IAS has announced the general availability and expansion of its Made for Advertising (MFA) AI-Driven Measurement and Optimization Solution. Alongside this announcement comes the introduction of an industry-first innovation — Ad Clutter detection and avoidance, adding a new layer of optimisation to the company's offerings. IAS has enhanced its MFA offering to provide the first solution that can measure and optimise against both MFA and Ad Clutter sites, driving maximum efficacy across the programmatic buying process.

MFA sites are web pages designed specifically for ad arbitrage, featuring predominantly low-quality content like spam or ad farms, created solely for serving ads. Ad Clutter sites, on the other hand, are distinguished by their high ad density and high ad-to-content ratio, leading to decreased performance. Rather than utilising a static exclusion list, IAS integrates advanced machine learning technology and other signals to intelligently identify MFA and Ad Clutter sites.

Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS, said: "With the proliferation of MFA, global advertisers need safeguards to avoid ad arbitrage and low performing, high ad density sites while optimizing for media quality and performance. We're proud to offer the industry's first pressure-tested solution for detecting and avoiding MFA and Ad Clutter sites at scale while also preserving the flexibility to reach audiences across a diverse range of publishers."

According to a recent study by the ANA, MFA websites accounted for 21% of study impressions and 15% of ad spend, indicating a substantial opportunity for advertisers and agencies to better comprehend where their impressions are delivered and to optimise away from MFA sites, thereby reducing media waste. IAS's analysis of over 40 global agencies and brands found that traffic served on non-MFA sites yields a 278% better conversion rate than traffic served on MFA sites. Their in-depth analysis also showed that quality media was more cost-efficient than MFA sites, delivering a 63% lower cost-per-conversion.

The IAS MFA Measurement and Optimization solution endorses the ANA's definition of MFA. "The industry should not conflate Made For Advertising supply with other forms of low quality advertising experiences," said Chris Kane, President, Jounce Media. "By clearly distinguishing MFA supply from ad clutter, IAS is giving media buyers the tools they need to make informed decisions about inventory quality."

IAS's solution not only benefits media buyers but also provides publishers with deeper insight into their inventory, offering ways to enhance the quality and initiate greater engagement with advertisers. This tool promotes a healthier media ecosystem by enabling publishers to improve the quality of their properties.

The expanded MFA AI-Driven site Measurement and Optimization solution diversifies on the beta announced in Q4 2023, with global availability launching in Q2 2024.