NEW YORK – As the mobile advertising marketplace evolves and expands in line 
with consumer demand, the primary mobile industry trade groups – the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and its Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), in conjunction with the Media Rating Council (MRC) – issued updated “Mobile Web Advertising Measurement Guidelines” for public comment. The guidelines provide a framework for governing measurement of mobile web-based ads across the mobile interactive ecosystem. Principally applicable to mobile marketers, wireless operators, mobile publishers and ad serving organizations, the proposed guidelines can also be utilized by planners and buyers of mobile media advertising to determine measurement quality.
In particular, the guidelines now require client-side counting for mobile web ad impressions, which will increase consistency with computer-based ad measurement, make impression counts far more robust and reliable, and may help to reduce mobile discrepancies.
The document also mentions the importance of “viewable impressions,” which are expected to be established soon by the Making Measurement Make Sense initiative. While the revised “Mobile Web Advertising Measurement Guidelines” do not require measuring viewable impressions in the mobile web as yet, it affirms that mobile media needs to prepare to make viewable impressions a key part of the currency, as soon as it is technically feasible.
Other relevant topics covered, include:
- Measurement definitions
- Ad measurement guidelines
- Enhancing ad impression tracking accuracy
- Click measurement considerations
- General reporting parameters
- Disclosure guidance
- Auditing recommendations
“With the release of these updates, our organizations and their members are doubling-down on a commitment to making a strong push for the adoption of, and compliance with, these timely guidelines,” said Anna Bager, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB. “Trustworthy and credible reporting, as well as adherence to uniform industry standards, are vital to ensuring the growth and success of the mobile advertising market.”
“Given the dynamic and rapid evolution of the mobile space in the past year alone, these new guidelines represent an important and relevant revision to our original mobile web ad measurement proposals,” said Michael Becker, Managing Director, MMA North America. “The work reflected in this document for mobile web ad impressions increases consistency, makes impression counts more robust and reliable, and may help reduce mobile discrepancies in marketers’ media campaigns. Our objective is to ensure that mobile remains a valued component of the marketing mix with clear, actionable guidelines in place.”
“Updating these guidelines to require client-side counting will strengthen the transparency and integrity of the mobile web advertising space,” said George W. Ivie, Executive Director and CEO, MRC. “This is critical to provide marketers with confidence that their spending in the mobile ad ecosystem is well placed, which will lead to additional investment.”
Public comment on the guidelines opens today and closes on December 21, 2012. Feedback and input can be provided by emailing [email protected].
The “Mobile Web Advertising Measurement Guidelines” are available for review by visiting http://www.iab.net/mobilewebmeasurementguidelines.
About The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA’s primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix. The MMA works to promote, educate, measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA’s global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM), and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.
About the Media Rating Council (MRC)
The MRC is a non-profit Industry association established in 1964 comprised of leading television, radio, print and Internet companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective. Measurement services desiring MRC Accreditation are required to disclose to their customers all methodological aspects of their service; comply with the MRC’s Minimum Standards For Media Rating Research; and submit to MRC-designed audits to authenticate and illuminate their procedures. In addition, the MRC membership actively pursues research issues they consider priorities in an effort to improve the quality of research in the marketplace. Currently, approximately 80 syndicated research products are audited by the MRC. For more information, visit www.mediaratingcouncil.org.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 500 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86% of online advertising in the United States. On behalf of its members, the IAB is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace, of interactive’s share of total marketing spend, and of its members’ share of total marketing spend. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.iab.net.
