What We Do

"It is our responsibility to take a leadership position in making advertising work better."
– Christian Juhl,
GroupM Global CEO

That means we take typical “media agency” capabilities and put them through a filter that makes our work more purposeful, intentional, transparent, and enjoyable---for clients and consumers.

Client Services

When clients win, we win.

Our service principle is singular: when clients win, we win. Simple in structure, consistent in quality, and laser focused on business outcomes, premium client service is our primary duty. Our clients benefit from our scale which represents $63B media billings in the global marketplace (COMvergence, 2019).

Media Strategy

Strategy is sacrifice.

Our focus is in engaging the consumers that matter most to our clients’ businesses. We have a modern and precise understanding of our audiences and the value brands can bring to them. As populations and consumers transform around the world, we make advertising work better through cultural and data-based insights and sound media strategies.

Media Investment

Investment integrity is everything.

Combined with GroupM’s global scale, our media investments – guided by brand safety, leading privacy principles and premium relationships – represent 1 out of 3 ads in the global marketplace. Through modern investment services, we put money against goals that move businesses forward.

Data Science

Data future-proofed.

We’re future-proofing our audience-based planning through “synthetic” data. While no silver bullet technology will meet every media challenge, our perspective on client data augmentation provides an alternative identity-based solution.

Technology Development

Technology that scales.

GroupM’s technology mission is two-fold: Use our scale to provide tested and effective products for clients and create a unified technology and data approach that helps brands deliver the future of media today.

An ad that cannot be seen has no value

GroupM’s brand safety definition covers all areas of risk in the digital inventory supply chain. We believe brands should invest in digital advertising seen by real humans within the target audience, served in a safe and suitable editorial environment and underpinned by accredited, independent third parties. Ad content must also be mindful of user-experience and privacy.

Viewability Viewability
Ad Fraud Ad Fraud
Contextual Brand Safety Contextual Brand Safety
User Experience User Experience
Data Governance Data Governance
Anti-Piracy Anti-Piracy
Third Party Verification Third Party Verification

Advocates for quality and standards

GroupM viewability standards include:

Display: 100% of pixels visible for at least one second
Pre-roll and mid-roll video: 100% of pixels visible, user-initiated with sound on, at least 50% completed
Social, in-feed, and outstream video: 100% of pixels visible, autoplayed or user-initiated, with or without sound, at least 50% completed*
Metrics measured objectively by MRC-accredited third party

* Recommended duration metrics being studied by GroupM and partners

All updates included in our GroupM viewability standard.

Zero-tolerance for online ad fraud

Currently projections estimate $22.4 billion in global ad fraud, 80% of which is in China. Having invested significant resources to tackle this industry-wide issue, we have led or participated in every initiative to combat fraud worldwide, including the establishment of the Trustworthy Accountability GroupM (TAG) in the U.S. and the China Media Assessment Council (CMAC).

We are committed to mitigating all risks to our clients by leading in standards development, supporting industry initiatives and upholding the highest standards of integrity.

Nearly 3.8 billion people connected online

The increase in harmful content and online disinformation is a threat to our global community. We manage contextual brand safety through a combination of trading, contractual protection, defined operational procedures that includes monitoring and verification of media via third parties, and industry accreditation and co-operation. GroupM is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (insert link), an organization that identifies collaborative actions, processes and protocols for protecting consumers and brands.

Committed to a better online

GroupM is committed to using non-intrusive and non-interfering ad formats. We are one of the founding members of the Coalition for Better Ads, formed to improve consumers’ online advertising experience. We also support all industry-adopted best practices such as IAB’s LEAN Ads program.

Data Privacy, Evaluation and Ethics

In and beyond compliance with laws like GDPR and CCPA, GroupM has built a Global Data Governance program implementing privacy by design in its own technologies and promoting consumer privacy protection throughout its supply chain. This includes supporting every major industry initiative to inform and educate consumers. We have implemented global data evaluation standards and built means to operationalize the consistent application of ethical decision-making to data usage.

Leaders in combating ad supported IP infringement

In markets worldwide, GroupM teams use a single global exclusion list to keep clients’ advertising off sites hosting pirated content or counterfeit goods and services. In the U.S., the largest market for digital advertising, GroupM helped establish the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) and has now required media partners to comply with the group’s anti-piracy program.

Third Party Measurement is Paramount

We call on all digital media partners to allow additional third-party brand safety tools and measurement on their platforms. While no approach will ever be foolproof, we can deploy tools to make social media platforms safer for brands. We work consistently with clients to fully understand the risks and advocate for use of third verification technology across all devices and channels.