FAQ

Below you'll find a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) to the Interactive Advertising Bureau Netherlands. This FAQ should guide you through lots of questions and give you a clear idea of what IAB Netherlands is and what we can do for you or your company. This FAQ is available for everybody, whether you are an IAB member, considering membership, work as an industry reporter or just want to increase your marketing skills.

Because this industry develops at fast pace, it could be that your question is not immediately answered by this FAQ. Although this FAQ is updated frequently, feel free to email us at info@iab.nl.

By request of many other IABs and International research companies interested in the Dutch market, this FAQ is provided in English only.

If you have constructive ideas about online advertising & interactive marketing yourself, want help shaping this industry, increase your marketing skills, discover the coverging media developments or improve your companies media-mix, become a member.

Subjects
FAQ about interactive media
FAQ about IAB
FAQ about industry initiatives and regulation

FAQ about interactive media
For starters:

1. What's the role of IAB Netherlands?
The Interactive Advertising Bureau Netherlands is the independant trade-body and knowledge platform for online advertising & interactive marketing, mobile marketing and iTV. IAB Netherlands was founded in 1998 and works on International issues and developments closely together with IAB Europa (14 IABs from several European countries) and IAB USA. This brings enormous advantages compared to other local trade-bodies, because IAB Netherlands can 'mirror' local 'hot' issues to relevant international developments.

IAB Netherlands focuses on reporting the net and gross online advertising spend in the Dutch market, research and figures about the reach of websites and their target audiences, media pressure and media consumption by Dutch consumers. Both national as well as international case studies are reviewed by IAB Netherlands: e.g. on how to get a better media-mix using online advertising and how to increase your brand awareness online.

IAB Netherlands and its professional members take the lead in shaping and stimulating the developments in this industry by creating guidelines for online advertising (banner formats, Rich Media Guidelines), proper e-mailmarketing and mobile marketing. Changing IAB guidelines like e.g. Privacy, anti spam policy and issues on cookies are adressed to the EU and local government, to get proper laws implemented faster.

Last but not least, IAB Netherlands is the knowledge center for other trade-bodies in this industry (Consumentenbond, Thuiswinkel, NLIP, PMA, BVA, EMMA) and for industry related press.

On our website's Knowledge Center you'll find tips & tricks, research, advertising formats, guidelines and other relevant issues that have already shaped this amazing industry so far.

2. How and where can I learn more about online advertising?
All principals, goals, evaluation & testing techniques and startegies of online advertising & interactive marketing have a certain overlap with traditional marketing methods. In every industry goes that a learning curve and experience will improve your skills, although the fastgrowing medium internet has some killing rules that are very different compared to traditional marketing. Search Engine Optimization can save you lots of marketing budget if you are found first when online consumers are already looking for your product. Search Engine marketing can increase your online revenues dramatically. Also there are lots of Do's and Don'ts developed by professionals in this industry. Many online campaigns with a reach of more than 1 million Unique Internet Users are cheaper than creating your TV commercial, without being broadcasted. Learn new ways of improving your media-mix, decrease your companies marketing spend and get better results.

On this website you can become familiar with many possibilities you might not have thought to be possible yet. If this information seems interesting to you, become an IAB member and get the chance to learn more at our seminars and events. Your membership will pay back in full!

Also check our own page terminologie to learn more about the industry language.

3. History: How has online developed?
70% of Dutch population is now online and internet users have dramatically changed their media diet. The online population has grown four-fold in three years and traditional media is losing out to web-based news, entertainment and shopping. The internet is now an integral part of the Dutch media diet with more than 10 million people online. While the performance of individual websites continues to grow, the shift is having a major impact on media consumption:
- 25% of internet users watch less TV
- 11% of internet users read fewer magazines
- 11% of internet users read fewer newspapers
- 4% of internet users watch fewer videos

Today's Dutch internet users on average log on for more than nine hours a week, reducing the amount of traditional media they consume. Today, some websites have a greater monthly reach than many radio and TV stations, some national newspapers and entire sectors of the magazine industry.

4. How to buy internet advertising: How much is advertising space by Cost Per Thousand (CPM) or Cost Per Thousands Measured (CPTM/CPMM)?
The IAB does not store or maintain information on the market rates for online advertising. However relevant pricing can be found at the ratecards of most portals or websites, ask your own media-agency or check e.g. at Adlink or Webads.

5. How do you price internet advertising?
There are many different models used in the pricing of online advertising space although the 'cost per thousand impressions' (CPM) remains the most popular.

Different models are appropriate for different types of campaigns and while CPM is great for branding campaigns, some direct marketers will look for models that reflect customer conversion. This means that some companies have turned their attention towards pricing which is performance-based in some way. However, assessing the return on investment is much more than simply counting the click-through rate on an advertisement, and the IAB team encourages web marketers to look at the mechanics used in advertising through traditional media when they are measuring return.

In particular there are now a range of sophisticated brand effectiveness research products that can be used in conjunction with a campaign. Direct marketers are also able to model ROI and customer lifetime value by linking business goals back to advertising exposure.

6. I am from a media website and need advice on who should sell my advertising.
Media sites have three choices: either to sell directly using in-house resources, or to work with a sales house/marketing network who can represent them, or to use a combination of the two. We don't recommend any individual company for sales representations, but feel free to contact us for some addresses of sales representation companies which are members of the IAB.

7. I need an advertising agency, who do I talk to?
Take a look at our list of members.
If you are an advertiser you can join the IAB; this will keep you up to date with general news in the industry and specific issues about standards, research and marketing.

8. I need a research company, who do I talk to?
Take a look at our list of members.
If you are a research company you can join the IAB; this will keep you up to date with general news in the industry and specific issues about standards, research and marketing.

9. What training does the IAB provide?
Interactive advertising presents many challenges, but much of the theory of traditional advertising is just as applicable to the online environment. From strategy to creative execution, from production to planning advertising in traditional media is a great foundation for your move into interactive.

The IAB provides knowledge based training seminars in the form of slide shows that are often supported by white papers and briefing events. Check our Knowledge Center!

10. Are there any guidelines for internet advertising?
There are many different guidelines and standards that cover different parts of the Internet advertising business. Therefor, the IAB creates and manages the range of standard spaces for the shapes and sizes of Internet advertisements. These are detailed under IAB Standaarden on our website. Also check our Knowledge Center!

