Is Your Programmatic Campaign Jeopardizing Your Brand?

Programmatic advertising is likely a key part of your digital advertising campaign—and if it isn’t, it should be. Programmatic advertising leverages data to efficiently pinpoint your desired audience wherever they might be on the web. But reaching your audience on any site they might be visiting is likely not always going to be brand-safe: there are tons of misinformation sites, as well as R-rated, X-rated, and even illegal content that could put your brand at risk. The web can be a scary place—how can you ensure your programmatic campaigns are not jeopardizing your brand? 

To help answer this question, SPM consulted with our top verification and DSP partners and identified three simple steps you can take to tackle this issue today:

1. Leverage a 3^rd party verification partner in addition to the brand safety levers your DSP offers. The internet is a big place, and new, misinformation-based “news” sites pop up all the time. The issue has become even more concerning given the amount of misinformation circling related to the pandemic this year. The automated nature of programmatic advertising makes it challenging for brands to avoid appearing on any sites containing misinformation–especially if you are trying to contextually align with pandemic-related keywords. Protecting your buys with a 3^rd party verification partner on top of what your DSP offers will help minimize your risk of your brand appearing in the wrong place.
2. Pick a verification partner that leverages technology + human review of sites. The quickest and most scalable way to identify misinformation is through a combination of technology-augmented and human review. Solutions that are completely reliant on human review of URL lists across the web are limited by the sheer volume of domains that are created. If you are not sure what your current brand safety partner uses, ask.
3. Use a site block list. This is a simple way to ensure your ads do not run on a specific site. These can come from your DSP partner and/or your 3^rd party verification partner—just make sure this list is continually being updated.  

Reaching your audience anywhere they are on the web might seem like a win-win, but programmatic campaigns should incorporate smart strategies—like the steps above—to avoid associating your brand with misinformation and other unsavory content.

Want to learn more about how SPM can help your organization stay on top of the latest digital trends? Get in touch with us here: rozek@spmmarketing.com.