Identical creative across two PIQ-scored inventory sets. Brand consideration landed 2.7 points higher on the high-quality set, verified independently.
The challenge
Clearpay wanted to remind UK customers that buy-now-pay-later stretched to back-to-school costs. The reach plan was simple. The harder question is one programmatic rarely tests: does the inventory a brand runs in change how people feel about it?
Sitelists, viewability and brand-safety flags say a placement is "safe". They don't say whether the page makes the brand more considered. So Clearpay, Goodstuff and Picnic ran a controlled test.
Low-PIQ · <30
High-PIQ · 30+
A bit about PIQ
The same Clearpay creative, audience and delivery window ran across two PIQ-scored inventory sets — high quality (PIQ above 30) and low quality (below 30). PIQ grades the page a brand runs in before the impression is bought, so the buyer gets to choose which environment they fund.
The results
Viewability and CTR were broadly consistent across both arms — which isolated environment as the variable that moved the brand metric.
Brand consideration vs Cint benchmark
Same creative, same audience, same window.
A 2.7-point swing on environment alone — the same ad, working harder on better inventory.

It was great to collaborate with Picnic on this test to show how we can more effectively drive consideration for our clients, and the importance of quality over quantity in digital advertising. This research will help further those conversations with clients, where the performance of their marketing spend continues to be under ever-increasing scrutiny.
What's next
Book a 30-minute PIQ demo and see how buying on quality inventory could maximise the outcomes of your next campaign.