MAM
IAS launches Election Lab
Mumbai: Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimisation platform, has announced the launch of the IAS Election Lab. Led by IAS research and insights, data science, and brand safety specialists, the IAS Election Lab aims to provide strategic guidance and actionable insights for advertisers during the global election season.
“As election season intensifies, marketers must be increasingly mindful of the content that they run adjacent to, which could range from misinformation to undesirable subject matter that may not be brand safe or suitable,” said IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. “The IAS Election Lab is committed to using the power of data science to help brands navigate the risks and opportunities that the elections will bring and provide actionable insights to ensure marketers can focus on performance.”
The IAS Election Lab’s tentpole research addresses marketers’ concerns as we enter the election season, including how to avoid misinformation and controversial content around Super Tuesday and other political events, while continuing to effectively reach engaged audiences and maintain brand reputation.
Highlights from the IAS Election Lab research include:
1 News-related misinformation appears to rise in conjunction with high-profile news events. This year, traffic peaked two days before Super Tuesday, marking a threefold increase compared to the Q1 volume rate.
2 Ads adjacent to risky political party content had a 66 per cent lower success rate and a 29 per cent higher, or $0.82 increase, in cost per conversion. Similarly, ads adjacent to news-related misinformation had a 53 per cent lower success rate and an eight per cent higher, or $0.23 increase, in cost per conversion.
3 After tracking the volume of negative sentiment political party impression traffic throughout Q1 2024, the IAS Election Lab found that traffic spiked in tandem with salient political events — including Super Tuesday.
4 During the 2020 presidential election, IAS observed that more than three in four consumers believed online advertising would play an important role in determining the outcome of the election.
For a step-by-step guide on how to safeguard and scale your brand in an election year, download your copy of the IAS Political Guide, and explore our IAS Election Lab for more insights.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
