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• SERVERS
  • Does the announced technical break mean that at that time the codes will not function and cause longer website loading times? No. Technical breaks result in only a temporary lack of access to the interface. Sometimes this applies to only one part of the interface (eg. statistics). In such cases we will inform you which parts of the interface are not accessible during the technical break. Technical breaks do not cause a lack of ad impressions nor problems with downloading the code.
  • We plan to work in a server room. Does AdOcean system start to work unprompted after the server is restarted? Yes. The AdOcean server starts its operation after the computer is restarted. In order to ensure infallible system performance we ask that you inform us at times of restart. Then we will be able to monitor the system and ensure that all modules are working infallibly.
  • What is AdOcean emitter? The emitter is a module which is responsible for transferring relevant ads to the Internet user's browser. ? The emitter is a module which is responsible for transferring relevant ads to the Internet user's browser. The browser of the user who opens the web site with an AdOcean placement code executes the code of this placement. Code execution causes a connection with the server and relevant parameters trigger off an invocation of the server. This server is actually the emitter. On the basis of the received parameters, the emitter decides which ad should be displayed to the user and, in answer to the received request, it sends the code of a relevant creative to the browser.
    
    The emitter frequently shares one computer with the hitcollector.
  • What is a hitcollector? The AdOcean hitcollector is the AdOcean module responsible for collecting data on emitted creatives. At the time when the creative is displayed, the hitcollector is invoked and it informs about the fact of displaying the creative to the user. Along with the information on displaying creatives, some additional data are collected as well (information sent by a standard and popular browser such as Internet Explorer or Fire Fox), eg. data on versions of browsers, the user’s IP, etc.
  • Is it possible to display ads on websites supporting https? Yes. The ad impression module is prepared to execute ad impressions on https web sites. However, in order to enable the module to execute ad impressions on https web sites, it is necessary to install an SSL certificate on the AdOcean server of the client. That is why we require prior contact pertaining to this matter.
  • In the case of ad impressions on https websites (after installing SSL certificate), is it necessary to enter any modifications into placement codes? No. The codes are adjusted to support http as well as https so there is no need to edit them.
• CAMPAIGNS/ IMPRESSIONS
  • What is the system reaction time for the changes introduced into definitions of relevant campaign? The system is prepared to react to introduced definition changes without delay. Any campaign may be stopped at any moment (reaction time is up to 30 s), you can introduce any modifications and resume the campaign without delay.
  • What are the actions? An action means that a user who has contact with an ad executes a gemiusTraffic script. For AdOcean an action means an event which is an execution by the user who had contact with the ad of a relevant campaign, a script from gemiusTraffic research.
    
    AdOcean is capable of providing data on persons who (after contact with the ad, such as display or display and click) executed a Page View of the web site where the gemiusTraffic research code has been placed.
    
  • How can I add actions to a campaign? In order to add actions to a relevant campaign, it is necessary to send us an e-mail with the request to add a particular action and specify the name of the campaign and the gemiusTraffic ID script which is placed on the action site (the ID has the following form: "v8cBxtm5bCwyuTHTddf_lDyhvT.el4bQ_NxVKMe66KT.C7"). Alternatively, you can provide a link to the action site instead of the ID script.
  • What are landing pads? Generally speaking, a landing pad is a target ad web site, which is the web site that opens after clicking a particular ad of a relevant campaign. This term is frequently employed with reference to gemiusTraffic research scripts placed on target web sites. A gemiusTraffic script may be added to AdOcean in such a way that it will calculate statistics showing the so-called "successful clicks", ie. the number of target web site Page Views after clicking the relevant ad.
  • How can I add landing pads to a campaign? In order to add a landing pad to a campaign, it is necessary to send us an e-mail with the request to add a calculation of successful clicks and to specify the name of the campaign and the gemiusTraffic ID script which is placed on the action site (the ID has the following form: "v8cBxtm5bCwyuTHTddf_lDyhvT.el4bQ_NxVKMe66KT.C7"). Alternatively, you can provide a link to the action site instead of the ID script.
  • Help! The ad has not been emitted. Such a situation usually requires immediate reaction. As a result, it is of PARAMOUNT importance to provide all of the necessary information which will allow us to localise and tackle the problem as soon as possible. The more detailed the information, the faster the problem will be sorted out.
    
