The Real Cost of Low Video CPMs for True Views: Unraveling Three Years of Video Advertising Issues

By now, many of you may have come across the eye-opening article “Did Google mislead advertisers about TrueView skippable in-stream ads for the past three years?”

It has been making waves in the digital advertising community. If you've been active with video campaigns and haven't yet heard about it, I strongly recommend giving it a read. The article raises some critical concerns about Google's alleged advertising practices, particularly with its video platform's skippable in-stream ads. "Here are other sources - Forbes - The New York Post - The Guadian "

In case you haven't had the chance to delve into the lengthy article, here's a brief summary:

Lack of Transparency: The search engine has been accused of limiting the information available to auditors about the risks of advertising on its video platform.

Brand Safety Concerns: There have been instances where the video platform has allowed ads from major brands to serve videos with non-brand safe content.

Misplacement of Ads: Ads have been served in inappropriate or irrelevant contexts.

Advertising on Disinformation Sites: Ads have been served on websites with low factual accuracy ratings.

Advertising on Delisted or Sideloaded Apps: Some ads were found to be served on apps that were either delisted from the official app store or were sideloaded.

Affected Brands: Several major brands and organizations, spanning from healthcare, technology, finance, retail, to automotive industries, have been affected by these issues.

These revelations underscore the need for transparency, accountability, and brand safety in digital advertising. As we navigate this evolving landscape, it's crucial to consider alternatives that offer these qualities. This is where podcasts come into play.

Podcasts offer a more controlled environment for ads, with less risk of ads being associated with inappropriate or harmful content. They also offer better targeting options, as advertisers can choose to place their ads on podcasts that are relevant to their target audience.

Here's why podcasts are a great alternative:

Premium and Brand Safe Inventory: Podcasts offer a curated, high-quality environment for your ads.

Less Fraud: Bots don't listen to podcasts. This means you're reaching real people, reducing the risk of ad fraud.

Sound-On Advertising: When an ad plays in a podcast, the sound is always on.

No Overlapping Ads: You'll never see two podcast ads running at the same time.

While podcast advertising might require a slight increase in your CPM, it's a worthy investment. By reducing waste on fraudulent video impressions, you're ensuring that your advertising budget is spent effectively and efficiently.

I am using this as an opportunity to remind you that podcasts are a fantastic alternative to video. They offer almost all the benefits of video without most of its downsides.