Audiences:
11. Media consumption and how it is changing: what is the Internet's reach?
Media is changing. We all understand media fragmentation, but how smart are we about how the use of digital media has changed? The internet is now an integral part of the Dutch media diet with more than 70% of the population and 10 million people now online. While the performance of individual websites continues to grow, the shift is having a major impact on media consumption:
- 25% of internet users watch less TV
- 11% of internet users read fewer magazines
- 11% of internet users read fewer newspapers
- 4% of internet users watch fewer videos

Today's Dutch internet users on average log on for more than nine hours a week, reducing the amount of traditional media they consume. Today, some websites have a greater monthly reach than many radio and TV stations, some national newspapers and entire sectors of the magazine industry. Over half the country is now online and internet users have dramatically changed their media diet. The online population has grown four-fold in three years and traditional media is losing out to web-based news, entertainment and shopping. The internet debate is no longer about the technology, it's about how it fits into people's lifestyles.

12. What are people doing online?
The internet is the broadest of media channels and touches many aspects of an individual's life. Increasingly people use the internet for communication, research, transactional and entertainment needs. Communication can be anything from using email and chat to messaging or SMS services. Transactions can be anything from personal banking to researching information prior to the purchase of a car or holiday. Entertainment is everything from reading a newspaper or playing a game, to listening to music or watching movies through broadband connections.

13. Profiles of audiences on media portals
IAB Netherlands is currently working together with the biggest Dutch online saleshouses and website publishers to draft the profiles of audiences visiting portals and websites. Most portals have also drafted reserach about their visitors and registered users on their websites. But don't forget, internet is the fastest growing medium there ever was. The Dutch internet market has a penetration of over 10 million active Dutch users. The medium and its critical mass, has proven to be a perfect tool for building brand awareness.

14. Media migration: The shift to interactive and direct marketing in 2001-3
We've been tracking this shift for a while. We retain Nielsen Media Research to collect the advertising spend in the online industry and since 2001 we've been tracking a clear migration to interactive advertising. In 2001 the online sector grew more than 7% and was the only brand-advertising sector not to contract. Why is this happening? There are many reasons, and all very encouraging for the online industry: Online is where the audience growth is - across the whole media industry this is the only sector that has enjoyed sustained, rapid audience growth and this will continue as the internet's role in all of our lives grows.

Accountability becomes even more important when the ad market is undergoing tough times and online gives a level of precision to advertising scheduling.

Online advertising is the key to unlocking the value of investments companies have made in their websites. Reminding online users that an e-commerce offering is only a click away is the most targeted way to reach potential customers.

But there is a hint of caution here. Just because online and direct mail are both growing you should not confuse the two. Online can be a direct response medium, but it is also a branding medium and the research investigations that have consistently shown the branding power of the medium.

15. Audience share by time: Does the IAB carry figures on average media time against each channel, e.g. TV, radio, online?
The IAB does not have perfectly comparable data at the moment but we are currently researching this. In the meantime, we can tell that the internet is now an integral part of the Dutch media diet with more than 70% of the population and 10 million people now online. While the performance of individual websites continues to grow, the shift is having a major impact on media consumption:
- 25% of internet users watch less TV
- 11% of internet users read fewer magazines
- 11% of internet users read fewer newspapers
- 4% of internet users watch fewer videos

Today's Dutch internet users on average log on for more than nine hours a week, reducing the amount of traditional media they consume. Today, some websites have a greater monthly reach than many radio and TV stations, some national newspapers and entire sectors of the magazine industry. 

Advertising spend:
16. How large is the Dutch online advertising & interactive market?
Measuring the size of any young market is always difficult because there may not be systems in place to collect data or agreed definitions that allow one to compare companies realistically. Online advertising measurement tends to be either based on observation (researchers looking at websites and making assumptions about the numbers of adverts and campaigns) or on audit data (publishers allowing third-party companies to audit their revenue figures).

The IAB runs the only collection of advertising expenditure in the Netherlands. Sister IAB organisations run similar projects across North America, Europe and the Far East. IAB Netherlands Task Force Publishers works with the team at Nielsen Media Research to collect confidential sales data and then aggregate it into totals that are published quarterly. The project started in 2000 and includes a breakdown of the categories of spend as well as the total amounts.

17. Does the IAB carry research on advertising spend in The Netherlands?
In association with Nielsen Media Research, the IAB produces an authoritative and definitive guide to advertising spend in the sector. In 2000, 2001, 2002 the Dutch advertising spend was measures by gross revenue. The IAB Task Force Publishers is working together with Nielsen Media Research to draft the NET revenues over 2002 and will do this in 2003 with monthly reports on NET advertising spend. Second goal is to get also the gross advertising spend to compare online with offline media.

18. Methodology: How do we calculate the size of the internet advertising market?
The IAB team in The Netherlands retain Nielsen Media Research to gather the online advertising market. Under special non-disclosure arrangements with the media owners and other IAB members they work with the finance directors of all the main media owners to learn exactly what the size of the market really is. If there are any major media owners who are not part of the IAB then they too are invited to take part for completeness.

19. By company: Is there a rank of companies spending online?
BBC will the actual revenues booked by each of these companies each month and then aggregate them to form an industry figure. The data is also sliced to give profiles of spend by advertising format (banners vs rich media, etc.) and by industry sector. At this time there is not a common ranking that is exactly comparable to those available in some other media. 

20. By sector: What breakdowns are there of industry sector advertising?
The online advertising spend will be devided into six online categories. Other breakdowns will follow. It's also important to get a better scope for both advertisers and media companies to get a better overview of the powerful emailmarketing possibilities, by adding the email spend in the Netherlands to the total online advertising spend.
This will clearly show how emailmarketing is increasing e.g. traditional Direct Marketing ways. IAB will start conversations by invation emailmarketing trade-bodies to get this done fast.

21. Forecasts: Does the IAB carry forecasts for online spend and emarketing?
IAB works together on an international level with e.g. Forrester Reserach about the potential future market of online advertising. Before serious forecasts will be made by the IAB, the current IAB is dedicated to collect and report the net online advertising spend over 2002 first. The to be reported net revenues in 2003 will give a transparant overview of the market development.

Advertising effectiveness:
22. How can digital media be used to launch products, raise brand awareness and generate sales?
Digital media has a raft of tools enabling marketers to develop cost effective campaigns that deliver on all traditional marketing objectives - from email and search marketing to brand building banner and rich media campaigns. Check the Knowledge Center for specific sectors and examples of tools that are available.

Online is particularly cost-effective compared to other media when targeting specific user groups or individuals. The web allows for more precise targeting than any other media. Online has creativity at the cutting edge. Online is a mass market broad reach medium and online advertising reaches more than 10 million Dutch consumers, and more 15-24 years than any other medium. Online gets you closer to consumers and allows marketers to have a deeper relationship with consumers who have chosen to do so.

