percent overall reduction in digital advertising fraud when advertisers used TAG Certified distribution channels that include multiple companies that have achieved the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal.

“Ad fraud is a global problem, and this data supports our efforts to build a worldwide solution,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “When advertisers and agencies in APAC use supply chain partners that have achieved TAG’s rigorous anti-fraud standards, their risk of fraud drops dramatically, helping ensure they are reaching customers and not enriching criminals. We are delighted to work with a growing roster of companies across the Asia-Pacific region to build a common defense against ad fraud and other criminal activity.”

The 614 Group study compared invalid traffic (IVT) rates in TAG Certified Channels against industry norms by measuring more than 3.2 billion ad impressions from October to December 2019 from two of the largest advertising agency holding companies across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore. The results found a dramatic reduction in fraud rates across European markets - to just 0.82 percent - when using TAG Certified Channels, as opposed to industry norms of 9.2 percent.

This is the third region in which The 614 Group has studied the effectiveness of the TAG Certified Against Fraud Program with similar and reinforcing results. TAG’s second annual analysis of fraud in Europe, released last month, found an IVT reduction of 94 percent in TAG Certified Channels in five major European countries, while TAG’s most recent US study, released in December 2019, found an 88 percent IVT reduction in that market. 

• There is an urgent need for a widely accepted, independent benchmark to help establish aggressive, yet achievable, IVT thresholds across the region.

“This analysis highlighted the urgent need for a widely accepted, independent benchmark on IVT rates for the Asia-Pacific region, so companies can set aggressive, yet achievable, thresholds for their anti-fraud efforts,” said Rob Rasko, CEO of The 614 Group. “We are delighted to expand our measurement efforts to Asia and Oceania, and we believe this data will offer a valuable tool for companies to measure their progress.”

The full 2020 snapshot can be found here. Additional information about TAG’s Certified Against Fraud Program and how companies from across the advertising ecosystem can received the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal can be found at https://www.tagtoday.net/certified-against-fraud-program/.

Methodology

The 614 Group analyzed data from the ongoing and annual TAG Global Research Report to measure the impact of TAG Certification in reducing fraud in actual campaigns and to assess the industry’s perception of both TAG and the fight against fraud in markets across Asia and Oceania. This snapshot focused on discovering rates of both General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT).

The 614 Group partnered with agency holding companies and their MRC-accredited technology partners to review data from campaigns that ran in six countries (Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore). Working with the holding companies’ MRC-accredited measurement vendors, The 614 Group collected and aggregated all impressions for campaigns that were executed during the period of Q4 2019. These campaigns included display media and video ads in desktop, mobile web and in-app environments. The study did not use sampling of any kind: 100% of all TAG Certified Against Fraud impressions given to The 614 Group were included in the measurement. Upon receipt, all data was aggregated within a secure database in order to create the proper reporting.

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group

The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the leading global certification program fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry. Created by leading industry trade organizations, TAG’s mission is to eliminate fraudulent traffic, combat malware, prevent Internet piracy, and promote greater transparency in digital advertising. TAG advances those initiatives by bringing companies across the digital advertising supply chain together to set the highest standards. TAG is the first and only registered Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the digital advertising industry. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.