    Necessary information includes:
    
    
    
    • the full name of the campaign the problem applies to
    
    
    • the names of the orders the problem applies to
    
    
    • the names of placements with a publisher/service name where the ad impression has not been executed (alternatively, the full web site/whole service name)
    
    
    • the name of the creative the problem applies to
    
    
    • describe briefly and succinctly the last change introduced if the problem seems to be connected with it
    
    
    • any additional information which may be connected with the problem and which would help us find a solution
    
    
    
    It is necessary to remember to quote full names (not only fragments or approximate names) even if the names seem to be unambiguous.
    
    We recommend that you give up the edition of a particular campaign until the solution to the problem is found. Only then will it be easier for us to localise and tackle the problem.
    
  • What is SURROUND? Surround is a special order type which is characteristic of the display of selected multiple creatives at the same time, during one Page View.
    For example, if there are three placements in the MASTER/SLAVE structure of a web site: billboard, skyscraper, box, then the surround will display three ad types defined in one Surround. This way, when executing a Page View, any user is surrounded by the ads of a relevant campaign.
  • How does the option "BestPerforming" operate? The "BestPerforming" option operates in such a way that after the specified date is crossed, only those creatives will be emitted on placements which achieved the highest "click through rate" (CTR) and those whose CTR places them in the Top 10% of the highest CTR (CTR is calculated separately for each placement). Starting from the specified date, CTR is calculated daily for the whole set of creatives and everyday creatives are emitted on the basis of CTR .
  • How does the option of sequence impression operate? Creatives defined in a sequence will be emitted one after the other, starting from the first creative in the sequence and ending with the last creative specified in the sequence. Thus, the last creative will be further emitted all the time. For example, if we have specified three creatives (A,B,C) in a sequence, then the impressions of this sequence will look like the following: first creative A will be emitted to the user, then B, and finally C, and further on the user will have creative C emitted all the time. Obviously enough, impressions will be executed only up to the limit specified in the relevant order for this cycle.
  • I can't define a campaign with keywords. I need help. In order to define a campaign using keywords, it is necessary to do the following:
    
    
    
    • Define a campaign with AdOcean.
      It is necessary to add targeting at keywords in the campaign. In the text field, enter words separated with commas, eg. "folder, file, cover". This stands for targeting at any of those three words or at all those three words at the same time. The system guarantees infallible performance with ASCII symbols, from 33 (!) to 126 (~), apart from "," and ":". However, it ignores letter size and thus converts all uppercase letters into lowercase.
    
    
    
    • Prepare a web site for such a type of campaign.
      In order to ensure the launch of the campaign defined in such a way, it is necessary to transfer the parameters (keywords entered by the Internet user) from the browser to the placement code on the relevant web site (ie. the resultative web site of the browser), and in the placement code on which creatives with such a capping will be emitted, add the following parameter to the URL: "&key=plik,katalog,ramka,zegarek".
    
    
    
    
• STATISTICS
  • How often do you update statistics? Statistics for commercial campaigns are updated every 2 hours. Please bear in mind, however, that statistics for the last two available hours will not be full and conclusive.
    
    Statistics for autopromotional campaigns are updated once a day.
    
    In the publisher's access, general data derived from the advertising space of a particular publisher are also updated once a day.
    
  • Can you explain the reasons underlying the differences in statistical data provided by AdOcean and the statistics available at adserver X. It seems obvious to us that the statistics should present the same data. It is very important to realise that there will always be differences in statistics provided by two different adservers. There are two main reasons for this:
    
    
    
    • different methodologies for summing up ad impressions (different ways of sending and registering cookies, different methods of ad impression, different moments when an ad server considers an ad impression executed, etc.).
    