Online advertising builds brands, generates awareness, changes attitudes and changes purchase intent - it is an important part of the marketing mix and works in partnership with other media. Successful advertising is not just one medium. Online works well when in synergy with offline campaigns.

23. Brand awareness: What type of research does the IAB have on brand awareness?
Dozens of research programmes reinforce the web's brand building credentials. A UK-based Dynamic Logic study found that a higher number of exposures (3+) resulted in greater brand awareness than a lower frequency (1-3 exposures). Among the target audience of 18-49 year olds with incomes in excess of $120+ it was found that 19% had brand recall. This compares to 4-or-more exposures from a similar US study. According to Starcom IP and Taylor Nelson Sofres there is concrete evidence that Banner Campaigns can significantly affect brand awareness and banners alone can significantly affect spontaneous brand awareness.

Millward Brown has been tracking this since 1997 with evidence that even with a single exposure to a web banner attitudes and behaviour can be altered. Some of these studies have seen a response rate in excess of 150,000 people and represent some of the largest brand effectiveness studies ever undertaken.

MSN research on branding suggests that marketers should increase online's element of branding campaign budgets from 2% to 15%. The study concludes that spending 15% of the ad budget online would provide a 24% lift in branding metrics compared with a 19% lift for a plan with the same total budget, which spent only 2% online.

The research suggests that consumer packaged goods brands that increase their online advertising may result in increased key metrics, such as brand awareness, brand attributes and purchase intent. Higher online frequency boosts branding effectiveness. Specifically, increasing the number of online impressions from six impressions to 12 impressions over six weeks can increase Dove Nutrium Bar's overall branding effectiveness by 42%. TV, print and online advertising are each effective at branding, yet online is generally more cost-efficient in terms of branding increases from the pre-campaign level.

Other research exists that proves that online advertising campaigns do foster brand awareness.

24. Where does online fit in relation to TV and other media?
Media is changing. The internet is now an integral part of the Dutch media diet with more than 70% of the adult population and 10 million people - in The Netherlands - now online. While the performance of individual websites continues to grow, the shift is having a major impact on media consumption:
- 25% of internet users watch less TV
- 11% of internet users read fewer magazines
- 11% of internet users read fewer newspapers
- 4% of internet users watch fewer videos

Today's Dutch internet users on average log on for more than nine hours a week, reducing the amount of traditional media they consume. Today, some websites have a greater monthly reach than many radio and TV stations, some national newspapers and entire sectors of the magazine industry.

70% of Dutch population is now online and internet users have dramatically changed their media diet. The online population has grown four-fold in three years and traditional media is losing out to web-based news, entertainment and shopping. The internet debate is no longer about the technology, it's about how it fits into people's lifestyles.

In terms of how budgets should be allocated between media this is a newer area of research and there are only a few powerful studies out in the market. We will keep our members informed. In the meantime, check our Knowledge Center.

25. Media mix: Does the IAB carry research on the internet in the media mix?
The most important reserach so far has been done on Unilever's Dove Nutrium Bar, by marketing guru Mr. Rex Briggs. In this data study Mr. Briggs shows what several changes in the media-mix can do for the effectiveness of your total campaign. Since many studies are being developed but need huge investments, we ask any marketeer to use common sense. A not yet broadcasted TV commercial might have costed already more than € 200.000 or more, just the shooting of it. For this same amount, millions of internet users can be presented your new online campaign. Imagine what would work better for building brand awareness, and what is more cost-effective.

26. Media mix: The relationship between online and TV campaigns - when to integrate?
Clearly advertising campaigns can work when online is the only media and we see many of those, its all about the getting the right message to the right audience and whether that is brand or response advertising an online only option may be the right route, what is key is realising that every campaign is different.
However marketers now realise that the best effects are achieved in a media neutral plan within which media are combined as needed. Because online can support such a vast range of campaign objectives we see it used in many ways.
Sometimes online is the dominant medium to reach audience segments - professionals at work for example.

The new frontier in brand advertising is strategic campaign integration and understanding this fit. The IAB worked extensively with US 'God of Data' Mr. Rex Briggs & Unilever on the launch of the Dove Nutrium bar to model the optimal mix and the effect of adding online to a campaign running in print and TV. We measured variables like awareness and intention to purchase - those that matter to brand marketers - and then tracked how they changed with the addition of online. We found that:
- Online improved the overall effectiveness of the campaign within the same budget;
- Adding online to the mix reduced the campaign's costs - when measured per customer against a desired brand perception change;
- Online should be way more than the often quoted 'couple of percent' - in the Unilever study 15% of spend created the optimal effect.

For more information about the effect of advertising check our Knowledge Center.

27. Click through rates - what's good, what's the average?
The IAB does not believe that there is any useful data relating to 'average click through rates'. We get asked this a lot, but the question arises from a false assumption about how to measure campaign effectiveness. It's something that began in the mid nineties and still lingers. Broadly we can divide advertising into the two camps of response and brand advertising.

To measure the effects of brand advertising there are a vast range of research tools, many from IAB research partner companies like TN Sofres, Dynamic Logic and Millward Brown. Typically these will test an exposed and control group of viewers while the campaign is live. They can be surveyed on any brand metric, but typically brand awareness, recall, attributes and intention to purchase are commonly researched. This data is often comparable to similar data from other media. Some marketers will even pre-test their campaigns to decide which creative executions to use with which audiences.

Measuring response is equally simple, but the trick is to use the right metrics and it is important to be clear whether the campaign in question is intended to be a direct marketing campaign at all. In the early days marketers used click through to track response because it was the only data available, but it became discredited when they realised that it only counted part of the response and took no account for frequency or the value of the customer. Smart systems now are able to relate new customer acquisition to lifetime value, and backwards to the advertising that brought the customer to the website or the telephone call centre.

Measuring the advertising response is typically done through techniques such as beacon tracking, cookies or clear gifs which show the number of people who visited a website soon after seeing an advert (dealing with the large number of people who write down URLs or go to the website a few screens later after they have finished what they were doing).

One final note on click through is to remember that unlike direct mail, where the frequency is typically one, in online advertising the campaign may have an optimal frequency of three, five or more - which means that if you are calculating response rates even using beacon tracking advertisers need to divide the advertising volumes by the frequency to develop a relationship between exposed customers and response.

For more information about the brand effect, or click through see the research section of the IAB Knowledge Center.

