May 2025

• ANA x TAG TrustNet 2025 Q1 Transprency Benchmark
• TAG takes to the Hill with ANA and 4As
• In The News
• Where in the World is TAG
• One More Thing

ANA Releases Q1 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Developed with TAG TrustNet; Data Show Continued Progress and Ongoing Inefficiencies

Earlier this month, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) released the findings of the Q1 2025 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Study -- developed in collaboration with TAG TrustNet and Fiducia -- which revealed both continued progress and persistent inefficiencies in the programmatic advertising ecosystem. 

The study shows that marketers directed 41% of programmatic budgets to effective ad impressions in Q1 2025, up from 36% in the 2023 study. The benchmark also introduced the TrueCPM Index as a key metric to track the effectiveness of programmatic investments. The TrueCPM Index identified an average 37.8% optimization gap, indicating that over a third of open web ad spending still goes toward impressions that don’t meet standard quality metrics, which translates to an estimated $21.6 billions in unrealized global media value.

Key findings from the Q1 2025 Benchmark Study include:

1. TrueAdSpend Index: 41% of programmatic ad spend delivered impressions meeting quality standards, a five-point improvement from 2023.
2. TrueCPM Index: The study found a 37.8% optimization opportunity across participants, equating to $21.6 billion in unrealized global media value. This new metric is calculated by dividing the total spend by only those impressions that meet quality standards (non-IVT, measurable, viewable), allowing marketers to better value their programmatic investment.
3. MFA Reduction: Ad spend on Made for Advertising (MFA) website inventory dropped from 15% in 2023 to just 0.4%, marking a substantial quality gain.
4. Supply Partner Consolidation Still Lags: Median number of supply partners used increased from 14 to 19, showing that marketers have not yet streamlined to preferred partners.
5. Long-Tail Publisher Growth: The median number of domains and apps used grew from 22,634 to 53,799; however, 90.3% of impressions were concentrated on the top 3,000 domains, highlighting a long-tail effect.
6. CTV Improvements: Connected TV (CTV) accounted for 30% of programmatic spend, up from 28% in Q4 2024. Median measurability rose to 64.1%, and viewability improved to 21.4%, despite fragmentation challenges. 75% of spend was delivered across the top 20 main platforms and service providers. 

The Q1 2025 Benchmark Study results were covered in an exclusive in MediaPost.

TAG members can access a free U of Digital course produced by ANA and Fiducia to learn more about the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark and TrueKPI Framework. The course shows how to better price impressions in relation to quality and measure outcomes over the Fiducia LLD Management platform in a closed-loop cycle. It also explains the Benchmark findings and how they relate to the concepts of TrueCPM and True CPM. Interested companies can take the course via the U of Digital website.  To learn more about this course or the TAG Certified Against Transparency Seal, please contact info@tagtoday.net.

TAG Takes to The Hill with ANA and 4As to Promote Responsible Digital Ad Policy

On May 6th and 7th, Team TAG and member companies joined with our public policy peers at the ANA and 4As to take part in our industry’s first tripartite Capitol Hill Day to brief members of Congress and their staff on the digital advertising industry and discuss related policy issues.

The policy-fest started with TAG ADvocacy Day, during which Team TAG guided participants through an afternoon of panel discussions on some of our our industry’s hottest topics, including “Chaos… and opportunity,” “Putting pirates on the plank,” and “Keeping consumers safe from ad-related threats.”

On day two, TAG members added their voices to the chorus on ANA/4As Capitol Hill Day, starting with a morning session with roundtables on the advertising tax deduction, privacy, and litigation. That session was followed by a fireside chat with Venable Chairman Stu Ingis and Katherine White of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and concluded with keynotes from Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and John Joyce (R-PA). 

After the morning session, participants dispersed on the Hill for more than 15 meetings with staff for members of Congress and Senators on the relevant committees with jurisdiction over advertising and marketing issues.

From Interview with DoubleVerify CEO Mark Zagorski: ‘No One Roots For The Referee’ in AdExchanger

​​Last week, DoubleVerify sued Adalytics over a report it published in March, which claimed that DV and others failed to block traffic from declared bots. … In its suit, DoubleVerify contends that Adalytics defamed the company by implying its pre-bid tech is ineffective and advertisers were charged for impressions served to bots.

AdExchanger spoke with DoubleVerify CEO Mark Zagorski a few days after the lawsuit was filed and asked what DV hopes to achieve. …

“We welcome challenges that make us and the industry better, and there are folks who want to work together to get there, like the IAB, TAG and the MRC,” Zagorski told AdExchanger. “We challenge each other and we move forward.”

But, he continued, “competitors who look to challenge us in ways that aren’t open and transparent and don’t really want to move things ahead – I don’t think that’s positive for us or the industry.”

From “What You Can Learn From Top Advertisers About Media Inventory” in Adweek: 

When adhering to the highest standards—like platinum certification from TAG, the Trustworthy Accountability Group—and using third parties to measure and confirm delivery, advertisers are not left guessing; they are backed by clear data and trusted accountability.

It’s important to work with partners who can prove where your media is running. Attribution-based reporting is an essential capability. It’s not just about how many people saw your ad—it’s about what happened next. With reliable insights, advertisers can optimize in real time and make smarter decisions faster. When you’re closer to the data, you’re closer to your audience—and better results.

From “Fighting Piracy One Domain at a Time” by Lisa Gansky on LinkedIn:

For brands, ad tech companies, and agencies alike, brand safety is non-negotiable. No one wants their company’s logo showing up next to a bootleg movie or sports stream, or ad revenue to go towards content thieves. PDEL [Pirate Domain Exclusion List] gives tool users a way to reduce that risk, while also striking a blow against content theft—something that harms creators, studios, publishers, and honest platforms alike.

We’re proud of the work TAG members are doing here. They aren’t just complaining about piracy; they’re rolling up their sleeves and doing something about it. Every submission, every block, every step toward transparency is a win for the industry.

Team TAG are always looking to connect with the TAG Community wherever they are! 

In the coming months, you can find us at:

		TAG's NYC Happy Hour (4th June) NYC, NY US
		IAB Engage (10th June) London UK
		EUIPO International IP Summit (12th - 13th June) Athens Greece
		Cannes Lions (16th - 20th June) Cannes France

If you're going to be there and want to connect with us over a beverage, then reach out to us below!

Keep Up-To-Date With The Working Group Brief

TAG's working groups are a crucial source point of conversation and collaboration for digital advertising. Make sure you stay up to date with the latest progress and developments with the Workin Group Brief. 

Read the latest Working Group Brief 👉 tagtoday.net/working-groups

Leverage TAG Research into Your Everyday!

From APAC Fraud Snapshot reports, to UK Brand Safety Consumer reports, to Best Practices whitepapers, TAG's research is here to support our member's day-to-day compliance as well as strategic planning. 

Visit our Data and Insight page 👉 tagtoday.net/insights

Let's Make Some Noise Together 🤝

We love it when TAG members highlight our work together to fight digital ad crime and improve transparency. Please send any TAG-related press releases, blogs, or other announcements to Andrew Weinstein at andrewwstn@gmail.com for review before release.