The Internet Advertising Bureau wants to make digital ads more responsive to the screens they’re served on and easier for agencies to create, so it’s unveiled a complete overhaul of the IAB Standard Ad Unit Portfolio. Now the advertising industry gets to respond to the new global guidance.
“The beloved ad units of yore are now becoming responsive,” is how Alanna Gombert, MD & GM of the IAB Tech Laboratory, explains the new portfolio in an interview with Beet.TV at the annual IAB MIXX conference in Manhattan. “It means basically the units will adapt to the screen they serve on.”
The IAB Tech Laboratory developed the new guidelines in conjunction with industry working groups. Common fixed ad units like the 300×250 box becomes a 1:1 aspect ratio unit, while the 729×90 leaderboard becomes an 8:1 aspect ratio unit, AdExchanger reports. A benefit to the industry will be that agencies and publishers “can do less work to serve across screens, making budget move more easily,” Gomberg says.
For the time being, the IAB is allowing autoplay video along with certain outstream components, but the questions of sizing and autoplay on mobile are works in progress.
For example, on mobile devices using data plans as opposed to WiFi, “we recommend you don’t use autoplay for anything, be it video, sound what have you. It’s a big change,” Gomberg says.
“Right now in display across the board there are videos auto-playing across all publishers with multiple creative vendors. We’re looking to change that to help the consumer have a better experience,” Gomberg explains.
The revised portfolio also introduces guidelines for new content experiences like virtual reality and 360-degree video ads, as well as digital advertising that uses emojis, stickers, and more. It also incorporates the IAB’s LEAN Principles of lightweight, encrypted, AdChoices supported, and non-invasive advertising.
The public comment period runs until Nov. 28. “Anyone can go to the website and look at the new units, the new rues. It’s a new portfolio, but it’s also a new governing structure as well,” says Gomberg.
Although the guidelines are intended to be global in nature, the IAB recognizes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to digital ads.
“Each market has their own way of thinking about user experience,” says Gomberg. “There are nuances in each market that have to be respected and we want to make sure we do that in this process.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB MIXX Conference, 2016, presented by The TradeDesk. Please find additional videos from the Conference here.