28. Efficiency: What makes web advertising more efficient than other channels?
The challenge in media planning is to define a target audience and then create a schedule that reaches exactly this group and minimises wastage. What other medium guarantees that every advert is seen every time by every viewer? With internet advertising, you typically buy a certain number of advertising views - not opportunities to see, but actual views. What other medium ensures the attention - the internet is the ultimate lean forward medium, its viewer engagement is powerful and active. That's why wave after wave of research have proved the power of web advertising to shift viewer attitudes to key metrics such as purchase intention and image statements.

And the precision with which you can target your audiences by selecting specific channels within portals or subsections of editorial sites give you a way of refining your audience down to key target groups even if you are buying space within international networks.

New models of online advertising use smart search tools to reach customers just as they are proactively looking for products and services. Using search functions of ISPs, portals and search engines themselves are very popular in The Netherlands. 'Paid listings' or 'cost per click' models give marketers the ability to bid on editorially screened 'keywords' relevant to a business. Bids can be manipulated in real-time, buying at higher rates to achieve higher placement on a search results page. The higher the bid the higher the listing - and you only pay when a customer clicks on the website.
The operators of these services - such as Overture - syndicate results across the search functions of almost all the major ISPs, portals and search engines.

29. How to track email campaigns
We often get asked about email campaigns and if there is an IAB standard for how to track them. The IAB view is that although there is no agreed industry standard on this issue most email marketing agencies have their own view. We would suggest that you look through the IAB Email Marketing Standards for some general advice on good email marketing practice. If you need to have a third party check we are pleased to announce that our IAB Task Force E-mail has been working with several industry groups in The Netherlands to support the extension of certified third party audit practices to include email marketing as well as traditional websites. 

Advertising formats:
30. Rich Media: What are the Rich Media Adverts?
Rich Media is the term we use to describe adverts that are not made from a simple graphic or series of graphics but instead include a computer programme of some form.
A method of communication that incorporates animation, sound, video, and/or interactivity. It can be used either singularly or in combination with the following technologies: streaming media, sound, Flash, and with programming languages such as Java, Javascript, and DHTML. It is deployed via standard web and wireless applications including email, web design, banners, buttons, and interstitials. Typically this may allow the advert to become an interactive game, an online shop window or have greater animation and sound.

More information? See Rich Media in our Knowledge Center. 

31. Why is there so much talk about pop-up ad formats?
Pop up windows can be extremely effective in gaining a user's attention as they load a page. Pop ups open their own window and contain graphics, HTML, animation or any combination of the three. Pop ups closed on their own after a 10-second interval but we advise that they should be limited to a frequency of cap of 1.

Pop-ups are one of many formats alongside fixed spaces within a page, interstitials (between pages), search, rich media, microsites, email, sponsorships, listings and others. Pop-ups are simply part of this digital media mix. The reason they are used is that they work - that's why marketers continue asking for them.

However there has been some speculation about their effectiveness and whether they are too intrusive a format. From the consumer's perspective we know from lots of research sources that
consumers are comfortable with web advertising as the way to fund their free access, or lower cost access to internet content, media and services. Forrester research has shown that web users understand that advertising is funding their services. The Advertising Association has shown that in general Dutch consumers understand and accept advertising, indeed in many areas it forms an important service.

When we compare the internet to other media it is clear that all forms of advertising are evolving. For example the TV industry has developed new formats such as logos, which act as a backdrop to sporting events or adverts that pop up onto part of the screen. The internet is no different. Recent new ad products have driven the growth of the search market and it was only a year ago that we introduced the skyscrapers that have become as popular as the banner for many websites. We see the evolution of artwork formats as part of the growth of the medium.

If there is an issue, it is about frequency capping. The IAB is concerned that pop ups popularity means that some websites, at times, may serve several to a viewer. Just as with Rich Media we suggest that there is a cap on the number of servings (frequency caps) but this should be judged by the website and its agency.

32. Our website does not use standard advertising sizes. Does this matter?
The IAB has always encouraged companies to be creative and develop tools that satisfy the needs of their clients. The aims of our standard shapes and sizes are to give advertisers and agencies the ability to be able to use one format of creative across a large number of websites. Although only a few of the shapes are used by each website, tending to use these standards makes it easier for everyone to do business and we ask all publishers to consider them in the development of their next wave of template changes. In summer 2001 we also released standards for Rich Media creative that were slightly larger than previous sizes used. These larger pop-ups allow for stronger brand messages and greater interactivity and have been adopted internationally by the IAB.

IAB US has recently endorsed a new set of ad sizes that are larger than standard web banners. Its members like MSN, AOL and Yahoo! also backed a "Universal Ad Package," with the new large ad size as well as three sizes the group had previously recommended, to make web advertising simpler and more cost-effective. This new ad package was created in response to advertiser demand. Now other IABs around the world are examining this package. 

Advertising models:
33. IAB stance on pay for performance search
People are increasingly using the internet for searching. Replacing traditional channels it has become the new way to access knowledge and search services perform a vital and successful function within this. New models of online advertising use smart search tools to reach customers just as they are proactively looking for products and services. Using search functions of ISPs, portals and search engines themselves is the most popular Dutch online activity - more so than email - with between 300 and 350 million completed every month. Of all surfers 74% search for goods and services with 70% of all e-commerce transactions originating from a search.

'Paid listings' or 'cost per click' models give marketers the ability to bid on editorially screened 'keywords' relevant to a business. Bids can be manipulated in real-time, buying at higher rates to achieve higher placement on a search results page. The higher the bid the higher the listing - and
you only pay when a customer clicks on the website. The operators of these services - such as Overture - syndicate results across the search functions of almost all the major ISPs, portals and search engines.

Increasingly marketers who understand the mechanics and metrics of measuring e-response routinely use search marketing. They recognise that targeting and tracking is more precise than any mailing list and uniquely captures customers at the very moment of their interest. Search enables marketers to reach exceptionally niche audiences and the keywords used are part of this
new toolbox.

Paid Search Works: We believe that certain paid methodologies, can enhance the quality and relevance of search listings. The key point is not that search results are paid, it's that they work.

Clear & Conspicuous?: IAB members, along with their partners, are studying the United States' FTC new/complicated guidance, including what "clear and conspicuous" means. Many of our partners meet the disclosure standards. We have full confidence in them and their partner's integrity in creating a positive search experience for their users.

34. Advertising theory: How do the principles of advertising differ between the offline and online mediums?
The principles of digital marketing are similar to traditional marketing/advertising. The real difference is that digital media has a raft of tools enabling marketers to develop cost effective campaigns that deliver on all traditional marketing objectives - from email, SMS and search marketing to brand building banner and rich media campaigns.

