Two years ago, the UK's ISBA and AOP collaborated with PwC, seeking transparency in programmatic advertising supply chains from advertiser to publisher. The findings were alarming; 15% of the spend, termed as 'unknown delta', was inexplicably missing.

Responding to the 2020 findings, an industry taskforce was created, encompassing ISBA, AOP, IAB, IPA, and others, supported by PwC. Their aim was clear: address data quality concerns and decipher the 15% 'unknown delta'. By 2022, tools introduced by this taskforce had substantially enhanced data accuracy. Moreover, the 'unknown delta' saw a sharp decline, from a restated 17% in 2020 to just 3% in 2022.

The study now advocates refining data access tools, promoting investment in private marketplace deals, and establishing consistent taxonomies, aiming for total transparency and efficiency in programmatic advertising.