Adtech Acquisition: Double Verify To Acquire Open Slate For $150 Million
Double Verify (DV), the digital media measurement, data, and analytics platform, has announced to acquire OpenSlate, a pre-campaign contextual targeting platform. It enables brands to align advertising with suitable or contextually relevant content across social video and CTV. The $150 million deal is in cash and stock transaction that is expected to close this quarter. Open Slate provides solutions that help to understand the nature and quality of ad-supported content on video-driven platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. It operates across 37 international markets and supports large global brands and agencies.
Mark Zagorski, DoubleVerify CEO stated that the company’s mission is to make digital advertising stronger, safer, and more secure to give brands clarity and confidence in their digital investments,
“Our strategy in support of this mission is to verify everywhere – across channels, formats, platforms and geographies. The combination with OpenSlate fully supports this approach. OpenSlate’s pre-campaign solutions perfectly complement DV’s post-campaign measurement capabilities across CTV and social environments. Integrating the two provides advertisers with unparalleled end-to-end brand safety, suitability and contextual optimization. No other company will be able to deliver a fully-owned, integrated solution across the leading social and CTV walled gardens.”
Interesting Read: Tremor International Partners With Double Verify For Authentic Brand Suitability
How Will The Acquisition Benefit Social video and CTV Advertisers?
Social video and CTV advertisers will benefit from OpenSlate’s pre-activation brand suitability and contextual solutions, as well as DV’s established post-bid media quality measurement solutions.
In a highly digital ad world, ever-evolving cookie regulations, a decline in measurement solutions, and concerns about brand suitability have created a challenge for advertisers in their quest to better target and measure their ad spend. The alliance of Double Verify and Open Slate will offer a comprehensive toolset to address these challenges. This will contribute to the continued expansion of social video ads and CTV advertising that is projected to grow to $56B and $16B by 2023, respectively.
Interesting Read: Connected TV Explained: The Essential Glossary Of CTV
Further, this acquisition will increase DV’s value to advertisers in social video and CTV as well as strengthen the unmatched product leadership and innovation. Advertisers can leverage the unified targeting and quality measurement suite and coherently optimize campaigns, maximize performance and drive ROI.
Mike Henry, OpenSlate CEO said they are thrilled to join forces with Double Verify.
“Integrating with DV will be a natural evolution for our technology and will accelerate our ability to provide advertisers with comprehensive brand safety, suitability, and contextual solutions across social video and CTV.”
Interesting Read: All You Need To Know About Connected TV Advertising!
Tremor International Partners With Double Verify For Authentic Brand Suitability
Tremor International expands its partnership with Double Verify (DV), a leading software platform for digital measurement, data, and analytics for Authentic Brand Suitability Solution. Tremor is a leader in video and Connected TV (“CTV”) advertising. The company offers advertisers and publishers a comprehensive technology platform that combines Tremor Video and Unruly SSPs to reach relevant audiences and maximize the yield on digital advertising inventory.
How Does Authentic Brand Suitability Help?
Tremor International (Tremor) aims to provide the most robust programmatic brand safety solutions in the market. Authentic Brand Suitability helps to achieve this objective by offering advanced brand safety, suitability, and fraud solutions to support advertiser campaign performance across devices, including CTV.
Tremor Video and Unruly’s advertising clients can leverage this pre-bid targeting solution to implement centralized brand safety/suitability and fraud controls across all campaigns and devices. Further, advertisers within the platform will now have access to enhanced security levels, leading to increased operating efficiency and improved campaign performance.
Interesting Read: Taboola And Double Verify Partners For Brand Safety
Steven Woolway, EVP of Business Development at DoubleVerify said,
“Driving better advertiser outcomes, whether across CTV, desktop or mobile video, starts with ensuring that inventory is optimized per the marketer’s specific suitability demands.”
He further commented.
“Authentic Brand Suitability helps accomplish this objective, by offering the most advanced brand safety, suitability, and fraud solution available in the market today. DV’s enhanced integration with Tremor International reinforces our commitment to help advertisers ensure the protection of their brand equity, wherever and however they buy digital media.”
Interesting Read: Connected TV Explained: The Essential Glossary Of CTV
Key Benefits Of Authentic Brand Suitability
In the past, advertisers have used adblocking but that only protected advertisers from having their ads appear in unsuitable environments, and however, nonetheless, this incurs costs.