    
    • wastes at connection links. Scripts which sum up information from two ad servers are always placed in different fragments of the web site. As a rule, one script is always executed as first in relation to the other. In such a situation, the script which will be executed as second will always record fewer counts. It is a regular statistical phenomenon which results in the fact that some part of the connections fails (problems with the Internet, shutting down browsers by users, clicking a link before the web site is fully loaded). The differences will be bigger when more time passes between counting the information by two systems. The richer the content of the web site (the more KB are downloaded between the execution of two scripts), the bigger the difference in statistics.
    
    
    
    
    It is common knowledge that the statistics used by AdOcean are collected with the use of Gemius technology (the gemiusDirectEffect study). This study calculates ad impression at the time when it can be almost certainly assumed that the script displaying the advertisement has been downloaded and executed by the browser. Moreover, in the case of range campaigns (with the limit of displays per user), the calculation is performed only if the user's browser supports cookies. Therefore, due to the conditions for counting ad impressions by AdOcean, the results may be a few percentage points lower than the ones displayed by other adservers. Generally, differences up to 10% are considered acceptable and regular.
    
    If differences in the statistics are bigger, and/or the differences recorded on subsequent days differ more than considerably, then the problem does not concern the methodology but lies somewhere else and the real reason has to be identified. In such cases, we always start by checking the performance of the adserver (emitter) at a specified time and then we proceed by analysing the differences in statistics. As it frequently happens, the reason may be the misplacement of scripts calculating the ad impression on the adserver. If the matter, however, requires further explanation, then we are capable of providing raw data (ie. logs with the numbers of cookies and the exact timestamp related to the measurement and calculation of all of the events of a relevant campaign.
    
    It is of paramount importance that the sooner the differences in the calculation are reported to us, the bigger the chance is to identify the problem quickly. The best situation is when the campaign has not been completed.
    
    When reporting such problems, it is recommended to specify the full name of the relevant campaign, orders or creatives which the problem applies to and to send in a detailed report on the statistics from adserver X.
    
  • Why does AdOcean use statistics provided by Gemius? The methodology of transmitting cookies and measuring statistics by Gemius SA is very well prepared. As a research company, Gemius SA has been dealing with conducting research on the Internet and thus it is a renowned and well-established brand on the Polish market, which is confirmed by the IAB certificate. AdOcean uses statistics provided by Gemius due to their accuracy and reliability.
  • Why are there only few (or none) successful clicks (low CR indicator) in campaign A? Why are there only few (or none) successful clicks (low CR indicator) in campaign A? The most probable reasons are the following:
    
    
    
    
    • There is no script (assigned to the calculation of successful clicks) for the gemiusTraffic study on the target web site (or it is wrongly pasted onto the HTML code of the relevant web site). It is also possible that the script has already been placed on the web site, but it was not there the day before.
    
    
    • Clicking on the creative does not lead to the target web site.
    
    
    • One single creative has a few different target web sites (some part of the space for the creative redirects to one web site, the other part redirects to the other web site).
    
    
    
    
    In the case of low CR the reason may be related partly to the creative and partly to the target web site.
    
    
    
    
    • Any creative may be constructed in such a way that clicking on it does not result in immediate redirection to the web site and requires waiting for a few seconds. Usually an Internet user does not wait for such a redirection but rather shuts down the ad and switches to a different subwebsite.
    
    
    
    • Usually in the case of so-called "aggressive" creatives, the CR indicator is lower. Such a creative is characteristic of the fact that it can be easily clicked on by accident. For example, it may contain a sign which looks like closing down the creative, or it may be extremely big, or transparent. Generally, the Internet user clicks randomly and when he/she notices a window which is opening, he/she does not wait until the web site is fully loaded but rather decides to shut down the said window.
    
    
    
    • The reason may also be the failure of any kind of overload of a target web site server. It is possible that an increase in traffic on the advertiser's web site, which is caused by ad impressions, reaches such high levels that the web site server fails to handle such intensity. The target web site will load slowly and at the same time there will be fewer successful clicks (measured after a full loading of the target web site).
    
