Last week, Google posted an update about DV360 that said invalid impressions would “increase by 100%.” As you can imagine, people panicked. The assumption was that ad fraud was suddenly spiking, bots were flooding campaigns, and budgets were about to take a hit.
But that wasn’t actually the case. It turns out the increase was due to a reporting change—not a rise in fraudulent activity. There were no new charges, no sudden wave of invalid traffic—just a shift in how certain impressions were being classified. The problem wasn’t the product. It was the message.
And that’s the point.
In AdTech, even great products can cause unnecessary confusion or mistrust if the communication around them isn’t clear. A vague headline, an overly technical explanation, or a missing bit of context can trigger emails, Slack threads, and crisis-mode calls that waste time and erode confidence.
Clarity in messaging isn’t just a marketing task—it’s a business risk. When you're dealing with systems that move billions of impressions, where metrics tie directly to spend, and where buyers and sellers rely on data to make fast decisions, words matter. A lot.
It’s not enough to have the right data or to fix something behind the scenes. If you can’t explain what changed, why it changed, and what it means for the customer, you’re leaving room for doubt. And in this industry, doubt spreads fast.
This doesn’t mean you need to over-explain every technical update. But it does mean that every public communication—whether it’s a release note, status update, or dashboard alert—should be reviewed through a simple lens: will this cause confusion?
If it might, clarify it. Add an example. Explain the “why.” Say what it is, and what it’s not.
Because as we saw with the DV360 example, people don’t wait for the fine print—they react to the headline. And if the message isn’t clear, you’ll be spending your time correcting assumptions instead of moving forward.
So whether you’re in product, marketing, or support, here’s the takeaway: Say what you mean. Be accurate. Add context. Clarity builds trust. And in a space as complex as AdTech, that trust is everything.
Sam Khoury
Founder, Cedar Consultants
Creative consulting solutions for Adtech
