3 Groups Work on Web Advertising Guidelines

By: Ann M. Mack (Adweek IQ) Three industry trade organizations have teamed up to improve existing guidelines for interactive campaign measurement.

The Media Rating Council, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau are spearheading the initiative, which will concentrate on establishing consistent definitions, an audit process, and compliance rules.

The new set of guidelines will better define how to count an ad impression. They will also suggest an auditing and certification process meant to heighten advertiser and agency confidence in the impression counts across multiple ad-serving technologies.

"Agencies strive for openness and accountability in their relationships with clients," said Mike Donahue, executive vice president of the 4A's, in a statement. "By improving the existing measurement guidelines, we will foster clients' understanding and faith in interactive advertising."

The existing parameters were set in January 2002. Those guidelines, which defined ad impressions, clicks, visits, "unique" measurements, and page impressions, will remain in effect until the new ones are unveiled.