The Importance of Brand Safety
Just last month some of the largest advertisers in America
suddenly pulled their ads from popular sites. How many ads? All of them. Verizon and
AT&T were among the bigger names that also included Johnson and Johnson and
pharmaceutical giant GSK.
The move is a result of discovering that their
advertisements were being placed on several videos containing questionable,
sometimes radical or extreme, content. For their part, these sites have begun
updating their algorithms to better serve their customers; however, the entire
ordeal calls into mind the importance of protecting your brand.
Brand Safety
For companies of all sizes, it is important to keep in mind that every point of contact existing between your product/service and your customer is an extension of your brand. When we speak in these terms, it typically suggests direct interactions between an employee and a customer. It’s crucial to realize the same principles extend to your marketing efforts as well, namely print and video advertising.
Conventional media, such as print, radio, or television, is still largely scrutinized. In today’s programmatic approach, where all parts of the ad buying and displaying process are predominantly automated, there is significantly more room for error.
The programmatic approach, which is growing in popularity across the internet, is efficient but can leave your brand vulnerable due to the lack of attention being paid by the platform. Thankfully, by utilizing the best marketing optimization tools available, you can mitigate this risk.
Take Control of Your Campaigns
Marketing and brand managers should take note of these recent developments as they signal a growing trend in the way their peers are viewing programmatic display and video campaigns. It is clearly important to maintain a level of control over your campaigns and ensure that you are broadcasting the message you want, to whom you want, and perhaps more importantly, where you want.
At Search Optics, we have found that, by using a demand-side platform (DSP), we can ensure a greater level of brand safety for our clients. Our DSP’s allow us to negatively target content that may not be suitable for our clients, and blacklist any domains that may be objectionable.
This method also allows us to more specifically target our client’s ideal customer which leads to higher conversions and greater re-marketing possibilities.
Protect your Brand At All Costs
Many platforms have already begun to make changes to their algorithms to address the issues. More changes are likely to be seen and felt in the coming months. The world of digital marketing is in a constant state of flux, as evolving technologies continue to bring about new and exciting innovations to the field.
While this may be a blip on the radar, it should serve as a wake-up call that ensuring the safety and reputation of your brand is more important than ever.