Online is particularly cost-effective compared to other media when targeting specific user groups or individuals. The web allows for more precise targeting than any other media. Online has creativity at the cutting edge. Online is a mass market broad reach medium and online advertising reaches more than 70% of all Dutch copnsumers, and more 15-24 years than any other medium. Online gets you closer to consumers and allows marketers to have a deeper relationship with consumers who have chosen to do so. Online advertising builds brands, generates awareness, changes attitudes and changes purchase intent - it is an important part of the marketing mix and works in partnership with other media. Successful advertising is not just one medium. Online works well when in synergy with an offline campaign.

Advertising volumes:
35. Each week how many banner ads is the average adult exposed to?
This type of information is not collated by the IAB at this time, but we can give you some basic metrics of the amount of time we spend using online media, and by implication the number of banners. In early 2001 some research suggested that on average in The Netherlands every adult spends 1.75 hrs per week on the Internet. Today's Dutch internet users on average log on for more than nine hours a week. Clearly for much of that time they are exposed to advertising messages.

Measurement and counting:
36. Traffic auditing: What is auditing traffic data of websites about?
Auditing the traffic of websites is important. Separate from auditing there is the issue of accurate counting of web traffic data. Many website managers chose to use third party counting providers to translate their log files into meaningful management information. For an audit, find yourself a independent, trusted third party which has a tried and tested method of getting traffic data.

37. Website auditing: Why do your traffic statistics appear to be patchy on the IAB website?
The IAB collects data that is for the audited traffic from different websites. Many websites do not audit regularly and while the difference between publishers' statements and the audits for the same periods may be minimal at times, they can be significant.

38. Where can I find independently audited traffic data?
The independent auditing of traffic data is something the IAB has always supported and we encourage sites to audit every four to six months. This creates a spirit of transparency which the industry should promote. For more information on auditing, precise definitions of what an audit consists of and what the metrics, such as page impressions, really mean (these technical definitions can become complicated), email us.

39. What are 'click-through' or 'ad-click' rates?
Click-through is the percentage of viewers who click on an online advertisement. Click-through has been discredited as a measure for the response rate of an online campaign for three reasons. Firstly, unlike direct mail, a viewer is typically exposed to an advert several times as a campaign builds frequency. This means that counting the clicks rather than the users gives a false impression. For example if the frequency of a campaign is five exposures then the response rate by click would be five times the click-through rate reported by the advertising technology.

Secondly because clicks don't measure response. Countless banner research studies consistently show that customers visit a site very soon after being exposed to an advert for that website, yet without the action of clicking. This is because they were actively involved in the web page on which the advert appeared and needed to complete that task before visiting another site.

Finally sometimes the click are simply not counted by the advertising software because the advert is being delivered from a separate location or because it contains a software programme itself that cannot be counted by many counting systems. These software programmes include many of the advertising formats collectively known as Rich Media.

40. Internet traffic auditing: IP Exclusion of Spiders
If we are trying to purify our traffic logs to report accurately the traffic that our website gets, then is there an IAB list of IP Exclusions that covers the spiders which may generate invalid page traffic?

The IAB sees some traffic on websites as being 'invalid' because it is not generated by real people in real time although it may be recorded in a server log. This is a complicated area of rapidly evolving technologies and since 1999 we have reviewed it every few months. This happens through a specialist joint industry standards group called JICWEBS. The IAB uses and supports the detailed technical definitions that it creates through the partnerships with the other trade bodies that come together through JICWEBS.

ABC Electronic was one of the co-founders of JICWEBS and this non profit-making organisation effectively polices the activity of them and other endorsed auditors. At the time of writing the details of spiders and related IP addresses are best tackled with ABCE, which produces, maintains a robot list that combines both the European and North American market's needs.

41. How can web traffic managers ensure accurate reporting?
Not yet available.

42. Internet traffic measurement: Does the IAB carry research on website traffic retention?
The IAB does not carry this kind of research. We suggest that website owners work with their agencies, counting solution providers and traffic monitoring team to understand how their retention works.

Terms of trading:
43. How to buy internet advertising - How do we agree payment terms for online advertising?
The starting point is to use the contractual frameworks media owners and agencies developed and agreed to under an umbrella initiative of the PMA and the IAB. They are a set of voluntary guidelines but will help clarify the key areas of contractual relationships such as data reporting and scheduling timetables. These were launched in October 2002 and similar frameworks exist within IAB US and IABs in other parts of Europe. They are available as a seminar and white paper from the IAB team by email.

Like any contractual obligations you need to clarify your position as an advertiser, agency or media owner and exactly what the nature of the commercial relationship is that you are about to embark on. Typically web advertisements are purchased on a 'per thousand' basis using models such as CPM (cost of banner spaces per thousand requests). There are a range of models designed to support different types of advertising. Some web publishers who are the digital extension of offline businesses may have additional models that combine the media space between print and digital editions.

The IAB does not offer legal advice in this area but urges all companies to develop clear contractual frameworks and to agree them in advance.

Advertising categories:
44. Tobacco advertising
We are totally against a tobacco advertising ban. There is no evidence that a ban on advertising leads directly to a reduction in overall consumption. In countries where advertising has been banned, consumption has increased since the ban e.g. Italy and Portugal. An advertising ban will not achieve its stated objectives but at the same time will deprive media of revenues and deprive consumers of information about a legally sold product.

We also oppose the ban on direct marketing. A government has no right to interfere with a consumer's right to receive information about a product or service directly from its manufacturer or supplier. A ban on direct marketing is a gross interference and subject to challenge under the Human Rights Act. Meanwhile, tobacco remains legally for sale throughout the European Union and at the same time its production is subsidised under the Common Agricultural Policy to the tune of millions of Euro. Such hypocrisy is completely unacceptable when governments seek to interfere with the freedom of expression. As far as the internet is concerned specifically, consumers in the The Netherlands will be exposed to tobacco advertising on sites emanating from countries which still permit advertising so any attempt to ban advertising for any product or service in one country will be completely futile in an age of global media.

45. Can internet media carry political advertising?
The internet is under the jurisdiction of the non-broadcast sector's self-regulatory bodies. We work with Reclamecode Commissie and Consumentenbond and their codes on advertising content are a useful point of reference.

