Google reportedly violates its standards in third-party ad deals
Explosive Report Reveals Google’s Violation of Promised Standards for Video Ads Placement
In a shocking revelation, Google has been found to violate its own promised standards when it comes to placing video ads on other websites. According to a report by ad campaign analytics firm Adalytics, Google’s lack of transparency in its proprietary TrueView platform raises questions about the search giant’s online ad business. The TrueView platform offers users choice-based ads and services from YouTube and millions of other third-party apps and websites.
TrueView allows users to skip video ads after five seconds and Google’s policies state that these ads will be played before the main video content on websites. Additionally, the ads are supposed to be skippable and audible, with advertisers only paying for ads that are not skipped and are played in full. However, Adalytics claims that Google violates these parameters about 80% of the time.
This breach of standards has cost media buyers billions of dollars, as their ads are being displayed on sites that do not meet Google’s standards for monetization. Adalytics points out that this goes against Google’s claim of having a careful vetting system for approving high-quality Google Video Partners outside of YouTube. This lack of transparency and breach of trust by YouTube is viewed as unacceptable by industry professionals.
Joshua Lowcock, the global chief media officer at ad agency UM Worldwide, strongly criticized Google, stating, “Google must fix this and fully refund clients for any fraud and impressions that failed to meet Google’s own policies.”
For ad placements on third-party sites, brands typically pay $100 for every 1,000 completed views of their ad. Fortune 500 brands can spend upwards of $75,000 for TrueView campaigns. Although Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, does not disclose how much of its earnings come from Google Video Partners and TrueView, the company made $224.47 billion in total ad revenue last year.
Adalytics also found that TrueView is primarily placing its customers’ ads on unqualified third-party sites that contain clickbait content and misinformation, rather than on YouTube, which boasts nearly 370 million monthly active users and is considered the most desirable platform for advertisers.
The concerning findings by Adalytics were drawn from observing campaigns for over 1,100 brands, analyzing billions of ad impressions between 2020 and 2023. The report specifically mentioned violations of promised standards for big brands such as Johnson & Johnson, American Express, Samsung, Sephora, Macy’s, Disney+, and The Wall Street Journal. Even government agencies like Medicare, the US Army, the Social Security Administration, and the New York City municipal government were affected by this breach.
Ad buying professionals have voiced their concerns, stating that they are not aware of when or if their ads are running on third-party sites. Google, however, claims that advertisers have full visibility into where their ads are being placed and how much is being spent there. The tech giant also emphasizes that advertisers have the option to opt out of Google’s ad programs.
In response to the report, a Google spokesman pointed to a blog post titled “Transparency and brand safety on Google Video Partners,” which defends the company’s practices. The blog states that the report wrongly implies that most campaign spend runs on Google Video Partners instead of YouTube, and asserts that advertisers are in control. However, Adalytics’ report includes testimonials from media buyers who express their doubts about the transparency of their investments.
FAQs:
Q: What did the report by Adalytics reveal about Google’s video ads placement?
A: The report found that Google violated its promised standards about 80% of the time when placing video ads on other websites. This raises doubts about the transparency of Google’s online ad business.
Q: What is Google’s TrueView platform?
A: TrueView is Google’s proprietary platform that offers users choice-based ads and services from YouTube, as well as other third-party apps and websites.
Q: What standards did Google violate?
A: Google violated its own standards regarding the placement of TrueView ads. These include ensuring that the ads are played before the main video content on websites, are skippable and audible, and that advertisers only pay for ads that are not skipped and are played in full.
Q: How much did media buyers lose due to Google’s violation of standards?
A: The report estimates that media buyers lost billions of dollars as their video ads were displayed on sites that do not meet Google’s standards for monetization.
Q: Which brands were affected by Google’s breach of standards?
A: According to the report, big brands such as Johnson & Johnson, American Express, Samsung, Sephora, Macy’s, Disney+, and The Wall Street Journal had their ads violated Google’s promised standards. Government agencies like Medicare, the US Army, the Social Security Administration, and the New York City municipal government were also affected.
Q: How much did Google earn in total ad revenue last year?
A: Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, made $224.47 billion in total ad revenue last year, according to Statista.
Q: What did Google say in response to the report?
A: Google defended its practices in a blog post titled “Transparency and brand safety on Google Video Partners.” The company claimed that the report wrongly implies that most campaign spend runs on Google Video Partners instead of YouTube and emphasized that advertisers have control over their ad placements.
Google allegedly breaches its standards in third-party ad agreements
Google’s online ad business is facing scrutiny after a report revealed that the company violates its promised standards when it comes to placing video ads on other websites. The study by ad campaign analytics firm Adalytics found that Google’s proprietary TrueView platform lacks transparency, with ads being placed incorrectly and not adhering to the company’s stated policies. Adalytics claimed that Google violated these parameters around 80% of the time, costing media buyers billions of dollars. These ads were also run on websites that do not meet Google’s standards for monetization. Advertisers are demanding that Google fix these issues and fully refund them for any fraudulent or non-compliant impressions.
Google’s TrueView platform allows viewers to choose whether to skip video ads after five seconds. According to Google’s policies, TrueView ads should be played before the main video content on sites, should be skippable and audible, and advertisers should only pay for ads that are not skipped and are played in full. However, Adalytics found that these standards were consistently violated. The report highlighted that these ads were often played on sites containing “clickbait” content and misinformation, rather than on YouTube, which is typically the most desirable platform for advertisers due to its large user base.
Adalytics analyzed campaigns for over 1,100 brands between 2020 and 2023, recording billions of ad impressions. The report revealed that TrueView primarily placed ads on unqualified third-party sites, rather than on YouTube channels, which resulted in major Fortune 500 brands spending most of their campaign budget on these sites. Brands such as Johnson & Johnson, American Express, Samsung, Sephora, Macy’s, Disney+, and The Wall Street Journal were among those affected by the breach of Google’s promised standards.
Ad buyers expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and control over where their ads were being placed. While Google claims that advertisers can see where their ads are running and how much is being spent, media buyers stated that they felt their investments were not transparent. Google emphasized that advertisers have control over their ad programs and can opt out if they choose.
The report has raised questions about Google’s transparency and adherence to its own advertising standards. Advertisers are calling on Google to address these issues and provide full refunds for the violations.