    
    
    • Another reason may be the very design of the web site with redirection. Sometimes a target web site is constructed in such a way that redirection into the subsequent web site is executed first. It is possible that such a redirection is not working properly (eg. not on all browsers) or it causes longer loading time for a web site. Then there will definitely be fewer successful clicks.
    
    
    
    • The web site may be loading slowly because of a poor connection link, network overload, or that the content of the web site is rich and its loading is more time-consuming. Such a situation happens when a web site is developed in flash technology and it is necessary to wait until the flash file is fully loaded in order to display the web site. Then users tend not to wait but rather close down the web site before it is fully loaded, which results in a lower CR indicator.
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  • Why are there so few clicks for campaign A (low CTR indicator)? The reasons for small number of clicks may be the following:
    
    
    
    • Creative is non-clickable.
    
    
    • Any creative may be constructed in such a way that clicking on it does not result in immediate redirection to the website, and requires waiting for a couple of seconds. Usually, any Internet user does not wait for such a redirection but he rather shuts down the ad and switches to different subwebsite. Because the click is counted upon the moment of redirection, which did not happen, then the said click will not be counted.
    
    
    • Lack of the pasted code for clicking in places for redirection to target website. In the case of creatives of HTML/JS type, the code for calculating clicks has to be placed (using a macro <%%REDIR%%>) at any place which redirects to target website. If there are a couple of such places, it may happen that some of them (and maybe even all of them) will be omitted by mistake.
    
    
  • What is the difference between trial ad impressions executed and measured by AdOcean and the ones measured by gDE? The number of trial ad impressions is always 5-15% higher than gDE ad impressions. This is a regular phenomenon. Ad impression trials are the data from the emitter. This data is not corrected relative to gDE and it eliminates from the overall number of ad impressions those which have not been executed (eg. due to connection failures, closing the browser's window, overclicking before extending the ad onto the following web site).
  • Why are there so many trial ad impressions and so few ad impressions measured by gDE (Why do the trial ad impressions occur and gDE does not register them)? Why are there so many trial ad impressions and so few ad impressions measured by gDE (Why do the trial ad impressions occur and gDE does not register them)? The number of trial ad impressions is always 5-15% higher than the ad impressions measured by gDE. This is a regular phenomenon (see the description in the answer to the preceding question). In the case of some creatives it may happen that this difference is even higher or there are trial ad impressions without gDE counts. Usually the reason may be the flawed code of a creative. The code counting ad impressions through gDE is placed at the end of the creative code. If the creative code is flawed, then the ad impression will not be correct for sure. If the counting code of gDE cannot be executed because of a flawed creative code, then the trial ad impressions will be executed (the emitter actually emitted the creative code) but they will not be counted by gDE because the creative code was flawed. It often happens that the problem with javascript code occurs only with a particular type of Internet browser. In such cases, gDE counts will be recorded only for those browsers where the error has not occurred. At the same time, ad impression trials will be recorded for all browsers.
• ADVERTISING SPACE
  • Is it possible to insert advertising space automatically, for example from a spreadsheet? Advertising space provided by publishers/web sites is very extensive and inserting it manually would be an extremely labour-intensive process. Is it possible to insert advertising space automatically, for example from a spreadsheet? Advertising space provided by publishers/web sites is very extensive and inserting it manually would be an extremely labour-intensive process. Yes. It is facilitated by a custom-designed file format CSV (it can also be a file from any spreadsheet). You can send us the advertising space in such a file and we will add it to the interface.
  • Is it possible to emit only creative type A (eg. billboard) on the placement defined as type A (billboard)? Is it possible to emit only creative type A (eg. billboard) on the placement defined as type A (billboard)? Each placement allows you to emit any type or format of a creative. The placement type facilitates the selection of space for an ad impression and presentation of statistics. It does not, however, narrow down the scope of creative types which can be emitted.
  • How should I insert placement codes which are contained in the MASTER/SLAVE structure? In the MASTER/SLAVE structure we receive placement codes of the SLAVE type and one code of the MASTER type to be pasted.
    
