Newsletter 8.18

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2020 & 2019 Weekly CPMs

This week we explore weekly and YoY CPM trends. The most notable takeaway is that despite being down from 2019 levels, 2020 CPMs are following the EXACT same trends as last year. If this continues, we should see a healthy CPM increase during Q4. And if our publishers are right, possibly hitting 2019 levels with advertisers looking to make up spend and drive sales.

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  • CPMs started the year in line and slightly up over 2019 levels before precipitously dropping around Week 11 due to COVID. 

  • Week 16 CPMs were down 41% YoY.

  • CPMs started climbing in Week 23 and have been in lock-step with 2019 trends over the last 11 weeks. 

  • CPMs in the last 11 weeks have been returning to Q1 2020 levels, but are still 20% below last year.

Device Type: Desktop & Mobile

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  • Desktop and Mobile CPMs began converging around Week 17 with Mobile CPMs only 5% below Desktop by week 20. The CPM gap widened to 13% by Week 33.

  • Mobile CPMs have displayed more resilience than Desktop in 2020, with Mobile CPMs surpassing pre-COVID levels by week 25 while Desktop continues to struggle to meet pre-COVID CPMs.

Creative Size CPMs YoY

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  • 2020 Video CPMs are 40% below 2019 CPMs dropping ~$3.30 in 2020. Video CPMs are unlikely to recover to 2019 levels.

  • 300x250 is 22% below 2019, but has been gradually increasing in the last 5 weeks.

Advertiser Data: Biggest Movers

You can view this week’s Top 50 Advertisers Gainers and Decliners chart here.

The right column compares Y/Y trends of the 4 week average of Weeks 30-33 2020 vs 2019. The left column compares W/W trends from Week 33 vs Week 32.

At A Glance: 

  • Not highlighted in today’s table, but important to know CPMs have been making a comeback with some unusual summer peaks.

  • Unilever is having a big summer with high levels of spend, up 19% this week, while P&G is dark or avoiding programmatic.

  • Seeing activity in the Finance category, outside of Lending Tree, with steady increases from Wells Fargo and Fidelity Investments, both hitting new 2020 highs. American Express has finally made a reappearance returning to mid-March levels this past week.