Maximising Ad Performance with Brand Suitability: The Role of Ad Tech
Brand safety and suitability are crucial aspects of any advertising campaign. In today's digital world, where the wrong ad placement can damage a brand's reputation, ad tech platforms offer powerful solutions to ensure that ads are placed in safe and suitable environments
Topics
Ad tech platforms provide advertisers with the tools to protect their reputation and improve their advertising performance.
Imagine launching a luxury fashion brand. Brand safety and suitability are the most crucial aspects of your marketing strategy.
A luxury fashion brand may want to avoid ads appearing on websites or videos related to fast fashion or discount clothing, as it could damage brand image and dilute perceived value.
More than 90% of consumers believed that advertisers must ensure their ads do not appear alongside content perceived as “dangerous, offensive, or inappropriate.”
With digital advertising continuing to grow in importance, it becomes vital for brands to ensure their ads appear on platforms and in environments that align with their values rather than inadvertently promoting their message negatively.
Fortunately, ad tech has evolved to offer powerful solutions.
The right messaging
One way ad tech can help determine brand suitability is through content analysis.
Ad tech platforms use natural language processing (NLP) algorithms and machine learning models to analyse the content of websites, videos, and other digital content. By analysing the text, images, and context, ad tech can determine whether the content is appropriate for a particular brand.
Brand safety filters are another way ad tech can help determine brand suitability. These filters can automatically block ads from appearing on certain websites or content that may not be suitable for a particular brand. The filters can be customised to each brand’s specific needs, so they can block ads from appearing on sites with content related to violence, hate speech, or other topics that may not align with a brand’s values.
Contextual targeting is another powerful tool that ad tech platforms use to determine brand suitability. It involves analysing a webpage’s content to determine its topic and relevance to a particular brand. By using contextual targeting, ad tech can ensure that ads are placed on pages relevant to the brand and its audience, which can increase engagement and improve brand safety.
For instance, a car company might want to target ads to pages related to automotive content rather than appearing on unrelated or potentially harmful websites.
When it comes to the buy side of advertising, having transparent visibility into inventory can provide advertisers with a comprehensive view of the opportunities available to make informed and secure ad investments that generate maximum returns. This visibility allows for more precise monitoring of ad performance and provides the necessary insights to optimise campaigns to meet and exceed predetermined goals.
Ad tech platforms also use semantic analysis to determine brand suitability.
The semantic analysis involves understanding the meaning and intent behind the words to ensure that the editorial content aligns with the brand’s values. By analysing the text and underlying meaning of the content, ad tech can ensure that the brand’s message is delivered in a suitable environment. For instance, an airline company might want to avoid ads appearing on pages related to flight crashes, even if the text of the article is not necessarily negative towards the airline.
Avoid negative ad environments
The importance of brand suitability cannot be overstated, as brands need to be cautious and strategic in their advertising placements. The good news is that ad tech platforms are continually improving their capabilities, and brands can be confident that these tools can help them ensure the message appears in a safe and suitable environment.
One notable example of ad tech at work is The Trade Desk. This demand-side platform uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to help brands determine their best target audience, preferred channels, and the most suitable environment for their advertising.
Another example is DoubleVerify, an ad verification platform that provides advertisers with real-time analytics to assess their ad placements, including ad fraud detection, brand safety, and viewability. Others include:
- Zefr: Zefr is a video content targeting platform that uses machine learning algorithms to analyse video content and determine its suitability for a particular brand. It can identify whether a video contains violent or explicit content and then block ads from appearing on that video.
- Integral Ad Science (IAS): IAS is a verification platform offering digital advertising brand safety solutions. It uses real-time analysis to determine whether an ad placement suits a particular brand. Then it provides the advertiser with recommendations on optimising their ad placement for better results.
- MediaMath: MediaMath is a demand-side platform that uses machine learning to optimise ad campaigns for better results. It uses contextual targeting to ensure ads appear on pages relevant to the brand and its audience.
- OpenSlate: OpenSlate is a content rating platform that uses machine learning to analyse YouTube videos and determine their suitability for advertisers. It provides advertisers with a rating system that assesses the suitability of each video for a particular brand based on factors like language, violence, and adult content.
Protect reputation
Ad tech has become an essential tool for advertisers to ensure brand safety and suitability. By leveraging content analysis, brand safety filters, contextual targeting, and semantic analysis, ad tech platforms can help brands protect their reputation and improve their advertising performance. Ultimately, this can lead to increased brand engagement and loyalty, a crucial outcome in the ever-competitive digital advertising landscape.
When ads are placed in the right context, they are more likely to capture the viewers’ attention and drive engagement. Ad tech solutions help advertisers achieve this by identifying the most relevant content for their ads and avoiding any content that may be irrelevant or off-putting.
