(Bloomberg) Facebook Inc. built a colossal business based on measuring something older advertising methods cannot: the granular details about people. Two months ago, the company copped to a flaw in that measurement. Then Facebook did it again. And again.
On Friday, Facebook revealed faulty metrics with Instant Articles, its mobile publishing system, the fourth disclosure of a measurement error since September. The admission sharpened calls for more independent organizations to monitor the performance of digital advertising. And some large firms that buy a lot of ads said they will more closely scrutinize their spending on the social networking giant and could shift marketing dollars elsewhere.
“People will take a step back and certainly look again where Facebook sits in their marketing mix,” said Rob Norman, chief digital officer for ad buyer GroupM. “My sense is that a more pragmatic air will prevail,” comparing the relationship between advertisers and the company to a marriage moving beyond the honeymoon stage.