On e-mailmarketing, IAB warns you from it's experience in the Dutch market and it's policy against spam per e-mail and sms. Make sure you or your agency checks before they run an email or sms campaign. Check if the mobile numbers or emailaddressess have been gathered in a proper way: have these people given their permission upfront, by opt-in to receive commercial messages? Stay out of trouble, let your agency check, check again yourself or ask the IAB for it's guidelines. In the past some major A brands have made mistakes being advised by a company that agree on market accepted rules. Stay safe and buy opt-in and well gathered addresses, but do try emailmarketing. It's for sure more cost-effective, better trackable and measurable than traditional DM.

Standards and best practices:
46. What types of standards are there for the online medium?
The IAB has been very active in developing standards for this medium over the last five years. Flagship projects have included the ad sizes and shapes for banner advertising. The IAB Knowledge Center, a free library of the IAB's most frequently requested material has details of all our standards.

47. Getting started - Are there any guidelines for internet advertising?
There are many different guidelines and standards that cover different parts of the Internet advertising business. These are detailed in the Standards section of our website.

The IAB also creates and manages the range of standards spaces for the shapes and sizes of Internet advertisements. These are explained in the Standards section of our website and are revised periodically.

48. Advertising formats: What type of creative media formats are there using rich media technologies?
Rich Media technologies allow even greater interactivity than traditional web advertising.

49. Email and fighting spam: What is the IAB doing about spam?
Unsolicited email, known to most of us as spam, has become an emotive issue so it is important to clarify exactly what spam is. Legitimate messages delivered by email fall within the scope of data protection law and industry codes. In contrast spam doesn't and it is condemned by the IAB, consumers, our members and governments. Spam is unsolicited advertising and marketing material that is not only a nuisance but can also be hazardous to a network.

It is typically the continued emailing after a user has requested to be removed from a mailing list. Under data protection law it is illegal and it does no favours to marketers as customers are unlikely to respond well to that sort of treatment.

Spam is an industry-wide problem and one that everyone takes very seriously. Despite the fact that most of the spam complaints fall outside our remit or influence, we are working with our members to help them protect internet users. They may originate from outside of The Netherlands or EU, or they may come from companies that operate on the margins on the law.
In terms of how we fight spam, in the first instance we look to the Data Protection Act for support, which is very clear - spam is illegal - and is policed by relevant authorities.

Secondly, the IAB has produced 'Email Practice Guidelines' developed with an industry coalition called FAST. Hundreds of companies have now adopted these. They represent opt-in style 'Best Practice'.

Thirdly, there is clear support across the industry to tackle the issues raised and the IAB is exploring a cross-company Working Group to tackle spam and develop new ways to protect internet users. Internet users are not powerless to do something for themselves, there are a few simple steps users can take to alleviate many of the headaches. The IAB has produced anti-spam tips for internet users.

50. Email and fighting spam: Are Dutch ISPs and portals doing enough to protect their users from spam?
Dutch ISPs (NLIP) and portals are doing as much as they can given the amount of spam that is being sent from outside the EU. Most of the top ISPs have anti-spam technology and some companies provide anti-spam services that operate 24 hours a day so that when a new spam attack is launched, it is picked up. Anti spam experts quickly analyse messages and write filtering rules that will block them out before the emails reach most users.

51. Email and fighting spam: What is the industry doing about the spam received from outside the EU?
The IAB is international with member organisations in 22 countries. We are working towards common standards and practices in each country and aim to unify a stance against spam with common guidelines, best practice and industry standards.

The IAB works closely with the EU and national governments to keep them abreast of issues and to lobby for changes to policy and law preventing unsolicited advertising.

52. E-commerce: What can I do to make my site a safer environment for online shopping?
The IAB has worked out 10 steps to consider to do SMART online shopping. Check our Knowledge Center, Smart e-shopping!

53. IAB Standards: What's the status with cookies compliance?
Cookies are small harmless files that allow websites to track visitors and monitor marketing campaigns. In May 2002 the European Parliament completed its second reading of the controversial data protection in electronic communications directive that deals with cookies and politically sensitive data retention, plus commercial email and SMS marketing.

The IAB convinced a committee of MEPs to amend proposed EU legislation that would have forced websites to ask for consent each time they launched a cookie. The proposed legislation has been amended so that websites will instead be required to carry information about cookies.
The new legislation will require businesses to provide consumers with information about the use and limitations of cookies and to make them aware that they can ask for them to be removed. The IAB managed to get a fundamental change in the views of the committee that put forward the legislation in the first place. The new view is one that doesn't require explicit prior consent. This is much more appropriate. The IAB managed to convince the committee that the use of cookies is not a data privacy issue, but rather that their deployment is critical to many commercial uses of the internet.

Click here to read more about what cookies exactly are.

Advertising regulation:
54. What is ‘AdMark'?
IAB Europe & IAB UK have spent quite a bit of time working with the ASA, AA and CAP in the UK to educate consumers about the complaints process for internet advertising. Generally internet advertising is of a very high standard and includes some of the most powerful, engaging and entertaining advertising ever developed. However sometimes advertising content does fall outside the scope of what, as an industry, we would like to see. The IAB UK helped founding the AdMark scheme in the UK - that's a trustmark for online advertising that some of the industry's leaders have adopted and badged. From our perspective the important thing is for consumers to be able to channel complaints to us in the right way and this is the forum for that.

By opening up the process and making it easier for consumers to inform us of advertising that they have concerns over we expected to see a significant rise. Unfortunately the majority of issues that they raise are for communication materials that do not fall within our remit, such as emails from outside the EU, and that remains a concern. On the positive side there was an even greater increase in the volume of advertising online last year so we suspect that the numbers of complaints per million adverts is actually falling.

Case studies and best practice:
55. Are there any case studies about online advertising?
We are building up a library of case studies from a wide range of clients working with the widest ranges of budgets. Check our Knowledge Center for cases. Also IAB is one of the knowledge partners of Spin Awards, were Banners, Online Campaigns and Cross Media campaigns are reviewed and rewarded. An overview of competing campaings can be found at www.spinawards.nl.

56. Interactive industry - best practice: Guide to the best in the online & interactive industry - Spin Awards 2003
The Spin Awards: this annual industry event illustrates some of the best in the industry from advertising and marketing campaigns to websites and digital services. More information can be found at www.spinawards.nl.

Training:
57. Does the IAB have any training material for people new to this area?
The IAB is a strong supporter of training in the industry and we produce self-tuition slideshow seminars that cover specific issues such as the reach of the online audience, what auditing is all about and how to improve data reporting.

58. How do we train sales people experienced in other media to sell our online assets?
The IAB is a big supporter of training in the industry. The IAB provides Knowledge Training but not skills training. We can plug gaps in your knowledge and to learn about the areas that we cover simply email us at info@iab.nl. There are several companies that offer specialist media sales training for online staff. If you are a training company and offer courses in this area then please email us your details.

