August 2025

In this month's newsletter:

• ANA Transparency Benchmark Found $26.8b in Programmatic Spend
• State of the Fight - IT'S BACK!
• Team Spotlight
• In the News
• Where in the World is TAG
• One More Thing

 

ANA Quarterly Benchmark Identifies $26.8B In Wasted Programmatic Spend | TAG Members Can Access Benchmark Data at No Cost 

Earlier this month, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) released its Q2 2025 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark, based on data from TAG TrustNet. Despite measurable progress in cleaning up the digital supply chain, the benchmark found that $26.8 billion in global media value is still lost each year to inefficiencies. 

As announced last month, the full Q2 results are available to all TAG members at no cost as a member benefit through an online platform that includes real-time dashboards, quarterly trend analyses, and side-by-side performance comparisons. The data available online covers CTV, web, and mobile in-app environments, as well as private and open marketplaces. To access those results, TAG members can complete the below form to receive log-in credentials from measurement partner Fiducia.

The latest data illustrates a market in transition. Marketers are directing more budget toward curated, higher-quality environments, with private marketplace transactions now accounting for nearly 88% of all programmatic spend. At the same time, CTV’s share of programmatic spend jumped to 44%, introducing new opportunities for premium inventory but also exposing gaps in measurement and efficiency.

• Efficiency gap persists: TrueCPM Index slipped from 37.8% to 36.5%, reflecting a widening gap between cost and quality.
• CTV impact: CTV’s share of programmatic spend jumped from 30.4% to 44.2%, but with lower media productivity scores, widening efficiency gaps. Supply paths are slimming down: Median SSP count fell from 19 to 17, and active domains dropped by nearly half — from 53,799 to 28,958.
• Marketplace trends: PMP share of spend surged from 64.5% to 87.8%, with PMP CPMs averaging $7.15 vs. $4.41 for OMP.
• MFA progress: Median MFA spend fell from 2.3% to 0.8%, though top-quartile marketers still spent up to 28.7% on MFA domains.
• Sustainability: CO₂ emissions per ad dollar dropped from 0.10kg to 0.09kg; OMP buys remain up to 7x more carbon-intensive than PMPs.

Commenting on the findings, TAG CEO Mike Zaneis said, "These results show that our industry is making strides in tackling waste and lack of transparency, but companies are still leaving billions in potential savings on the table. By adopting platforms that track log-level data like TAG TrustNet, companies can create a transparent supply chain, identify wasted spend, and strengthen the bottom line. We’re delighted to provide TAG members with complimentary access to a platform to review and track these results on an ongoing basis, so they can integrate them into their business decisionmaking.”

For more information about the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark or the TAG Certified for Transparency Program, please contact info@tagtoday.net.

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TAG “State of the Fight” Sneak Peek! Register Today!

Every October, TAG’s State of the Fight provides insider access to the people, issues, and events that are shaping the future of our industry.

You won’t want to miss this year’s sessions with topics pulled straight from the headlines, including:

• How AI-powered criminals are transforming the threat landscape… and how they might be using those tools to come after you.
• What leading brands are driving billions in savings through supply chain transparency… and how you can apply their experience to your business.
• Which of the industry’s top security professionals was personally targeted in a real-world malvertising attack… and how he turned the tables on the bad guys. (Hint: he works for TAG.) 

Get the story behind the stories at the TAG’s annual gathering this October in New York City.

Seats are limited—reserve yours now!

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TAG Team Member Spotlight: Lindsey Colferai

What is your role at TAG?

My role is Sales & Memberships Manager, in which I help grow out our TAG membership base and help companies proactively looking to address risks like IVT, ads misplacement, and fraud to understand the value of becoming a member. I also help companies understand how we as a network can set high standards and build trust and transparency within the digital advertising ecosystem.

What stands out to you about the work you do at TAG?

Our industry moves at breakneck speed, and the amount of opportunistic crime is limitless in the digital world. You're effectively playing “whack-a-mole.” But that doesn't stop the need for accountability or for coming together as a community to share threat intel, brand safety strategies, and more to help increase trust in our industry. I've spent years embedded in the technology and data side of adtech, and I'm excited now to be in a more collaborative position with a group working hard to help prove out trust and transparency within the entire ecosystem.

What fun fact about you would surprise your TAG friends and colleagues?

Let's go with two!

1. I'm a twin! To this day, we still have weird twin things that happen to us. And our Mom was born one day before us! Having three Sagittarius members in one household was interesting.
2. This one is polarizing: I have never read or watched anything related to Harry Potter and Harry Potter itself. 

 

From “ANA Report Finds Programmatic ‘Waste’ Has Increased 34% in Two Years” in MediaPost:  

"To help marketers close the remaining $26.8 billion inefficiency gap, the ANA is making programmatic performance data more accessible," the ANA announced as part of the release of the latest edition of the periodic report, unveiling a new "ANA Online Benchmark" tool available to its members as well as TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group) members.

The new tool, the ANA said, enables marketers to "spot inefficiencies, track progress and make smarter, faster investment decisions without waiting for the next quarterly report."

 

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Team TAG are always looking to connect with the TAG Community wherever they are! 

In the coming months, you can find us at:

If you're going to be there and want to connect with us over a beverage, then reach out to us below!

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Keep Up-To-Date With The Working Group Brief

TAG's working groups are a crucial source point of conversation and collaboration for digital advertising. Make sure you stay up to date with the latest progress and developments with the Workin Group Brief. 

Read the latest Working Group Brief 👉 tagtoday.net/working-groups

Leverage TAG Research into Your Everyday!

From APAC Fraud Snapshot reports, to UK Brand Safety Consumer reports, to Best Practices whitepapers, TAG's research is here to support our member's day-to-day compliance as well as strategic planning. 

Visit our Data and Insight page 👉 tagtoday.net/insights

Let's Make Some Noise Together 🤝

We love it when TAG members highlight our work together to fight digital ad crime and improve transparency. Please send any TAG-related press releases, blogs, or other announcements to Andrew Weinstein at andrewwstn@gmail.com for review before release.

 

Topics: Blog