• La Presse+ maintains an open and honest relationship with advertisers.
• They engaged AAM to conduct an audit of their ad impression measurement system to provide advertisers with transparency and trust.
• The AAM audit identified ways La Presse+ could be more efficient, helped advertisers better understand ad rates, and moved the digital industry one step closer to creating a safer ecosystem.
Challenge: Taking a Risk with an Advertising-Only Revenue Model
La Presse+ is a groundbreaking digital medium that blends the best of print, web, mobile and video. This free-subscription app for iPad and Android tablets delivers a comprehensive daily digital edition that includes all the La Presse newspaper’s editorial content and a variety of exclusive interactive content. The app also features a section dedicated to breaking news.
The technology platform was developed entirely by La Presse. With three years of research and development and $40 million, La Presse knew it needed significant advertiser backing to make its investment pay off.
A recent article from Nieman Lab summed up the risk, “The math behind it [La Presse+] stymies some observers. From the beginning, La Presse+ has been free. No meter. No subscription. No circulation revenue. Its revenue comes all from advertising.”
Solution: Make Advertisers Feel Safe and Confident
Bad behavior in the digital ecosystem effects all players. For publishers, it hinders sales efforts and credibility. For marketers it can hurt campaign effectiveness, cause wasteful ad spending and enormous frustration. Like the frustration expressed by ONE Inc., CEO Edward W. Boyd in a recent interview.
“Fraud is a major issue for advertisers and marketers, who, quite frankly, are becoming increasingly appalled at what is going on in the industry,” Boyd said. “The industry needs to align and stop fraud. We face enormous peril if we fail to do so.”
Luc Tremblay, vice president sales, La Presse, understood what marketers like Boyd feared and devised a plan to foster trust. “In an environment where advertisers are more and more concerned about unseen ads, nonhuman traffic and fraud, we wanted to provide assurance that the methods La Presse+ uses to measure and count unique devices and ad impressions are transparent and in accordance with industry standards.”
To ensure La Presse+ could speak confidently with advertisers about the ad impressions served, AAM developed a certification program that focused on the advertising measurement processes designed, developed and integrated into the La Presse+ app in both its iOS and Android versions, including the integrated software used to track reader activity (Localytics) and ad impressions (AdGear). More specifically, it validated how the app recorded unique devices by edition and advertising impressions, a highly valued metric that advertisers find in the performance reports for each of their campaigns.
Results: Audit Creates Efficiencies, Justifies Ad Rates
“The AAM audit certified every system and process used to serve and measure ads delivered on La Presse+,” explained Tremblay. “The experience enabled us to correct some ways of doing things and to document certain activities more effectively.
“Having your data acknowledged by a recognized third party like AAM undeniably adds credibility and helps justify your ad rates. More than ever, advertisers are sensitive to certifications from recognized bodies such as AAM.”
Other newspapers are taking note of the success La Presse+ is experiencing. The Toronto Star is launching a new tablet edition based on the La Presse+ technology. (Note: The AAM certification does not extend to The Star.)
The audit experience made Tremblay a believer, “We will certainly be renewing the certification of our ad impressions this year.”
To learn more about AAM’s digital certification offerings, visit the website or contact Joan Brehl at 416-962-5840.
