September 29, 2016 / By Erin Martin

5 Takeaways from IAB's New Ad Portfolio

Earlier this week the IAB released a complete overhaul of the IAB Standard Ad Unit Portfolio for public comment in an attempt to tackle the issues surrounding cross-screen advertising and intrusive ad formats. The proposed portfolio would allow for creative to adjust to a variety of screen sizes and resolution capabilities, and to incorporate the LEAN principles of lightweight, encrypted, AdChoice supported, and non-invasive advertising.

The news may sound alarming for publishers, as the proposal outlines a transition to new flexible ad units, including reevaluating all of its Rising Star units, and sets new recommendations for auto-play, ad-expansion, and forced countdown, to name a few. But it is important to remember that the standards are in draft stage, will likely take awhile for the new standards to be officially announced, and that they are still recommendations. To be clear, standards play a huge role in reducing complexities around campaign execution and allow for rich ad experiences at scale, but at the end of the day it is up to the individual publisher to decide what is best for their audience.

The new standard ad unit portfolio draft is open for public comment, along with other resources from the IAB to aid publishers in the transition to come. We distilled down the top things publishers need to know, to provide you with the 411 in less than 5 minutes.

#1. Flexible Ad Formats to Replace Universal Ad Package (UAP) and Rising Star Ad Units
As devices continue to proliferate, digital campaign execution has become ever more complex. IAB’s proposes to tackle this issue by standardizing ad units through flexible ad formats that maintain their aspect ratio, adjust to the screen size, and can be integrated in responsive website designs. This means transitioning away from their existing standard fixed width ad packages, which includes their Universal Ad Package (UAP) and all of their Rising Star Ad unit packages, such as the Mobile, Display, and Digital Video Rising Stars.

Every ad in the new ad portfolio is a LEAN ad. Any ad unit can deploy any ad experience as long as it complies with file weight, initial load, subload, and file requests guidance. The following shows popular fixed width ad units and what they’re new, flexible ad sizes will be:

• Billboard, 970x250 = 4x1 horizontal banner
• Leaderboard, 728x90 = 8 x 1 horizontal banner
• Smartphone, 320x50 or 300x50 = 6x1 horizontal banner
• Half Page Ad, 300x600 = 1x2 vertical tall banner
• Medium Rectangle, 300x250 = 1 x 1 tile
• Skyscraper, 160x600 = 1 x 4 tile

#2. New General Ad Requirements
New requirements are outlined that include everything from file weight, user experience, and load performance, and focus on making the entire ad experience faster and more friendly for consumers. Five pages are dedicated to outlining the new ad requirements, but here are a few highlights:

• Interest-Based Advertising (IBA): Include IBA self-regulation controls for ads using behavioral targeting (5 KB max file size).
• Audio: Must be user-initiated. To allow for audio initiation in ads without player controls, a control may be included for user to initiate audio. Publishers and advertisers are encouraged to allow user control over their auto play experience by storing user preference or providing low data consumption modes in apps and websites.
• Auto Expansion: Ads that expand from their original size to a bigger size without user initiation MUST NOT be used. Expansion while scrolling is allowed.
• Hover or Rollover Expansion: Hover MUST NOT be considered a substitute for a click, for the purpose of ad expansion. On hover, no ad function that changes the form or size of the ad from its original size is allowed, e.g. expansion.
• Forced Countdown: Forced countdowns to dismiss or skip ads MUST NOT be used. User should have immediate option to “Close” or “Dismiss” the ad from the beginning of the ad experience.

#3. Native Ads
The draft proposal doesn’t change the Native Advertising Categories outlined by the IAB, but it does redefine image assets into flexible aspect ratios and outlines standard placement and data asset types.

#4. Introduces Guidelines for New Media Experiences
The revised portfolio also introduces guidelines for new content experiences like virtual reality and 360-degree video ads, as well as digital advertising that uses emojis, stickers, and vertical video. Aspect ratio, duration (if applicable), max file weight and more. These new media experiences include:

• Emoji: Emoji ads must differentiate from regular content emojis.
• Vertical Video: 8 - 12 second recommended duration. Ads should default to play muted (without audio) using text overlays to communicate the brand message.
• 360-Degree Image: 360-degree image ads require full 360 degree captured images.
• 360-Degree Video: High Quality Equirectangular or Cube Map Video. File of 720p or higher quality MUST be provided and video MUST be user initiated.
• Virtual Reality Ads: Ad units include 2D images, 2D Video, 3D 360-degree video, interactive objects, and virtual rooms.
• Augmented Reality: Ad units include Ad initiation or ‘Trigger’, Display and Content.

#5. Programmatic
A separate proposal has been prepared to enable flexible ads in real time bidding / exchange environments. It is available here.

The public comment period will run through November 28, 2016, after which the IAB Flex Ads Working Group will evaluate the comments received, make any necessary revisions, and release a final version. Publishers are encouraged to review the draft and submit comments via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). A transition doc can also be reviewed, which provides a path to transitioning to flexible and LEAN ads.