While the trends for digital advertising might change as quickly as the seasons, the concerns that exist around brand safety consistently remain at the top of ad buyers' minds. According to a study conducted by eMarketer, about 26% of the brands purchasing space for a digital advertisement cited brand safety as their number one concern for choosing how and when they should advertise.
The good news is that there are brand safety solutions available on digital ad exchanges that make it possible to avoid some of the online advertising space that might appear as a poor fit for a campaign. Here are a couple things that you should consider when it comes to making sure you can manage your brand safety concerns online.
Choose your Ad Agency Carefully
The important thing to remember when it comes to digital advertising space is that while there may always be a risk for brands online, most companies will be able to mitigate that risk with careful attention to detail. For instance, a lot of companies are beginning to limit the amount of run exchange buys that they make, and shifting towards private exchanges instead.
Perhaps one of the easiest ways for brands to protect themselves is to consider the agency they're buying their digital ads from carefully. Transparency is often essential. Good partners should be able to share the measures that they've put in place to ensure brand safety. It's also a good idea to speak to organizations that specialize in protection for brands. Often, these include technology companies that work independently from ad networks and media buyers.
1. Target Premium Sites
One piece of good news in the digital advertising environment is that premium ad space is emerging as a more available solution at the local level, and it's also opening new ad options for brands that are targeting a local audience. As some experts note, premium local space is being sold slightly differently to other ads these days, being measured according to days instead of page views.
The benefit of using premium sites for brand safety is that you know what you're getting from the companies you're doing business with. You're reaching your local audience through a reputable website, where you know you're not going to have to battle with reputation concerns. Although you might need to pay a little more for premium, the ROI should be significant.
2. Ad Verification Audience Extension Technology
Technology for "audience extension" has gained significant steam as a powerful digital solution for advertising that can extend a publisher's network without compromising product quality. However, brand safety remains a concern here, as purchasing space through extensions adds another element where something can go wrong. (Note: ExactDrive has partnered with DoubleVerify to offer online brand safety protection)
The positive news here is that digital marketing partners can begin to eliminate a number of concerns by ensuring that they ads they create are only delivered to safe sites. High-quality audience extension technology ensures that content and safety is consistent. By using the right technology, advertisers can access a larger ad space that satisfies their needs for brand safety.
Usually, a good media buying partner will be able to give you some brand safety assurance when it comes to mitigating the risk of damage to your reputation, so make sure that you converse with the companies you want to do business with before you invest.
3. Ensuring Brand Safety in Digital Ad Spending
As the digital world becomes more saturated, digital advertising remains one of the best ways to reach your audience. When it's targeted and measurable, digital advertising can be engaging and effective. However, if you want to make the most of your solutions, then you need to make sure that you're investing in brand safety solutions when it comes to figuring out where your ads are being placed.
Make sure that you address the elements outlined above, and it's also worth noting that marketers might need to stop focusing so heavily are priced. Ultimately, ensuring that your ads are accessible, not susceptible to fraud, and appearing on the right sites at the right time are going to cost more than simply allowing your ads to appear anywhere. You might have to invest more in brand safety, but the chances are that the expense is worth it for your reputation.