    On one site the MASTER code should be inserted in the section of the HTML code of a relevant web site. The SLAVE codes should be pasted into places where ads are planned to be displayed (eg. the SLAVE code for a billboard should be pasted into the place where this billboard will be displayed, etc.). Therefore, on one site there should be one MASTER code and as many SLAVE codes as there were defined.
    
    The SLAVE codes are subject to the MASTER code, so it is VERY important that all of the SLAVE codes are placed always and only with their corresponding MASTER codes. No changes are recommended, eg. placing the MASTER code on one web site and only a few SLAVE codes and placing another part of the SLAVE codes with the same MASTER code on another web site.
    
    Inserting all codes of the SLAVE type is not equivalent to the situation when all types of ads are immediately displayed on the relevant web site. As in normal cases, it is subject to campaign definitions.
    
  • Is it possible to facilitate (to automate) pasting scripts in the case of websites developed dynamically? Regular placement codes may differ in the following ways:
    
    
    
    • script ID. It looks the following way: id="TEST_GEMIUS.wydawca1.Testowy_Placement"
    
    
    
    
    • TEST_GEMIUS is a name indicating which user (administrator) owns relevant placement.
    
    
    • wydawca1 is a name of a publisher
    
    
    • Testowy_Placement is a name of specific placement
    
    
    
    
    • placement ID. It is a code in the following form : v8cBxtm5bCwyuTHTddf_lDyhvT.el4bQ_NxVKMe66KT.C7, the number of symbols is fixed.
    
    
    
    
    Therefore, if a website is developed dynamically we can use a script template through inserting variables under a (script ID) and b (placement ID), which will be converted into specific values when developing the code.
  • How should I insert placement codes, which are contained in MASTER/SLAVE structure? In MASTER/SLAVE structure we receive placement codes of SLAVE type and one code of MASTER type to be pasted.
    
    On one site MASTER code should be inserted in the <HEAD> section of HTML code of relevant website. SLAVE codes should be pasted into places where ads are planned to be displayed (eg SLAVE code for billboard should be pasted into place where this billboard will be displayed etc). Hence on one site there should be one MASTER code and as many SLAVE codes are there were defined.
    
    SLAVE codes are subject to MASTER code, so it is VERY important that all SLAVE codes be placed always and only with their corresponding MASTER codes. Any changes are not recommended at all, eg placing MASTER code on one website and only a couple of SLAVE codes, and placing on the other website another part of SLAVE codes with the same MASTER code.
    
    Inserting all codes of SLAVE type is not equivalent to the situation when all types of ads are immediately displayed on the relevant website. As in usual cases, it is subject to campaign definitions.
  • We would like to allow our publisher to manage his/her advertising space. How should we do this? In such a situation, we would like to ask you to contact us via e-mail (help@adocean.pl) and provide the login of the publisher who will receive access allowing him/her to administer and manage his/her part of the advertising space.
• CREATIVES
  • I would like to display a brandmark. It is not displayed in the proper layer but in the middle of the web site, which spoils its layout. Layer creatives of such types as: brandmark, toplayer, expand or scroller require a special creative code. They cannot be defined as regular creatives of the SWF/IMG type.
    
    Such types of creatives should be defined as HTML or JS type where the script describing the flash object should be inserted (pasted). This code contains javascript functions to open creatives, minimise, drag, etc. The most important function of this code is, however, the opportunity to place the object in the layer on the web site, not directly on the surface of a web site.
    
    There are many creative agencies which deal with the preparation of such a code. Alternatively, one may use creative templates in the list in the upper part of the panel for adding creatives of the HTML or JS type.
    
  • Where should I upload creative files. I can't see such an option. Adserver is not a creative server. Each user should have some space on a creative server. When defining creatives, it is recommended to use ready-made links to swf, jpg or gif files.
    
