The accreditation certifies that Integral’s ad viewability services adhere to MRC’s Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research and to industry-accepted standards for digital campaign measurement.

“When we analysed campaign data, we noticed that many viewable impressions were being served to non-human traffic, and we concluded that simply measuring whether ads are in or out of view is not enough,” said Scott Knoll, CEO of Integral Ad Science. “MRC’s recognition of our approach underscores its value for digital media buyers and sellers who are striving to adhere to and set high standards of media quality.”

The MRC currently has an advisory in place, warning the industry off making a premature shift to viewability as a trading currency. This is expected to have been lifted by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

News of Integral’s MRC accreditation was welcomed by Nielsen, for whom Integral provides viewability reporting metrics for Nielsen’s Online Campaign Ratings.

Megan Clarken, Nielsen’s executive vice-president of global product leadership, said: “While Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings is not currently accredited by MRC for viewability, as a result of Integral’s viewability accreditation, Nielsen is now working with the MRC on viewability accreditation for Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings, which is already MRC accredited for gross rating points (GRPs), unique users and unique cookies.”