Advertisers welcome Ad2One’s lead on ad misplacement crackdown
Advertisers have welcomed Ad2One’s move to receive independent verification for its brand safety policies as part of a new IPA-ISBA-led initiative aimed at protecting brands from ad misplacement.
The initiative marks the first of its kind since the disbandment of the DTSG, formed by the IAB, IPA and ISBA to fill the gap left by the closure of the Internet Advertising Sales House (IASH) in 2011.
The DTSG was established to tackle issues around ad misplacement and protect brands from potential reputational damage should they be inadvertently subject to such activity.
However, disagreements regarding certain elements of the group’s policies led to talks stalling earlier this year. All three parties are continuing discussions regarding re-establishing the group.
Digital ad sales house Ad2One is the first company to become independently verified, a move which has been applauded by advertisers and other intermediaries looking to follow suit, according to ISBA.
Alex Bennett, senior manager, digital marketing, Nationwide Building Society said: “Any initiative that reduces the risk of ad misplacement and the associated potential for a brand to experience reputational damage is a positive addition to the digital trading environment so the news of Ad2One becoming the first recipient of the new IPA-ISBA brand safety verification is very welcome.
“Hopefully this will be followed quickly by further recipients to help widen the range of verified trading options and give advertisers greater confidence in their digital buys.”
More than a dozen other suppliers and companies involved in the digital ad ecosystem have also pledged to have their ad misplacement minimization processes independently verified by auditor ABC as part of the IPA-ISBA initiative.
David Ellison, ISBA’s marketing services manager, said: “A number of other companies are currently being verified and we expect to make further announcements over the coming weeks. The Good Practice Principles will help to ensure that best practice is extended to all players operating within the digital advertising trading space.”
ISBA has also welcomed Facebook’s intention to review the process around ads placed against specific content on its pages. It is reportedly developing a system to vet thousands of pages, determining which are appropriate for ads, with a particular focus on restricting ads appearing next to pages and groups that contain "violent, graphic or sexual" content.
“Facebook’s intention to respond to advertisers concerns and the actions taken by Ad2One to be the first intermediary business to sign up to independent verification show there is a strong appetite across industry to mitigate ad misplacement,” said Ellison.
The news follows calls from ISBA for stronger reassurances to protect advertisers from online ad misplacement after brands including The Sun, and Save The Children, pulled their ads from social media site ask.fm following an outbreak of bullying on the site.