Authentic Brand Suitability drives better advertiser outcomes and this is how it does,
- The alignment of pre-and post-bid settings drastically reduces the wasted cost of media through the avoidance of pre-bid scenarios.
- DV data suggest a 26% lower block rate for programmatic media properties supporting Authentic Brand Suitability, which safeguards their brand equity from safety and suitability violations.
Other significant benefits for the Tremor and Unruly advertising clients include:
Customizable Controls: A complete set of customization options enable users to build a single targeting profile that combines 90+ brand safety and suitability categories (the broadest available), keyword avoidances, language avoidances, site/app IVT threshold avoidances, and custom-built brand categories.
Operational Efficiency: Using the industry’s first unified service and analytics reporting platform, DV PinnacleR, to ensure consistent, automatic updates to post-bid measurement settings and pre-bid targeting across numerous DSPs.
In this announcement, DV and Tremor International are expanding on their existing partnership. Recently, Tremor Video and Unruly were awarded DV’s CTV Targeting Certification, demonstrating their ability to avoid fraud on CTV devices with DV’s pre-bid app.
Jessica La Rosa, Vice President, Partnerships & Data Operations at Tremor International said,
“As long-time leaders in the video space, we pride ourselves on the ability to empower our clients with innovative solutions, helping them maximize the effectiveness of their advertising initiatives.”
Interesting Read: DoubleVerify MRC Accreditation: How Can CTV Advertisers Benefit?
TikTok Partners With Double Verify For Ad Measurement And Brand Safety
Highlights:
-Partnership with Double Verify will help brands to authenticate media quality on the short-video sharing platform TikTok.
-TikTok entices advertisers with new ad measurement, and brand safety tools, and combat ad fraud.
-The partnership will bring advertisers greater visibility into ad metrics.
TikTok announced a partnership with the leading ad measurement and analytics platform Double Verify to measure viewability and invalid traffic.
What Will This Partnership Offer Advertisers?
Over the years, TikTok has scaled its advertising business. Double Verify(DV) will provide complete transparency to the brands into their TikTok campaigns for in-feed formats through TikTok’s Open Measurement SDK. All joint clients will have access to DV Pinnacle’s measurement data and insights. This is the first platform integrating reporting and service platforms so that campaigns on TikTok can be monitored and optimized.
How Will Double Verify Benefit Advertisers?
As per the official statement rolled out by DoubleVerify, here are some ways this negotiation can help advertisers:
- Validate TikTok’s media quality using a third-party, trusted, objective, and MRC-accredited solution
- Optimize campaigns running on the platform based on comprehensive data insights like viewability, video quartile completion, and audibility
- Analyze trends and create reports to inform budget allocations and planning strategies across open web and social platforms, including TikTok
Relevant Read: Taboola And Double Verify Partners For Brand Safety
That’s What They Said!
Melissa Yang, Head of Ecosystem Partnerships is excited about the new partnership. She said brand relationship is built on transparency,
Partnering with DoubleVerify will allow our advertisers the in-depth insight they need on invalid traffic and viewability to confidently evaluate and validate campaign effectiveness on TikTok
TikTok is a staple of the marketing mix according to Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify. He said,
As spend on the platform continues to grow, TikTok has been proactive in engaging with partners like DV to expand independent, third-party measurement capabilities and build confidence in brands’ digital investments
He added that he was equally excited to work with the growing platform,
We’re thrilled to work with TikTok to bring advertisers a higher level of trust and transparency and, in turn, broaden our quality coverage across this growing platform
TikTok and Double Verify are also working to expand their viewability offering to other ad formats. They will soon launch comprehensive measurement and additional media quality solutions.
Relevant News: Google Is Reportedly Planning to Index Instagram and TikTok Videos
Double Verify Acquires EMEA based Meetrics, Expands Globally
Double Verify (DV), a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics, acquired Meetrics, headquartered in Berlin. The deal will help DV to expand its presence in EMEA after going public in early 2021. Financial terms of the all-cash-transaction are not disclosed but it is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.
Meetrics was founded in 2008 and has since raised $.1.3 million, as per Crunchbase. It provides ad verification solutions in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The ad tech company has measurement partnerships with the wall gardens of Google and Facebook. The European footprint clientele includes media houses like ITV and Le Monde, publisher Marie Claire was the main attraction for Double Verify to bolster its international growth. Other clients are GM, Carrefour, and L’Oréal.
