Google has moved to improve confidence in its online ad platforms by getting third-party validation from the Media Ratings Council (MRC).

Accreditation and standards

The primary objective of the MRC is to secure ‘audience measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective.’

The core concept at play here is standardisation: It’s meant to let practitioners easily compare oranges and apples with their correct counterparts, instead of against each other.

The definitions that Google’s current accreditation focuses on are ‘impressions’, ‘viewable impressions’ and ‘clicks’.

Google reckons that this should add confidence to comparisons about media placements and the marketing decisions that arise out of them.

Services accredited

Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Campaign Manager metrics are now all MRC accredited.

Google says other new metrics—‘brand safety’ and ‘Unique Reach’—are currently undergoing MRC audit with a view to future accreditation.

Platform confidence

Google says their endorsement of MRC standards shows they’re ‘on the side of marketers, who deserve transparency and fairness’.

Facebook also has MRC accreditation, but theirs appears to be exclusively in relation to Display Ad Impressions.

Amazon has not had their ad metrics accredited by the MRC.

Google’s deeper definitions including both ‘viewable impressions’ and ‘clicks’ is genuinely a step ahead.

If all online ad platforms signed up to something like the MRC, would your job be easier? Or is it easy enough already to compare alike metrics?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.