FAQ about IAB

Contacting the IAB:
59. I am a member of the IAB and I would like to contact you
For day-to-day membership queries and administrative questions, please contact the secretariat team through secretariaat@iab.nl, who will be able to help you.

For more contact details including specific members of the IAB team, click here.

On key issues relating to specific working groups or projects, the secretariat can pass on your messages but you are invited to please liaise directly with the chairs and project leaders of the relevant working group(s), who will be happy to answer specific questions relating to their research.

For a complete listing of all the Task Forces and their contact details, click here. For all other contact details, including postal address, telephone, fax and email, click here.

60. I am not a member of the IAB and I would like to contact you
Email us at info@iab.nl or visit our contact page for other details.

For details of becoming a member of the IAB, click here.

For more contact details including specific members of the IAB team, click here. For all other contact details, including postal address, telephone, fax and email, click here.

IAB lidmaatschap:
61. Member information
We always welcome new IAB members. If you would like more information before you join the IAB, click here. If you would like more information then contact our secretariat team through secretariaat@iab.nl

62. How do I join?
We always welcome new IAB members. Simply fill out the form on this page.

63. Can I be a member of the IAB in more than one country?
We always welcome new IAB members. Although there are IAB organizations in most European countries, membership is still on a national level as each country offers a different package of services for its members. Each IAB is an independent organization and the membership dues vary from country to country.

For more information about other IABs around Europe contact the secretariat team through secretariaat@iab.nl, or visit one of the international IAB websites.

IAB services:
64. Can the informer be sent to me in a text version?
The Informer is the IAB's regular e-bulletin packed with the latest roundup of news and research from the interactive advertising sector. Unfortunately, the IAB does not produce The Informer in a text version. If you would like to add additional members of staff, colleagues or clients to The Informer list then simply mail the IAB team at secretariaat@iab.nl.

65. Public affairs: What type of public affairs work does the IAB do?
The IAB is runs an extensive public affairs department, covering Dutch and European issues. As our projects and initiatives can change very fast we don't publish a full list. However, if you are keen to understand more about what our current hot topics are then please email us at secretariaat@iab.nl and we will pass your enquiry on to the public affairs team who will liase with you directly.

66. Plans and activity: What is the IAB expansion I have heard about?
Under a better-resourced IAB banner more senior figures have come forward to play their part in pushing the industry forward via an expanded IAB Leadership Council. This now boasts senior executives of MD level and above from online properties and traditional media owner.
A new business plan and increased funding from the leadership council means that the IAB now has the resources to put in place an infrastructure to ramp up all of its five activity programmes in order to give the industry a stronger, coherent direction.

Throughout 2003 the IAB will unveil a raft of initiatives that will accelerate the sector's growth further. These will include further marketing and research activity. Other new programmes also include an education drive with more training and conference events, and extensive libraries of research accessible through the IAB Knowledge Center. The move also sees the IAB develop its infrastructure to meet the challenges of spearheading such growth.

For more information on any of the IAB activities please contact the secretariat team at secretariaat@iab.nl.

67. What is the IAB Knowledge Center?
The Knowledge Center is an initiative that enables greater access to IAB materials and provides greater transparency of its activities. The Knowledge Bank is a free library of the IAB's most frequently requested material - much of it available to non-members. It has six sections: Industry Overviews, Research, Standards, Marketing, Education/Training, Public Affairs. Each includes research papers and presentations, training materials, briefings, magazines and CDs that are designed to support executives at every level across all digital platforms in the interactive industry.

The Knowledge Center gives easy access to a wealth of resources the IAB has collated. It is an invaluable resource for traditional and digital marketers that reflect our work across Research, Standards, Marketing, Education, Training and Public Affairs. Broadening the audience for our email briefings gives a greater number of people the tools required to accelerate the growth of interactive platforms.

Press queries:
68. I'm a journalist and I need to contact the IAB
The online Press Centre on our website contains summaries of recent IAB initiatives, our regular press briefings and position statements as well as records of our lobbying activity and profiles of IAB board members.

If your enquiry is more specific then call one of the numbers on the contact page so we can track down the best IAB spokesperson for you and arrange for a response. We normally put you in contact with whoever is running the specific IAB project that relates to your query. You can also email the secretariat through secretariaat@iab.nl.

New correspondents who will be regularly covering this sector can apply to us for the out of hours mobile numbers for Marco Dercksen and Roderick den Daas and other members of our board.

To help us respond effectively, if you have a key question on which you would like the IAB's view, please email it to our secretariat. Include the words 'Press comment' in the subject field. We will endeavour to respond to your questions within the day providing they reach us before midday.

If you would like to be on our mailing list for press briefings then please email your name, title, company and postal contact details to us with ‘New Press Contact' in the subject field.

If you would like us to write a column for your publication we normally require one day's notice. Often we can supply artwork of research or internet advertising to go with articles.

If you would like to join members of the IAB's board for one of our press round tables then email us with your request and suitable dates.

Who do I talk to?
69. Does the IAB carry information on the number of rich media providers in Europe by country?
The IAB does not carry this type of information. However you will find occasional notes about rich media in The Informer - the IAB's regular e-bulletin packed with the latest roundup of news and research from the interactive advertising sector.

70. I need an advertising agency, who do I talk to?
The IAB has many advertising agencies among its membership. As these change over time we do not publish them on our website, but for an up to date list please email us at secretariaat@iab.nl with your name, company, job title and contact numbers members and we will send you the details.

If you are an advertiser you can join the IAB as an associate member at a discounted rate, this will keep you up to date with general news in the industry and specific issues about standards, research and marketing. If you do not want to join the IAB but are still interested in receiving some of our newswires please email us and ask to be added to the advertiser newswire service. You can unsubscribe from this at any time by emailing the secretariat.

71. I need a research company, who do I talk to?
The IAB has many research companies among its membership. As these change over time we do not publish them on our website, but for an up to date list please email us at secretariaat@iab.nl with your name, company, job title and contact numbers members and we will send you the details.

If you are an advertiser or advertising agency you can join the IAB as an associate member at a discounted rate, this will keep you up to date with general news in the industry and specific issues about standards, research and marketing.

If you do not want to join the IAB but are still interested in receiving some of our newswires please email us and ask to be added to the advertiser or agency newswire service. You can unsubscribe from this at any time by emailing the secretariat.

