Tailwind and IAS (Integral Ad Science) recently announced a strategic partnership for the full roll-out of the IAS Media Quality Verification & Brand Safety solutions across the region. Csaba Szabo, Managing Director of EMEA at IAS, and Wajahat Osmani, Commercial Head – MENA at Tailwind, share the significance of this collaboration. They also delve into how the collaboration will enhance media quality, the unique challenges of the MENA market, and the evolving role of attention metrics in digital advertising effectiveness.
You recently announced your regional partnership to support the expansion of IAS Media Quality Verification & Brand Safety solutions in MENA.
Why? Why now?
Csaba Szabo, MD EMEA, IAS: Through this relationship with Tailwind, we are bringing our industry-leading, AI-driven solutions to customers across MENA to help them drive superior results for their businesses. Together with Tailwind, we are looking to grow within the region and accelerate rollout of IAS’s innovative brand safety products like Total Media Quality across social platforms and premium content on the open web.
In Tailwind, we have a recognised and trusted partner who understands cultural differences, as well as differences in the media and advertising landscape, across the region. As a global, leading media measurement and optimisation company, we are committed to providing our customers with the best level of service around the world. Tailwind will represent us as the interface with local agencies and brands to help educate and support them on our products and services, as the team shares in our commitment to provide that high level of quality service.
Wajahat Osmani, Commercial Head – MENA, Tailwind EMEA: At Tailwind, we’ve been leading the ad-tech scene in MENA for over a decade, with deep local knowledge and broad reach. The decision to collaborate with IAS aligns perfectly with our shared commitment to enhance media quality, brand safety, trust, and transparency in advertising.
Today’s media landscape is more complex than ever, so having the right tools and local insights is crucial. Combining our regional knowledge and relationships with IAS’s cutting-edge solutions, we empower brands to make informed decisions and safeguard their investments. This collaboration elevates standards across MENA, reinforcing our mission to drive innovation and excellence in digital advertising.
How is this region different from other markets and how does it compare to the global benchmarks?
Osmani: The MENA region stands out for its exceptionally high social media usage, with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat driving significant engagement above global averages.
Unlike other markets, MENA’s diverse local markets, each with unique cultural and economic contexts, require tailored approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy. Media Quality Reports indicate that while MENA often exceeds global benchmarks in viewability and engagement, variations exist across media formats and verticals.
To address these nuances and promote standardisation, we are preparing a whitepaper to provide insights and guidelines for enhancing performance across the region’s diverse markets.
How is the CMO to benefit from IAS’s solutions?
Szabo: Digital media is increasingly complex, challenging marketers’ ability to know what’s working and potentially leaving brands at risk. CMOs are doubling-down on ROI and efficiency to ensure they’re making the most out of their digital advertising investments. And they’re being pushed to drive ROI while budgets come under increasing scrutiny. Globally, IAS provides the solutions for CMOs to confidently safeguard and scale their brands across the digital media ecosystem; the open web, social platforms, CTV and emerging media like gaming or audio. We help CMOs reduce waste, increase the efficiency of and optimise their media campaigns, and protect their brand through trusted and transparent technology.
As an example, Tailwind recently announced that IAS’s Quality Attention product is now available for customers in the region. Quality Attention is purpose-built to help brands and agencies seamlessly navigate the media landscape to understand how the visibility, environment, and interaction of an ad impression impacts campaign performance and predict if an impression is more likely to lead to a business result including awareness, consideration, and conversion.
IAS also has our flagship Total Media Quality (TMQ) product that uses industry-leading frame-by-frame video analysis, combining signals such as image, audio and text to keep brands safe and deliver scale across all major global social platforms.
Where do local agencies come into this? How do you see their role?
Osmani: Local agencies play a crucial role in the region’s fast-paced and complex digital landscape, especially since they’re so close to clients and understand regional nuances better than anyone. They act as the bridge between local needs and global opportunities, ensuring that campaigns are not just protected and optimised, but also resonate deeply with local audiences.
Our partnership with IAS is all about empowering these local players with world-class solutions, levelling the playing field. We give agencies the tools they need to not only navigate this complexity, but to lead in it, delivering better outcomes and stronger brand value across the board.
There is lots of discussion on attention these days. Is it a fad or an industry changing development that is here to stay?
Szabo: Attention is becoming one of the most important metrics in digital media. Capturing and maintaining consumer attention is more critical than ever, and traditional proxy metrics simply don’t cut it anymore. Attention measurement provides deeper insights into how consumers interact with ads, indicating whether the message truly resonates. Unlike engagement metrics (like clicks) — which only tell part of the story — attention ad measurement gauges the quality and depth of consumer interest, making it a more accurate predictor of ad effectiveness and business results.
Through IAS’s Quality Attention, we have seen that higher attention scores translate to higher brand consideration and higher intent to purchase, as well as a higher lift in conversion rate when optimising for Quality Attention impressions.
Osmani: To top that off, we are happy to announce that IAS’s Quality Attention measurement is now fully available to our client partners in MENA as well, and we will soon be releasing the first local case studies.
Education seems to be as important as support. What are your immediate plans for enhancing education in the market?
Osmani: To enhance education in the market, at Tailwind we are prioritising several key initiatives. First, we are developing locally relevant benchmarks and whitepapers to provide actionable insights tailored to the MENA region. We will also compile local case studies that highlight successful strategies and practices specific to this market.
Additionally, we plan to organise educational events in collaboration with agency partners and key clients to facilitate knowledge sharing. We are also working closely with local industry bodies such as IAB MENA to support and contribute to broader industry initiatives, ensuring a comprehensive approach to market education, so stay tuned.
