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Digital 101:Discrepancies

11/8/2012

3 Comments

 
In the world of Digital Campaigns whenever creative is being served through Ad Tags it means the ad delivery is being tracked using two sets of numbers: The Publisher's numbers (as reported by their Ad Server) and the Third Party Vendor's numbers (as reported thru the Ad Server of the Vendor used to traffic the ads). The difference between these two sets of numbers is referred to as a Discrepancy.

What causes discrepancies?
Discrepancies are a by-product of counting methodology. In other words it's the difference between when a Publisher considers an Impression "counted" and when the Third Party considers the same impression "counted". Additionally, different vendors may count their impressions at different times in the ad delivery process so discrepancies can vary by vendor. Here's another way of looking at this:
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If either ad response fails prior to the 3rd Party’s count (Vendor X does not respond with content, Vendor Y’s content does not load), then the impression is not captured on the vendor's end. The result is a discrepancy between the Publisher and Third Party impression counts.

What is considered a normal discrepancy?
Agencies and Publishers typically consider a discrepancy of up to 10% normal, and most vendors will not troubleshoot anything less than this amount. My experience has been that most discrepancies range 2% - 5% depending on the vendor.

How do Publishers compensate for discrepancies?
When trafficking a campaign that is billed using 3rd Party numbers, a Publisher will "overbook" the goals on the campaign by a default or anticipated discrepancy percentage to ensure that the Advertiser's contracted goal is met.

For more on discrepancies you can read about the Impression Exchange Solution: An industry-wide standard mechanism designed to create immediate awareness and transparency around discrepancies.
3 Comments
big commerce design link
3/22/2013 02:21:44 am

Rapid development of the Internet has enabled the nineties quick and easy communication with any part of the planet. The availability and cost of communication over the Internet has overshadowed all other means of communication, pushing it to the forefront. Today, almost every company uses the Internet to communicate.

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internet marketing link
1/12/2019 03:55:56 am

Thanks for sharing this useful info..

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WooCommerce Experts link
3/25/2020 08:18:29 am

A well-written & detailed article - offers top insights into “impression discrepancies” that emerge in ad campaigns.

Personally, we, too, think that despite the best efforts, discrepancies are a big issue between advertisers & publishers. The varying counting methodologies between parties can lead to a slight variation in numbers – as each party counts at a slightly different point in the delivery of an ad.

Impression discrepancies mainly emerge due to time differences, different counting technologies, usage of intermediaries, impression page drop-off, the density of creative, & the type of creative used.

Ultimately if impressions change very suddenly, it is essential to check the 3rd party reports, check if anything was adjusted in the campaign. Finally, be sure to collect the best, most accurate report from each system to draw comparisons – taking into account both the time frame & time zone.

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    This site is a one-stop-shop introduction for anyone interested in learning about the Digital Ad Space from a  professional with years of experience working and training others in the world of Digital Advertising.

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