Blockchain is poised to revolutionize digital advertising in ways that bring a transparency to theindustry that's been sorely lacking for quite some time. Previously, the method of purchasingadvertising in New Zealand -- like much of the world -- consisted of an agreement between theclient and the agency regarding the type of media to be used. With the advent of digital solutions,programmatic advertising and ad tech that paved the way for a range of measurement metrics andad servers, the pathway between a client and their advertising has become murky.

Blockchain Improves Trust

The very makeup of blockchain builds transparency and trust because it's made up of a hugedatabase that's constantly being updated. Once a transaction has been validated, its details areinstantly recorded across all the network databases. Another layer of protection lies in the fact thatblockchain's inherent design that doesn't allow its data to be altered after it's been validated andcommitted to the network. Blockchain provides clients with an accuracy and transparency that worktogether to reduce the possibility of manipulation.

Increase Productivity by Using Blockchain

Just as the internet broke down communication barriers and brought people from across the globecloser, blockchain could be a transformative element in the NZ advertising industry. Not only will ithelp advertisers project transparency and build trust, it can boost efficiency in some basic ways. Forexample, streamlining contracts and improving invoice processing while reducing the costs oftransactions add up to an increase in production.

IBM: A Leader in Blockchain Technology

IBM's iX, the company's digital agency arm that focuses on providing personalised experience via anumber of services such as wearable, scalable digital, mobile and analytics platforms, leads the wayin building blockchain solutions that will solve many of the issues that digital media experiences.Partnering with Unilever, IBM Blockchain utilized smart contracts that are able to validate figuresinstantly. This allows any discrepancies to be addressed right away instead of them taking weeks oreven months to be worked through. By testing their historical data, IBM has confirmed thatblockchain technology is able to provide a unified and reconciled view of media buys.

Not only will blockchain technology reduce the amount of fraud experience within the NZadvertising industry, it will usher in an improved set of measurement standards. Blockchain is thekey to the advertising industry of the future.