Mixed Deck — All IAB Topics Flashcards

What is the role of a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP)?

Answer: An independent third-party platform that tracks and attributes mobile app installs and in-app events to marketing sources

MMPs (such as AppsFlyer, Adjust, or Branch) provide independent, neutral attribution data that tracks which marketing channels drove installs and user actions across mobile campaigns.

What is 'skippable' vs 'non-skippable' video advertising?

Answer: Skippable ads allow viewers to skip after a few seconds; non-skippable ads must be watched in full before content plays

Skippable video ads (like YouTube TrueView) let viewers skip after typically 5 seconds, while non-skippable ads must be viewed entirely before the content begins.

What does 'purpose limitation' mean in data privacy?

Answer: Requiring that personal data only be used for the specific purposes disclosed when it was collected

Purpose limitation is a GDPR principle that requires personal data to be collected for specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not further processed in incompatible ways.

What is a mid-roll video ad?

Answer: A video ad that plays during a break in the middle of video content

Mid-roll ads are video advertisements inserted at a break point during longer-form video content, similar to a traditional TV commercial break, and tend to have high completion rates.

What is 'programmatic native advertising'?

Answer: The automated buying and selling of native ad inventory through programmatic platforms using dynamic assembly of native ad components

Programmatic native advertising applies automated buying technology to native ad inventory, dynamically assembling ad components (headline, image, description) to fit each publisher's native format at scale.

What is 'branded content' and how does it differ from a traditional ad?

Answer: Branded content is storytelling or editorial content that a brand creates and owns, focused on building brand affinity rather than direct product promotion

Branded content is storytelling-driven content created by or with a brand that aims to entertain, inform, or inspire, with brand values front and center—rather than leading with a direct product pitch.

What is 'earned media' and how does it relate to content marketing?

Answer: Organic coverage, shares, and mentions that a brand earns through quality content rather than paid promotion

Earned media is coverage or promotion a brand receives organically—such as press coverage, social shares, or word-of-mouth—often as a result of effective content marketing efforts.

What does 'MRC accreditation' mean for ad measurement companies?

Answer: Accreditation from the Media Rating Council that validates a measurement vendor's methodologies as accurate and reliable

MRC (Media Rating Council) accreditation means an independent body has audited and validated that a measurement company's methodologies and systems meet established standards for accuracy and integrity.

What is a benefit of using data analytics in digital media sales?

Answer: Personalizing ad content to target specific audiences

Data analytics can help personalize ad content, making it more relevant to specific audiences and improving campaign effectiveness.

What is the purpose of the IAB LSID (Legal Seller Identifier) in supply chain transparency?

Answer: To uniquely identify each authorized seller in the digital advertising supply chain

IAB's supply chain transparency tools use unique identifiers to verify the legitimacy of each entity involved in selling ad inventory, reducing fraud and improving accountability.

What is a Private Marketplace (PMP) in programmatic advertising?

Answer: An invite-only real-time bidding auction set up by a publisher for select buyers

A Private Marketplace is an invitation-only RTB auction where publishers offer premium inventory to a select group of advertisers.

What is the difference between first-price and second-price auctions in programmatic?

Answer: First-price: winner pays their bid; Second-price: winner pays one cent above the second-highest bid

In a first-price auction, the winner pays exactly what they bid, while in a second-price (Vickrey) auction, the winner pays one cent above the second-highest bid.

What is a skippable vs. non-skippable video ad?

Answer: Skippable ads allow users to skip after a few seconds; non-skippable ads must be watched in full

Skippable video ads give viewers the option to skip after 5 seconds, while non-skippable ads require the viewer to watch the full ad before accessing content, typically limited to 15-20 seconds.

What is a video completion rate benchmark and why do advertisers track it?

Answer: An industry average VCR used to evaluate campaign performance; advertisers use it to assess creative effectiveness and media quality

VCR benchmarks (typically 70-80%+ for in-stream non-skippable) give advertisers a reference point for evaluating whether their campaign's engagement is above or below industry norms.

What does SOV (Share of Voice) measure in digital advertising?

Answer: A brand's share of total advertising impressions or spend within its competitive category

Share of Voice measures how much of the total available advertising space or spending in a category belongs to a specific brand, indicating its competitive presence.

What is 'sponsored content' in digital publishing?

Answer: Content created by or for an advertiser that is published on a media platform and clearly labeled as paid

Sponsored content is paid content that an advertiser funds and is published within a media platform, clearly labeled as paid, and designed to blend with the platform's editorial environment.

What is an 'ad pod' in video advertising?

Answer: A group of multiple video ads served sequentially in a single ad break

An ad pod is a sequence of multiple ads played back-to-back within a single ad break, similar to commercial breaks in broadcast television.

What is the 'content marketing funnel' and how do native ads support it?

Answer: A framework mapping content types to awareness, consideration, and conversion stages—native ads drive traffic into the funnel at the awareness stage

The content marketing funnel maps content to each stage of the buyer journey; native advertising is particularly effective at the awareness and consideration stages by driving users to engage with brand content.

What was the primary purpose of the IAB's 'New Ad Portfolio' introduced in 2017?

Answer: To create flexible, aspect-ratio-based ad units that adapt across devices

The IAB New Ad Portfolio introduced flexible 'fluid' ad units defined by aspect ratios rather than fixed pixel dimensions, enabling adaptability across varying screen sizes and devices.

What does ROAS stand for and what does it measure?

Answer: Return on Ad Spend — the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising, calculated as total revenue from ads divided by total ad spend.