    You can also integrate such a creative server with the AdOcean interface in order to ensure that files can be uploaded onto the server at the same time when the creatives are being defined with AdOcean. In order to add a creative server, it is necessary to give authorised AdOcean employees data on access to the server which has the following parameters: access through the ssh, scp, http server. The data related to configuration and the server which has to be made available should include the following:
    
    
    
    • domain
    
    
    
    • selected name of a server (identifier which turns up in the interface)
    
    
    • account name (login) and password
    
    
    • URL track to the content of the account
    
    
    • information if the server supports the https protocol (and if it has an ssl certificate installed)
    
    
    
    After the server is added (there may be more than one), it is possible to upload creatives directly onto the server.
    
    After prior arrangements (both a faster connection link and better hardware is required), it is possible to install a creative server on the AdOcean server and further add it to the interface. Then a user with a prepared and ready system also receives access to upload files onto a relevant server.
    
  • Is it possible to emit a creative defined as type A (eg. billboard) on the placement defined as the same type A (billboard) only? No. The creative may be emitted on any type of placement. Each placement allows you to emit any type or format of a creative. The type of creative is used to define creatives and orders and to present statistics following the types of creatives.
  • What is the specification for creatives to be emitted by AdOcean? AdOcean executes ad impressions with any specification. Each user has the opportunity to create his/her own specification for particular forms of advertising. The adserver will emit ads in such a form as entered into the interface, without any limitations as for the technique of creating a flash file, variables used, etc. The code describing advertisement performance (eg. closing toplayers, pulling down expands, minimising brandmarks) is also free and depends on the individual preferences of the system users. At the interface, there are also additional templates for main creative codes which use a sample specification of an advertising form.
  • A billboard we want to emit is created through PHP. How can we define such a creative? It is possible to emit such a creative with AdOcean. It is possible to emit such a creative with AdOcean. It has to be defined as an HTML code which will contain IFRAME with the proper size (in this context this will be billboard size), whose source will be a relevant PHP file. In order to allow the counting of clicks in such a form of creative, it is possible to add the following parameter to the PHP file: "plik.php?redir=<%%REDIR%%>", and then in the PHP file each URL that leads to a target web site should be preceded by the following received parameter: $_GET['redir'].
    Example of a creative code:
    <IFRAME WIDTH="700" HEIGHT="100" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" FRAMEBORDER="0" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" SCROLLING="no" BORDERCOLOR="#000000" SRC="http://serwer/plik.php?redir=<%%REDIR%%>"></IFRAME>
    
  • We have the usual flash banner and the client would like to assign to it an additional javasript code for a different counting system. How can I insert such a code into the ad impression? It is necessary to define the standard creative of the SWF type (or IMG, only if you have a .gif file). Then, in the same creative we add a javascript code at the subtab "HTML" or "JS". If we use the "HTML" tab, it is necessary to use opening and closing <script> tags. If we use the "JS" tab, we insert a javascript code alone, ie. without any tags.
  • The creative correctly redirects to the target web site, but no clicks are being counted. What may be the reason for this? In such a situation the problem usually is the method of redirecting encoded in the flash file ".fla". In order to check if the redirection is correctly encoded in the flash file, at the browser's window (eg. IE 6.0) we enter the URL track to a .swf file (not locally, but through http://), we add (without any spacing) the following entry to the URL: ?clickTag= (or the redirection variable which we are using) and, without any spacing as well, the URL address where the creative is to redirect and which is different from the target one for the relevant campaign, eg. http://www.adocean.pl (we use a URL different from the target one in order to ensure that proper and correct redirection is not caused by coincidence with a target link). We open a flash with the link prepared in such a way (with clickTag and URL added) and then we click on the creative. If a new window opens with the web site for which the URL has been entered then this creative is properly executed. Demonstration link: http://test.serwer.pl/flash.swf?clickTag=http://www.adocean.pl (we push "enter" here and wait until the creative is fully loaded; then we click on it and expect redirection to http://www.adocean.pl).