WTF is the IAB's Redefining Media Types standard?

**Kamika McCoy** (0:10)
Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of The Digiday Podcast, a show for anyone wondering if gas station TV, the airport TVs, and the TVs that are in your taxi or your Uber count as TV. I'm Kamika McCoy, Senior Marketing Reporter here at Digiday.

**Tim Peterson** (0:27)
And I'm Tim Peterson, Executive Editor of Video and Audio, Digiday Media, and someone who has been asking this question, and also feeling like there's a very clear answer to this question for a long time. But Kamika, we finally have an industry level answer to this question. So the Interactive Advertising Bureau in, I think, mid-July released what's called the Redefining Media Types Standard.

**Kamika McCoy** (0:56)
Or RMT.

**Tim Peterson** (0:57)
I hate the name.
RMT Standard. I do not like the name, but I really appreciate what they're trying to do here, which is define and categorize the different forms of digital video and the different signals. Basically, they're trying to create more of a coherent menu for digital video for advertising purposes. But one of the things that they're doing in there is they're specifically declaring that those connected TVs you see in public ambient spaces like an airport terminal, a restaurant, a bar, that is not connected TV, which now gives me something I can point to, to all the companies that pitch me on those public ambient displays, these digital out of home companies trying to claim themselves as connected TV ad sellers. And so to talk about all of this, we had Jamie Finstein, who is the VP of the Media Center at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, come on to talk about RMT, what they're doing with this standard, as well as the feedback that they're getting, because they're in a public comment period currently. That's just about wrapping up. So anyone who wants to get in some thoughts on the standard, including hopefully what maybe the name of it could be instead of RMT standard, you can be providing that feedback now. But Kamika, what did you think of this conversation?

**Kamika McCoy** (2:37)
I think we had one VP at the IAB talking about RMT standard. If you really, really, really want to get heavy into the acronyms.
I think it's helpful. One of the things that I've been talking to media buyers about is a frustration about categorizing the booming business that is CTV and digital video. They're spending more money there, but of course, we're in this period where every dollar has to account and be working. So, having a push toward an industry standard category summary I think is helpful for some of these media buyers as to how they place their dollars, how they define what type of media this is. It also speaks a lot more, which I found the most surprising, how consumers actually watch TV. It's hard for them to get out of their navel gazing as marketers. So, I think it's interesting to bring in the consumer perspective, whether YouTube TV, IAB TV, because I'm watching it on my big screen, or if it's a small screen activity, does it then count as something else? So, I thought it was really interesting.

**Tim Peterson** (3:36)
Yeah, like when she says something along the lines of, no normal person sits down and says, hey, you want to watch some AVOD right now?

**Kamika McCoy** (3:44)
Yeah. So, we definitely need parameters, and I'm glad that the IAB sat down to talk with us about what those parameters look like.

**Tim Peterson** (3:52)
Yeah, so for as technical subject matter it is, I thought it was really entertaining, and insightful conversation is also great. You asked her a number of times about the feedback that they've been getting since putting the standard out for public comment, and I thought it was really enlightening to hear what that feedback has been.

**Kamika McCoy** (4:14)
Yeah, same, same. They've got, like you mentioned, until August 8th, so this is only the humble beginnings of what that feedback looks like. So, in addition to the name, there may be several other things that come up as media buyers work through what the future of CTV looks like for them.

**Tim Peterson** (4:30)
Yep, and then the long slog towards adoption, which is never a quick process, but we won't get into that now. Let's get into the interview.
We're very glad to have you. I appreciate, and I think I'll speak on behalf of Kamiko for this too, the work you all are doing at IAB with this Redefining Media Types standard. One reason, because you finally clearly distinguish out of home from CTV, and I can't tell you the number of pitches I've gotten over the years from companies pitching digital out of home as CTV, and me having to explain to them, no, that is not connected TV. The name of the standard, though, there's room for more appreciation. Redefining Media Types standard, why that name before we get into what exactly this is? Because it's an accurate name for what it is, but it doesn't come easily off the tongue.