Brand safety refers to how advertisers work to protect their brand’s reputation from being tainted. Brand reputation can be negatively affected by running ads adjacent to offensive, inappropriate, or harmful content, real or perceived.
The practice of brand safety has become a priority in responsible media buying as brands increasingly rely on programmatic platforms to deliver results.
While the idea of safely protecting your brand online may seem straightforward, there are numerous complex issues that complicate this process.
Programmatic Advertising Complexities
Brands have a growing opportunity to reach their audiences through programmatic advertising, but the risk of harming brand reputation has increased. With the growth of automated advertising management, the ad buying process depends more and more on algorithms and real-time bidding, which diminishes visibility into each placement.
This is only compounded by the increased challenge of behavioral targeting in a privacy-led world that limits data sharing to stay in compliance with CPRA and GDPR, all of which makes precise and safe ad placement more complex.
User-Generated Content and Brand Misalignment
While social platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok rely on UGC (user-generated content), which offer massive reach and engagement opportunities, they also provide volatile settings where harmful or controversial content is constantly made available. A brand may appear beside offensive UGC without knowing, causing irreparable reputation damage.
Performance vs. Safety Prioritization
Under the pressure of providing measurable performance results like clicks and conversions, brand managers may forego investing in needed brand safety measures that will protect their reputation. De-prioritizing necessary ad safety protocols may lead to long-term consequences when ads are poorly placed. These decisions may cause loss of consumer trust and brand loyalty.
Lack of Transparency in Ad Placements
Lack of transparency throughout the ad industry is another enduring challenge. With all the platform layers, SSPs, DSPs, publishers, and exchanges, it is difficult for advertisers to know exactly where ads are running. The programmatic buying “black box” makes advertisers vulnerable to risks they are unaware of until it’s too late. Another example of why media buying partners are so valuable to brands.
The Role of Media Buying, Planning, and Reporting Agencies
Educating Brands on Risks and Responsibilities
Agencies have a responsibility to ensure clients understand the importance of brand safety. That begins with explaining the potential risks of neglecting it: lost consumer trust, PR issues, and negative financial impacts. Followed by demonstrating how being proactive can protect their reputation and revenue.
Brand Safety Starts with Planning
One of the many responsibilities of media agencies is to ensure brand safety is embedded into the DNA of media planning and buying. This requires an alignment between a brand’s campaign goals and values. Agency partners select inventory sources and platforms that reflect a client’s risk tolerances and reflect those standards.
Leveraging AI
Together, machine learning and AI predict and prevent unsafe ad placements. Using these technologies to analyze large datasets in real-time, flag potential risks before bid placement, and dynamically adapt to threats as they emerge are significant benefits of AI in media strategy.
Real-Time Monitoring and Response
Advertisers should expect agencies to implement real-time monitoring processes to detect unsafe placements and respond quickly, either by withdrawing spend from unsafe environments or alerting partners to make immediate corrections. Brand safety administration involves proactive management rather than a reactive response.
Brand Safety Improvement Strategies
Pre- and Post-Placement Content Assessment
Tools that evaluate content before and after ad placement are a large part of effective brand safety strategies. Pre-bid solutions review inventory opportunities, while post-bid monitoring ensures ongoing compliance and flags any anomalies for corrective action.
Customize Safety to Your Brand Values
Brand safety is not the same for every organization. Agencies should customize allowlists, blocklists, and filters to reflect a brand’s values and unique audiences. For example, a healthcare brand will have stricter guidelines and standards than a hospitality company. However, both will have unique requirements to protect their brand.
Safety Platforms Partners
Site and keyword blocklists are ‘table stakes’ for avoiding unsafe environments. Another layer of protection in the form of platforms and third-party verification services may also be implemented.
Media buying platforms use automation to manage large inventory. These systems should have enhanced safety features to exclude unwanted domains, keywords, or categories.
Consistent and Current Measures
Like most aspects of the digital world, media buying constantly evolves. Agencies and advertisers must continually review and update their brand safety protocols to stay ahead of new types of content and the never-ending evolution of bad actors.
Participating in industry education opportunities and partnering as a member of industry-standard organizations ensures agencies are able to protect against safety issues. Running regular system audits can ensure brand safety systems are current.
What the Future Holds
Reputable agencies stay ahead of regulations and technological advancements. Harmful content and disinformation, along with innovations in contextual targeting and AI, signal a future where brand safety will be more automated and yet precise.
Brands should partner with agencies committed to staying informed, being agile, and having the ability to navigate their clients through the complex advertising ecosystem to keep their brand reputation intact.
