A curated view of what’s happening in the world of Digital Monetisation, Audience Development, and Measurement.

This week we explore the death of the third-party cookie, the rise of ‘clean rooms’ and Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and how the NBA used attention metrics to increase ratings for live games.

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Monetisation

Publishers Look to 'Clean Rooms' to Solve Falling Ad Revenue

With third-party cookies being phased out, publishers are turning to ‘clean rooms’ to sustain their operations.

This shift presents challenges, including new engagement methods, first-party data usage, and optimisation strategies.
Clean rooms will return power to publishers, allowing them to control their audience data.
Advertisers will combine their own first-party data with publisher insights to improve targeting and messaging.
Social platforms have already used clean rooms, but fragmentation across media platforms means contextual relevance is growing in importance.
Clean rooms are shaping up to be the future of scalable and relevant advertising.

Full article on AdExchanger

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Rakuten’s AVOD Platform Viki Restricts Ads to 2 Minutes Per Hour

Rakuten’s AVOD streaming service, Viki, has reduced ad load to just 2 minutes per hour, delaying mid-roll ads until 8 minutes into a show.

This move aims to enhance user experience, but it may limit revenue due to restricted advertiser opportunities.
Traditional broadcasters are used to fixed ad slots, while digital platforms like YouTube have gradually increased ad loads to maximise revenue.
Other platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, have had to find the right balance between user satisfaction and advertiser revenue.
Viki’s decision could help attract audiences initially, but they may eventually follow YouTube’s approach by gradually increasing ad value.

Full article on Digiday

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Audience Development

YouTube Reveals New Tool to Identify Content Gaps

YouTube is testing a ‘Search Insights’ tool to help creators identify underserved content areas.

The tool highlights search queries lacking high-quality video content, allowing creators to target these gaps.
While keyword volume tools have existed before, YouTube’s own insights provide better alignment with its algorithm.
The biggest traffic sources on YouTube remain Suggested and Browse, meaning long-term growth requires optimising for discovery rather than just search.
For media owners, these insights are invaluable for launching new formats or channels into high-demand categories.
Ultimately, advertiser demand will determine how content gaps evolve over time.

Full article on Tubefilter

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Measurement

CMA Secures Google’s Commitment to Improved Privacy Rules
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating Google’s Privacy Sandbox, which aims to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome by 2023.

The CMA wants to ensure Google’s privacy changes do not harm competition or limit revenue for competing publishers.
Advertisers and publishers fear Google will control pricing around digital measurement.
Transparency from Google could help restore trust among advertisers operating within its ecosystem.
This regulatory move ensures that privacy improvements do not create an unfair competitive advantage for Google.

Full article on GOV.UK

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Deloitte Predicts Addressable TV Will Succeed by Expanding Reach

Deloitte’s latest research suggests addressable TV’s success will come from reach rather than precise targeting.

Traditional TV advertising has long relied on broad reach, whereas addressable TV was initially viewed as a way to improve targeting.
However, Deloitte argues that the key to addressable TV’s future is its ability to reach more viewers, not just target niche audiences.
Measurement remains a challenge—Nielsen and other firms are developing solutions, but the ecosystem remains fragmented.
Advertisers will not scale spending until they see proven incremental reach beyond traditional TV.
Addressable TV is positioned as an interim solution for brands competing with social platforms for attention.

Full article on MediaPost

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NBA Increases Ratings Using Attention-Based Planning

The NBA successfully used ‘attention metrics’ to place ads in high-engagement time slots, resulting in a 36% higher tune-in rate for live games.

Attention metrics focus on which media placements hold audience attention best at different times of day.
Omnicom Media Group has been pioneering the use of attention planning in campaigns.
Adelaide and IPG are pushing for ‘attention units’ to be used as a mainstream planning metric.
While attention-based planning is not yet a core measurement standard, it is gaining traction in Connected TV (CTV) advertising.
Predictive planning is already a common strategy in digital advertising, where budgets are allocated toward higher-value placements.

Full article on AdExchanger