Case Study

Case Study: FirstImpression.io Enhances News Publisher Success with Escalated.io’s IVT Detection




Case Study: FirstImpression.io Enhances News Publisher Success with Escalated.io’s IVT Detection



Overview

FirstImpression.io, a leading Ad Tech company, creates tailored, no-code ad products for news publishers and monetizes them through partnerships with ad exchanges and Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs) to maximize revenue. However, high Invalid Traffic (IVT) rates reported by Google on several publisher sites led to payment deductions and risks of site bans, threatening partnerships and revenue.



Challenge

FirstImpression.io needed an IVT detection and prevention solution that met five critical criteria:

  • Affordability: Cost-effective, avoiding five-figure monthly fees.
  • Effectiveness: Proven ability to reduce or eliminate IVT.
  • Implementation Flexibility: Support for pre-render and post-render integrations for IVT prevention, prioritizing high-IVT sites while monitoring low-IVT sites on a sampling basis to minimize ad rendering speed impact.
  • Data Depth: Comprehensive analytics to isolate problematic traffic segments.
  • Speed: Minimal impact on page load times.

Solution

FirstImpression.io evaluated four IVT detection tools: HUMAN, Protected Media, Escalated.io, and Pixalate.

After initial assessments, Protected Media and Escalated.io were shortlisted for their affordability, flexibility, and Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT) detection capabilities. A one-week pilot was conducted across six publisher sites, primarily news-focused with dating and classifieds included to test performance across verticals. Sites had varying IVT levels (High, Medium, Low) as reported by Google. Each vendor tested three sites, using pre render IVT detection to block ad rendering for invalid traffic. After one week, vendors switched sites, and Google reassessed IVT levels.



Pilot Results

Analysis:

  • Protected Media: IVT levels remained unchanged for 4 of 6 sites, reduced for 1 site, and solved for 1 site.
  • Escalated.io: IVT levels were unchanged for 1 site, reduced for 2 sites, and solved for 3 sites.

Escalated.io demonstrated superior IVT detection and prevention, making it the clear choice.



Implementation

FirstImpression.io adopted Escalated.io’s SaaS solution, leveraging its straightforward APIs for flexible pre-render and post-render integrations. These enabled targeted IVT prevention for high IVT sites and sampling-based monitoring for low-IVT sites, minimizing ad rendering speed impact while maintaining page performance. The platform’s comprehensive analytics isolated problematic traffic segments across news, dating, and classifieds verticals. Escalated.io’s timely, transparent, and personal support ensured smooth custom integrations and ongoing assistance.



Results

  • Effective IVT Mitigation: Reduced or eliminated IVT across publisher sites, protecting revenue and Google partnerships. A high-risk publisher with high IVT was retained as a long-term customer after pre-render IVT scanning reduced invalid traffic to manageable levels.
  • Robust Analytics: Comprehensive data insights enabled proactive screening of bad-actor publishers with primarily IVT traffic across multiple verticals.
  • Exceptional Support: Timely, transparent, and personal support addressed integration challenges and incorporated user feedback to enhance the solution.
  • Strengthened Partnerships: Improved relationships with ad exchanges and SSPs, ensuring sustainable monetization for news publishers.

"Escalated.io has been a game-changer for FirstImpression.io"

Roy Peleg, Co-Founder & CEO



Conclusion


Escalated.io’s affordable, flexible, and high-performance IVT detection and prevention solution


empowered FirstImpression.io to protect its news publishers and ensure sustainable monetization. With robust analytics and outstanding support, Escalated.io has been a trusted partner for over five years, driving long-term success in a competitive Ad Tech landscape.