TAG Asia-Pacific Fraud Snapshot Shows IVT Rate Maintained Under 1% for Second Year in TAG Certified Channels

Singapore – September 9, 2021 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), an advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity and strengthen brand safety in the digital advertising supply chain, today released its second annual snapshot of ad fraud across major Asia-Pacific markets, showing the continuation of very low Invalid Traffic (IVT) across TAG Certified Channels.

Conducted by The 614 Group, the analysis found a 0.41% percent rate for invalid traffic (IVT) when advertisers used TAG Certified distribution channels in which multiple companies have achieved the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal.

“There is no magic bullet in the war on ad fraud, but setting high standards for participants across the supply chain has been proven to keep fraud rates predictable, manageable, and low,” said Nick Stringer, VP Global Engagement and Operations. “When advertisers, agencies, and their partners require TAG certification from their counterparties, it closes the gaps that criminals use to commit fraud and ensures that advertising spend goes where it is intended.”

The 614 Group study compared invalid traffic (IVT) rates in TAG Certified Channels against industry norms by measuring more than 99.7 billion ad impressions from January to December 2020 from three of the largest advertising agency holding companies across Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“There’s a proverb about carpentry that you should measure twice and cut once to be successful,” said Rob Rasko, CEO of The 614 Group. “The same principle applies in fighting ad fraud. Only by continuing to measure the scope of the problem and the effectiveness of industry solutions over time can we increase awareness of ad fraud in the market and ensure we cut most of it out of our ecosystem.”

The full 2021 snapshot can be found here. Additional information about TAG’s Certified Against Fraud Program and how companies from across the advertising ecosystem can receive the TAG Certified Against Fraud Seal can be found at tagtoday.net/fraud.

Methodology

This report uses the methodology established by The 614 Group in 2017 for the first US benchmark study and subsequently has been used in similar TAG Fraud Benchmark studies since then.

From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, The 614 Group analyzed data from leading agency holding companies -- along with their MRC-accredited measurement vendors -- to collect and aggregate all impressions for campaigns that were executed in 10 Asia Pacific countries: India, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. These impressions included display media and video ads in desktop, mobile web and in-app environments, as well as Over the Top Television (OTT and/or Connected TV (CTV) which is a subset). The analysis did not use sampling of any kind, as 100% of the impressions provided by the agencies were analyzed.

Upon receipt, all data was aggregated within a secure database in order to create the proper reporting. In addition, The 614 Group conducted a series of industry expert interviews with executives at agencies and others on background for qualitative perspectives.

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group 

The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the global certification program designed to fight against criminal activity and protect brand safety in the digital advertising industry. TAG advances its mission of eliminating fraudulent traffic, facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, and promoting brand safety by connecting industry leaders, analyzing threats, and sharing best practices worldwide. The 600+ member TAG community includes the world's largest and most influential brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.