Marketers Looking for Facebook Audits after Glitches

Around forty percent of marketers in a new survey say they will be carrying out independent audits of Facebook's audience metrics, following the social network's recent measurement problems.

The survey, by US-based research firm Advertiser Perceptions and reported by Advertising Age and www.warc.com , polled 399 execs from big spending marketers and agencies, and found two-thirds 'questioning their investment with Facebook'.

The Internet giant owned up in 2016 to at least three separate errors, and is fighting a claim brought by three advertisers following its admission in the summer that it had drastically overstated the time users spend watching its video ads. A further revelation in the autumn related to its Page Insights tool, and a month later it detailed discrepancies in like and share button counts and those for mobile search queries. Arguably, the most recent announcements do not reflect a rise in the number of problems so much as more efforts being made to spot and report them - the November announcement was accompanied by the setting up of a Measurement Council which gives regular feedback in emerging issues.

Earlier this month, DRNO reported that Twitter had also revealed problems with inflated video ad traffic, while Facebook is talking to the MRC about possible accreditation.

In the Advertiser Perceptions survey, just 8% of respondents said they plan to spend more on Facebook than Google this year, while 36% will lean the other way. Kevin Mannion, Chief Strategy Officer at the research firm said Facebook 'can't go whistling in the dark now' and 'need to take the lead in third-party verification'. He concluded: 'Digital advertising platforms can't assume that trust issues will blow over. No matter what is being said in meetings or from conference stages, the biggest ad buyers are clearly apprehensive'.

Web site: www.advertiserperceptions.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.