Understanding Ad Verification and Brand Safety

In the complex and often opaque programmatic advertising ecosystem, ad verification and brand safety have become paramount concerns for advertisers. Ad verification ensures that ads are delivered as intended (e.g., to real humans, in the correct geo, viewable), while brand safety focuses on preventing ads from appearing alongside inappropriate or harmful content.

Key Components of Ad Verification:

• Viewability Measurement: Determining whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen by a user, based on standards like the MRC definition (50% of pixels in view for at least 1 second for display, 2 seconds for video).

• Invalid Traffic (IVT) Detection / Ad Fraud Prevention: Identifying and filtering out non-human traffic (bots) and other fraudulent activities designed to generate fake impressions or clicks.

• Geo-Targeting Verification: Confirming that ads are being served to users in the intended geographic locations.

• Contextual Verification / Site Safety: Ensuring ads are not displayed on websites or apps with content that violates campaign guidelines (though this overlaps significantly with brand safety).

• Ad Stacking and Pixel Stuffing Detection: Identifying instances where ads are hidden or rendered non-viewable through fraudulent techniques.

Understanding Brand Safety:

Brand safety refers to the practice of protecting a brand's reputation by ensuring its advertisements do not appear in contexts that are:

• Harmful or Offensive: E.g., hate speech, violence, pornography, illegal activities.

• Misaligned with Brand Values: Content that contradicts the brand's image or corporate social responsibility stance.

• Low-Quality or Unsuitable: E.g., fake news sites, pirate content sites, made-for-advertising (MFA) sites.

Brand safety concerns have intensified due to the scale of programmatic advertising, where ads can potentially appear on millions of websites and apps, making manual oversight impossible.

Tools and Technologies:

• Third-Party Verification Vendors: Companies like DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science (IAS), and MOAT offer comprehensive solutions for pre-bid filtering and post-bid monitoring of viewability, IVT, and brand safety.

• Pre-Bid Targeting: Using verification vendor data within DSPs to filter out undesirable inventory before a bid is placed. This is the most proactive approach.

• Post-Bid Monitoring: Placing verification tags on ad creatives to measure performance and context after the ad has been served. Used for analysis and optimization.

• Inclusion Lists (Allowlists) and Exclusion Lists (Blocklists): Lists of approved or disapproved domains, apps, or content categories.

• Contextual Targeting and Semantic Analysis: AI-powered tools that analyze page content at a granular level to determine its safety and relevance.

• IAB Tech Lab Standards: Initiatives like ads.txt, app-ads.txt, sellers.json, and the OpenRTB SupplyChain Object aim to increase transparency in the supply chain and combat fraud.,

Best Practices for Ad Verification and Brand Safety:

1. Define Clear Brand Safety Guidelines: Establish specific content categories and keywords that are unacceptable for your brand. Tailor these guidelines to different campaigns or markets if necessary.

2. Utilize Pre-Bid Solutions: Prioritize pre-bid filtering to prevent ads from serving on unsafe or fraudulent inventory in the first place.

3. Layer Multiple Solutions: Combine DSP-native tools, third-party verification vendor solutions, and manual list management for a comprehensive approach.

4. Regularly Review and Update Exclusion/Inclusion Lists: The web is dynamic; lists need to be maintained.

5. Monitor Post-Bid Reports: Analyze verification data to understand where your ads are running, identify issues, and optimize future buys.

6. Demand Transparency from Partners: Work with exchanges, SSPs, and publishers who are committed to quality and transparency.

7. Consider Context Beyond Keywords: Semantic analysis tools can provide a more nuanced understanding of page content than simple keyword blocking.

8. Balance Safety with Scale: Overly restrictive brand safety settings can limit reach. Find the right balance for your brand's risk tolerance.

9. Stay Informed: Brand safety threats and ad fraud tactics are constantly evolving.

The Future: Towards a Safer Ecosystem

The industry is continuously working to improve ad verification and brand safety through:

• AI and Machine Learning: Enhancing the accuracy and speed of detecting IVT and unsafe content.

• Greater Supply Chain Transparency: Broader adoption of IAB standards.

• Industry Collaboration: Initiatives like the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) are developing common brand safety frameworks.

• Contextual Intelligence: More sophisticated understanding of content nuances.

Ad verification and brand safety are not just technical necessities but crucial components of responsible advertising. By prioritizing these areas, advertisers can protect their investments, safeguard their brand reputation, and contribute to a healthier, more trustworthy digital advertising ecosystem.