The shift from online performance to more holistic brand efficiency measurement and the need for standardised online ad formats

Abstract

Reviewing the current developments in the online advertising market, this paper first provides an overview of the current methods for measuring online brand advertising campaigns. It highlights that the goal of online brand advertising is to focus on getting a brand-oriented message to potential customers, for which targeting specialists provide several future-proof products, such as programmatic and real-time advertising solutions. To determine their efficiency, several holistic measurement methods have been established, which this paper outlines. It will argue that these methods are more relevant than dominant online performance metrics such as the click-through rate. Secondly, the paper argues that a set of unified branding standards is indispensable for the further establishment of online brand advertising. While a first step towards such a set of standards has been made with the establishment of IAB Europe's Brand Advertising Committee, this paper outlines in detail the tasks that lie ahead in its endeavours towards a unified and universally acknowledged standard framework for brand advertising across digital platforms.