Brand suitability: Exploring the next generation of brand safety

Brand safety is big news. It is one of a trinity of major issues facing the advertising industry today, the others being fraud and viewability. But dig beyond the headlines and it is bigger news still – it’s time for advertisers to take a stand and look beneath the waterline.

News publishers risk being unfairly penalised and the industry is at risk of losing quality, independent journalism if advertisers are frightened to support them through advertising.

This,...

14 March 2019 | Advertising

Tabloid news and false positives: Examining the brand safety cycle

Earlier this year, broadcast giant Sky declared it is yet to resume spending with YouTube after stopping advertising on the site 18 months ago. This delivers a clear message: while the dust may have settled on those infamous ad misplacements, brand safety remains paramount for the big spenders. Moreover, protecting brands is still cause for concern across the wider industry, with 94% of advertisers worried about ad context.

Yet it seems the industry is still struggling to find a way...

5 December 2018 | Advertising

Are humans the flaw in the AI machine?

With many predicting that 2018 will be a watershed year for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), we might expect that marketers will find their jobs becoming easier over the next 12 months. However, our plans to let technology take the strain could be at risk if we lose faith in these new techniques without first giving them enough time or attention.

There are plenty of people in advertising who question the impact that AI will have on the industry as a whole and...

17 April 2018 | Advertising

Are humans the flaw in the AI machine?

With many predicting that 2018 will be a watershed year for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), we might expect that marketers will find their jobs becoming easier over the next 12 months. However, our plans to let technology take the strain could be at risk if we lose faith in these new techniques without first giving them enough time or attention.

There are plenty of people in advertising who question the impact that AI will have on the industry as a whole and...

13 April 2018 | Advertising Technology

Personalisation as standard: How to get there and not upset the apple cart

(c)iStock.com/tirc83

Impersonal, irrelevant, and often intrusive – is it any wonder consumers are growing disillusioned with the online ad experience and increasingly turning to blockers?

Today’s audience expects personalisation as standard. Indeed, almost 50% of users expect brands to know them and tailor ads according to their needs both now, and in the future. Yet brand marketers and the service agencies they employ continue to fall short of this core...

13 April 2016 | Advertising