Another distinctive point that proved lucrative is – Meetrics is the first European company to get Media Rating Council accreditation for in-app viewability measurement for video and display. In 2017, it also received MRC accreditation.
Meetrics’s acquisition marks Double Verify’s first transaction after the multi-billion dollar IPO, which is the biggest in adtech in recent times vaulting the company at more than $5billion. This is the company’s first step towards global expansion and will be eyeing more M&A opportunities to accelerate growth globally.
As reported by Adexchanger, Double Verify CEO Mark Zagorski stated,
“We’re obviously using some of the proceeds of the IPO to drive growth. This is why we did that, so we can more rapidly scale in markets around the world and not have to wait to hire additional resources or build client relationships – we can actually go in and accelerate that using capital.”
M & A In Ad Tech Is Growing
There is a swarm of M&As in ad tech that includes a notable example of Integral Ad Science’s recent acquisition of sell-side CTV ad server and analytics company Publica for $220 million. This shows ad tech companies are more interested in M&A space to pursue inorganic growth now that they are under the eye of the public markets.
Meetrics has more than 80 customers across 23 countries in Europe. This acquisition gives Double Verify a competitive edge. Mark Zagorski explains,
DV’s mission is to make digital advertising stronger, safer and more secure, giving global brands clarity and confidence in their digital investments,
Our strategy in support of this mission is to verify everywhere – across channels, formats, platforms and geographies. The Meetrics transaction fully supports this approach and bolsters our operating footprint in EMEA, adding experienced sales, product, and engineering teams and tenured customer relationships that will continue to help accelerate the growth of our international business
The Meetrics’ sales, product, and engineering teams will continue to operate from offices in EMEA, fortifying and expanding DV commercial operations in the region. Dr. Philipp von Hilgers, Co-founder and Managing Director of Meetrics said,
Integrating Meetrics’ technology and expertise with DV’s global platform will accelerate our efforts to power media quality and performance for leading brands in the region. Through integration with DoubleVerify, we anticipate scaling our solution to better service our customers, while driving even greater positive impact throughout the ecosystem
As reported by Adexchanger, Meetrics will retain its name for a period until 2022 and will operate under DV’s umbrella.
A Potential Deal In Making
The Meetrics acquisition will aid Double Verify to set its footprint in the EMEA region and boosts its business in India as well. Additionally, it can capitalize on Meetrics’ well-built customer relations in the Eastern European market.
Meetrics clientele will also have complete access to Double Verify’s broad product suite and solutions such as contextual targeting. As stated to AdEschanger, DV’s three areas of focus within its M&A strategy: global expansion, bolstering its existing product and technology suite and adding new products, such as new measurement and analytics solutions.
Meetrics technology accessibility will also help Double Verify to drive ad performance apart from verification.
Taboola And Double Verify Partners For Brand Safety
Taboola, the world leader in powering recommendations for the open web, is used by digital properties like websites, devices, and apps announced a partnership with Double Verify on brand safety and suitability targeting controls.
As a result of the announcement, Taboola’s advertiser partners such as performance marketers, media agencies, and brands, will receive access to Double Verify’s standard brand safety and suitability targeting technology, allowing for control over the quality of where their ads are being placed in. Adam Singolda, CEO and founder of Taboola said,
“Many of today’s advertisers require a nuanced approach to brand safety and our reach, coupled with DoubleVerify’s ability to offer different tiers of safety and suitability within different categories, is uniquely valuable,”
He further added,
“With shifts in how consumers view ads online and the growth of ad spend after last year, advertisers deserve the peace of mind that their ads are running alongside the content they prefer. DoubleVerify is an innovator in the realm of advertiser trust, and as we bolster our suite of brand safety offerings, partnering with them was a natural fit.”
How will this partnership benefit the advertising partners?
– The settings can be customized by advertisers based on DV’s oncological expertise and industry-leading brand safety and suitability controls.
– DV’s sophisticated approach to content classification allows advertisers to carefully balance brand reputation, protection, and scale while achieving their marketing objectives across their Taboola campaigns.
-Advertisers can make use of DV’s safety and suitability segments while taking advantage of the variety of outcome-based buying options, including CPC and vCPM, available in the Taboola Ads console.
-DV’s pre-bid brand safety and suitability segments are available directly within the Taboola Ads console when planning and executing campaigns.
Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify said,
“DoubleVerify’s brand safety and suitability solution enables brands to align their advertising dollars with suitable content, which improves performance,”
“Extending turnkey access to our solutions across Taboola’s environment will help global brands build confidence in their media placements and achieve a higher rate of contextual content suitability. This, in turn, helps create a stronger digital ecosystem where advertisers are able to support premium publisher inventory while safeguarding brand equity.”
Double Verify Launches Authentic Brand Safety Targeting on Google’s DV360.
Double Verify (“DV”) announced its Authentic Brand Safety targeting solution on Google marketing demand-side platform(DSP), Google Display and Video 360.
The leading software platform for digital media measurement, data, and analytics said Authentic Brand Safety enables consistent activation of brand suitability criteria in a pre-bid setting, helping advertisers reduce block rates and enhance return on their digital investment. Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify said,
“With our proprietary Authentic Brand Safety solution, global brands can create a single quality profile that is centrally deployed, managed and optimized – ensuring seamless brand protection, while making execution far more efficient.”
Seamless Protection: The Authentic Brand Safety targeting provides comprehensive brand safety solutions to advertisers. It supports more than 75 avoidance categories and over 44 languages. It addresses brand-specific concerns through exclusion/inclusion lists and customization options.
Superior Performance: Double Verify’s solution ensures the advertiser’s brand safety criteria are applied before media is purchased. This will allow advertisers to allocate their spend towards qualified impressions only and protect them in an environment where blocking is not supported like for example, VAST Video. Ultimately, this alignment will let advertisers optimize for authentic impressions, boost performance, reduce post bid reconciliation, and make good-processes.
Streamlined Operations: Double Verify’s unified service and performance platform, DV Pinnacle core benefit is reducing administrative time and complexity associated with setup, deployment, and maintenance of brand safety controls across an advertiser’s multiple buying platforms and campaigns. It also enables advertisers to create a single profile that drives automatic, consistent updates to both pre-bid targeting and post-bid measurement criteria across DSPs.
In addition to Display & Video 360, DoubleVerify’s Authentic Brand Safety is available on DSPs and buying platforms such as Adelphic, Adobe, Amobee, Basis by Centro, Beeswax, MediaMath, The Trade Desk, Verizon Media and Xandr. Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify also said in a statement,
“At a time when it has never been more important for brands to align their values with their advertising buys, we are excited to bring the power of Authentic Brand Safety to Display & Video 360.”
Read More: Programmatic Advertising Platforms in 2020: A Complete Guide
Unruly Extends Partnership with Double Verify for a Brand-Safe Environment
Unruly, a video adtech company announced the expansion of its brand protection solution to advertisers through a global partnership with Double Verify, a leading digital software platform for media measurement, data, and analytics.
Earlier this year, Unruly’s partnership with Double Verify was extended to the U.S., is now being rolled out across multiple markets worldwide, including the U.K.
What Is The Deal About:
As a part of the deal, Double Verify’s fraud-filtering solution will be implemented pre-bid across Unruly’s omnichannel marketplace UnrulyX will ensure that all brands and ad agencies’ ads are delivered in a brand-safe environment irrespective of the device or formats. Unruly X has access to more than 2,700 direct publishers globally.
Fraud activity is increasing in Connected TV. Recently, Double Verify provided its fraud-filtering solutions to Connected TV (CTV) and tracked a 120% increase in fraudulent CTV and mobile apps — with over 500,000 fraudulent CTV devices detected per day.
The two-year partnership also covers Unruly’s sister brand Tremor Video, a leading programmatic video, and advanced TV platform. Double Verify is the verification partner for of all Tremor’s international activity. Unruly is also the founding member of WFA’s Global Alliance for Responsible Media which works with the world’s biggest advertisers and agencies to institutionalize cross-industry standards and approaches towards brand safety.
Unruly’s brand safety solution, UnrulyX Shield is industry-recognized and certified by DAA and TAG.
What They Have To Say:
Steven Woolway, EVP of business development, DoubleVerify said,
“Unruly has distinguished itself as one of the true innovators in the advertising technology space. I applaud the measures they have taken to create a high-quality marketplace, and I’m proud of the role that DV plays in ensuring inventory is fraud-free.”
Hilary Goldsmith, Unruly’s chief customer officer said,
“DoubleVerify’s proven reputation among our clients, coupled with its comprehensive CTV fraud filtering solution, gives us confidence that this partnership will provide brands with the safest environment for reaching and engaging consumers.”
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