Integral Ad Science (IAS), the global data and technology company that empowers the advertising industry to effectively grow the world’s leading brands, has released its bi-annual Media Quality Report for H1 2018.

The report reveals more than three-fifths of all UK display ads met minimum viewability standards, rising by 19% from 53.3% in H2 2017 to 63.4% in H1 2018. The length ads remain in view – providing the chance to engage consumers – is increasing rapidly, having jumped by almost a quarter (24.7%). With ads in view for 5 seconds increasing from 36.9% in H2 2017 to 46%, while ads in view for 15 seconds or more jumped by a third (33%), increasing from 20.2% in H2 2017 to reach 26.9% in H1 2018.

The report highlights a consistent rise in UK viewability levels across every environment, now reaching 64.5% for desktop video ads, 69% for mobile web video, 57.6% for mobile web display, and just under half of mobile in-app ads meeting minimum viewability standards in H1 2018 at 48.2%.

Nick Morley, EMEA MD, Integral Ad Science, comments, “Understanding the media quality variations across platforms is essential to help advertisers engage their audiences. The H1 2018 Media Quality Report highlights significant and positive progress for the digital advertising industry, with a higher proportion of digital ads not only meeting but exceeding viewability standards.”

Contrary to industry perceptions, risk to brand safety declined in the first half of 2018. Display ads flagged as serving in environments considered to pose a risk to a brand’s image fell from 5.8% in H2 2017 to 4.5% in H1 2018, while the risk posed to video ads on desktop also decreased from 12.2% to 10.6% over the first six months of 2018.

Morley continues: “Thanks to the renewed focus on brand safety, our latest report reflects the proactive measures taken, with a decline in brand risk in the UK. Looking ahead, we need to be mindful not to focus in on one sole area of media quality, at the detriment of others. We must take a holistic view of media quality and the performance it drives.”

Integral Ad Science’s H1 2018 Media Quality Report highlights brand safety, ad fraud, viewability, and time-in-view trends for programmatic and publisher direct advertising across display, video, mobile web, and in-app advertising. The Media Quality Report analysed data from over 500 billion global impressions, from advertising campaigns that ran between January 1st and June 30th 2018.

The full report can be viewed here.