IAB terms – what digital content creators should know

IAB history

The history of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) began in 1996 in New York. The organization’s main goal was to provide legal support for the digital advertising industry, as well as research, education, and development of industry standards. Since then, this organization has drawn attention to pressing problems many times; for example, in 2012, it loudly opposed the “do not track” flag set by default in the Internet Explorer browser, arguing that it deprives consumers of the right to choose. Nowadays, IAB cooperates with hundreds of publishers, agencies, tech firms, and platforms and unites 45 Interactive Advertising Bureau organizations from six continents – Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.

IAB Tech Lab

The IAB Technology Laboratory (Tech Lab), established in 2014, was created to develop standards and solutions for the ad sector. It’s not driven by generating profit and is composed of many entities like technology companies and agencies but also digital publishers. The main areas of expertise of Tech Lab include brand safety, ad fraud, identity, data privacy, and more. The main difference between IAB Tech Lab and IAB is that the first one creates and maintains technical standards and tools, such as software libraries. The second operates more broadly by focusing on research, education, and best practices. However, both organizations work hand in hand to deliver technical standards to the world of digital advertising.

IAB advertising standards

IAB standards were created to help advertisers and publishers navigate the advertising industry. They aid, among others, in mitigating ad fraud, maintaining uniform ad measurements, and ensuring user privacy. Among the most essential ones are ad viewability, TCF, and VAST, which we will discuss more in the following paragraphs.

IAB viewability

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) was pivotal in developing the ad viewability standard. Thanks to partnering with the Media Rating Council (MRC) and other industry stakeholders, the IAB contributed to establishing the standard definition of a “viewable impression”:

IAB TCF

Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) by the Interactive Advertising Bureau helps publishers to align with data protection laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and other regulations. The latest version of TCF is TCF v2.2. Anyone using Google’s ad services – AdSense, Ad Manager, or AdMob who wishes to serve personalized ads in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland has to use a Consent Management Platform – CMP – approved by Google and in line with the version of TCF currently in force.

IAB VAST

The Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) is another standard that helps the ad industry. It’s a specification that aids in serving video ads by sending important information about the ad (like how long it is, where to find it, and any extra details) from the ad’s server to the video player. It’s also worth knowing what issues can arise during such a procedure – if you wish to learn more, get familiar with our article about VAST errors.

IAB standard ad sizes

IAB standardized ad sizes in online advertising have helped advertisers and publishers run campaigns without size mismatches. A set of such standards is the New Ad Portfolio, which we will describe further in just a moment. What’s vital, IAB’s most commonly used ad formats include three key sizes:

• the long banner (728×90),
• the medium rectangle (300×250),
• the skyscraper (160×600).

IAB New Ad Portfolio

In 2017, the IAB launched the New Ad Portfolio, which established a new set of guidelines for ad sizes, effectively replacing all previous standards for creative displays on desktop and mobile. Here are the fundamentals of this set of recommendations:

• respect principle acknowledges the fact that users want to primarily engage with content, not ads;
• control principle emphasizes the users’ right to have power over their ad experience;
• choice principle refers to the free choice the user should have over the type and length of ad experience.

New Ad Portfolio emphasizes the importance of LEAN (Light, Encryption, Allowing Choice, Non-invasive) ads. By adopting these principles, the IAB places User Experience, security, and privacy at the forefront of digital advertising. Here’s a deeper look at each LEAN component:

• Light – this principle focuses on ensuring that ads load promptly, for instance, thanks to lightweight files;
• Encryption – means the need for wide adaptation of HTTPS, SSL certificate, which allows for better protection of information exchanged between users and websites;
• Allowing Choice – this component prioritizes focusing on users’ consent issues that IAB helps to propagate with initiatives like Transparency & Consent Framework;
• Non-invasive – the last principle refers to ads that adhere to standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads – this is a global initiative that develops Better Ads Standards and, among others, recommends avoiding intrusive formats like pop-ups.

What’s more, IAB pays special attention to the issue of flexible ads. With the New Ad Portfolio came Flexible Size Ad Specifications designed to aid with various challenges:

• Due to the wide range of sizes and screen resolutions, ads must be able to adapt to users’ various device types;
• Publishers who monetize with ads need an efficient way to showcase advertisements so they look visually appealing and perform well no matter the screen type;
• To preserve a particular message or visual effect that advertisers want to display, ads must resize and not lose “the essence” of original appearance. For instance, logos need to remain prominently visible.

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