New York—For the second time in two days, advertising-research officials questioned Google about needing to seek industry accreditation for two ad-buying services the Internet giant has launched.
At the Advertising Research Foundation’s Audience Measurement 3.0 conference here Wednesday, Google did a presentation on its Google TV Ads service, which permits advertisers to buy spots reaching 14 million Dish Network customers on 96 networks—all via online auctions.
At the morning kick-off session, Keval Desai, Google’s director of product management for TV Ads, briefed conference attendees about the service, which he said permits advertisers to not only buy avails on Dish Network and a small Bay area cable system, but to also receive reports within 24 hours to verify that their spots ran, to tell them how many impressions they garnered and what the cost per impression was.
During a question and answer session, Tony Jarvis, executive vice president of global research for Clear Channel Outdoor, asked Desai whether or not Google planned to seek accreditation for TV Ads from the Media Rating Council, the industry body that gives its imprimatur to media-measurement services.
Desai was tentative in offering an answer
“I can’t commit,” he said. “I don’t have a point of view on the MRC…but we will work with any other body, including MRC, that people ask.”
That response marked the second time during the conference that ad-research officials expressed concern about Google needing to seek outside accreditation for its media-buying initiatives, Jarvis pointed out.
“This is the same question that was asked twice yesterday: When is Google going to submit its planning program from yesterday and your program today to the MRC for accreditation?” Jarvis said. “You keep refusing to answer the question.”
On Tuesday Google business product manager Wayne Lin was also asked in if the Internet giant seeks to secure MRC accreditation for the new media-planning service it just announced, Google Ad Planner.
Lin told conference attendees that Google “will entertain getting MRC accreditation.”
On Wednesday, Desai maintained that Google TV Ads brings more accountability to the ad-buying process.
“Accountability is a big ‘ask’ for all constituents,” he said.
