Viewability is undoubtedly one of the biggest hot button issues in the digital marketing world. A recent survey found that more than 60% of digital media and advertising executives polled, voted viewability the number one challenge for the digital marketing industry in 2015. In the simplest terms, it is defined as whether a person can actually see an ad, but it can also help more accurately measure impressions. Unfortunately, the same survey found that about 65% of those executives do not believe that the majority of digital publishers will figure out how to ensure high viewability, by year’s end.

Without accurate viewability measurement, it can be difficult to confidently prove the success of programmatic ad campaigns. If a person is scrolling on the mobile web, and scrolls past a loaded, playing video ad onscreen, did that person actually ‘view’ the video, and should the brand pay for that impression? The definition of viewability becomes murky and contested—how much of the video ad should be visible? And for how long? These questions and others must be answered to prove the ROI to the brand advertiser.

With so many questions and confusion surrounding viewability, when will we get to clarity and consensus? Who will take the lead in helping publishers, marketers, and brands better understand viewability and turn this disagreement into a usable metric for better campaign ROI? Stay tuned.