Newswire - December 2021

Invalid traffic (IVT), a key measure of digital ad fraud, fell to 0.83% this year — a record low that marks a nearly 50% drop since 2018. Reaching a fraud rate of below 1% has been an industry goal for years, and is the latest sign that publishers, agencies, platforms, and other players in the programmatic ecosystem are committed to improving transparency and accountability in the industry. (MarTech Series)

Large food and beverage companies are hopping on the first-party data bandwagon, employing various digital gimmicks in the hopes of convincing consumers to create accounts and give up personal information. This shift to more precise targeting is a substantial pivot for big brands that have historically relied on huge budgets and mass communication over personalization. (AdExchanger)

Travel brands’ digital share of ad spend is projected to grow to 70% in 2023, up from 63% in 2020 and compared to only 58% for retail as a whole. Despite slowly rebounding from the pandemic, travel has become increasingly complicated — many executives hope that transitioning the entire customer journey to digital will drive performance while alleviating friction for customers. (The Drum)