72. What training does the IAB provide?
Interactive advertising presents many challenges, but much of the theory of traditional advertising is just as applicable to the online environment. From strategy to creative execution, from production to planning advertising in traditional media is a great foundation for your move into interactive.

Conferences and speakers:
73. Can the IAB speak at our conference?
The IAB team can speak at all kinds of conferences and seminars in The Netherlands. We can cover a range of topics from how Internet advertising works, through the history of interactive marketing to the future of media in the networked world. As well as these we can talk in detail about research on advertising spend, industry standards and lobbying issues.

If you are organizing a conference and would like to request a speaker, please email the secretariat team at secretariaat@iab.nl telling us about the title of the event, the audience profile and expected numbers, the location, date and time, and any other relevant information. We can only take up the speaking opportunities at a fraction of the events we are invited to but we should be able to respond within three working days.

For conference engagements outside of The Netherlands please contact the IAB Europe office who may be able to provide conference speakers in Europe and North America.

Internationaal:
74. Is there an organization like the IAB in my country?
There are more than 20 Internet Advertising Bureaus like IAB Nederland around the globe, and their number is growing all the time. The IAB is coordinated at a European level by IAB Europe which through the national IAB teams represents and supports more than 5000 companies.

Each IAB is autonomous, linked informally to a worldwide family of IABs. The longest-established IABs are in Western Europe and North America, but this network continues to grow with IABs developing in most European countries and the Far East.

For more information about the international IAB network, please visit our International page.

FAQ about industry initiatives and regulation

Industry regulation:
75. Mechanics: Who regulates online advertising?
The Reclame Code Commissie is responsible for ensuring that advertisements comply with the Dutch Codes of Advertising, and one of our functions is to investigate complaints that advertisements break the Codes. However we cannot investigate complaints against claims made on an organisation's own website. Such claims about products and services fall outside the scope of the Codes. After careful consideration and fact finding throughout the first 9 months of 2000, the first defined online advertising that is subject to the Codes. It decided that the Codes should apply to:
- online advertisements in "paid for" space e.g. banner and pop-up advertisements;
- advertisements in commercial e-mails;
- sales promotions wherever they appear online (including in organisations' websites or in e-mails).

The Codes do not apply to organisations' claims on their own websites. The internet allows organisations to communicate directly with those consumers or businesses who have actively sought out their websites; in much the same was as consumers or businesses might develop relationships with organisations in a retail outlet environment after being introduced to those organisations by advertisements. It believes that applying the Codes to all online claims would go too far into regulating the "relationship", given the medium, and would prove impossible to enforce effectively.

76. Unfair advertising/inaccurate advertising: As a consumer, how do you complain about a web advertisement?
The IAB works with the Consumentenbond and Reclamecode commissie to educate consumers about the complaint process. From our perspective the important thing is for consumers to be able to channel complaints to us in the right way and this is the forum for that. By opening up the process and making it easier for consumers to inform us of advertising that they have concerns over we expected to see a significant rise. Unfortunately the majority of issues that they raise are for communication materials that do not fall within our remit, such as emails from outside the EU. This is a concern and the IAB is developing a programme to take action against spam.

On the positive side there was an even greater increase in the volume of advertising online last year so we believe that the numbers of complaints per million adverts is actually falling.

77. Design: Can I use windows icons in adverts?
Windows iconography and visual language is how we describe the graphics advertising designers use that look like those that could be generated from the operating system or browser of your computer. They may be black text with a grey background and have phrases which would be appropriate if they came from your PC. These visual devices we are conditioned to pay specific attention to because they demand our action in order for the computer to complete a function. Some creatives have used them in advertising design in a way that is engaging and powerful, and while in general the IAB feels that this is simply part of the advertising process, we feel that any executions which seek to suggest to the user that they need to click on the advert in order to protect, support or enhance their PC should not be used.

While the IAB and its membership appreciates the role that windows iconography can play in enhancing the impact of advertising creative, we would caution its use and urge practitioners to ensure that the use of windows style icons does not confuse the user in a way that could be deemed as being misleading or untruthful. Particular attention should be paid to the use of error messages and ‘downloading now' icons that may solicit responses from users who are simply not aware of what they are clicking on.

78. What is the IAB stance on the regulation of online advertising?
In the autumn of 2002 the IAB was questioned about the regulation of advertising content on the internet. There seems to be a lack of understanding about the breadth of self-regulation and statute regulation that exists. Self-regulation only covers the content of an advertisement and not the website that is linked to, and is only supported in The Netherlands and across Europe through our reciprocal arrangements. Internet advertising is already covered: CAP's 'Legal, Honest and Truthful' applies to Dutch internet ads. No question. There is also a host of other legislation such as distance selling, contract law, data protection and consumer rights which applies online just as it does offline. There is some additional regulation such as the new E-Commerce directive that takes this even further.

The IAB takes self-regulation very seriously and when the IAB first formed in The Netherlands it started working with Consumentendbond to find ways to extend its excellent practices to cover new media. Along the way we developed the CAP "Admark" scheme that was launched with government support as a further enhancer to the system.

There are clear rules and IAB members are regularly briefed on these. The IAB believes that self-regulation the right way forward. Digital media is the fastest moving of markets; it crosses geographies throws up new technologies and exists in a world in which consumer attitudes are moving at great pace.

As an industry we have just celebrated forty years of self-regulation in the Dutch ad industry and the model is held up around Europe as an exemplar of how to protect consumers in an appropriate way. There is a powerful code, a clear complaints process and a strong administration to support it. We even have copy-screening services for IAB members who are concerned about potential adverts they may carry. The IAB is also supporting CAP in its revision of the code for all media. If there is a challenge out there that remains, it is to tackle the lack of awareness of the regulatory framework that we have in place.

Industry initiatives:
79. How does the IAB talk with Government?
The IAB talks with governments and regulators through many channels. One key channel is the Digital Content Forum (DCF) - a collection of trade associations that government departments can talk to gain views and feedback. The IAB is a founder of the DCF and IAB members have acted as DCF directors. DCF grew from liaison work between the DTI and the digital content industries. The Executive and the specific working groups advise government on the draft legislation they send to us. Its structure is similar to the IAB's with a series of specialist working groups that focus on a range of issues.

80. What is the Digital Content Forum?
The Digital Content Forum (DCF) is a collection of trade associations that government departments can talk to in order to gain views and feedback. The IAB is a founder of the DCF and IAB members have acted as DCF directors. DCF grew from liaison work between the DTI and the digital content industries. The Executive and the specific working groups advise government on the draft legislation they send to us. Its structure is similar to the IAB's with a series of specialist working groups that focus on a range of issues.