5 Insights on Brand Safety, Suitability, and Responsible Media

There’s no shortage of data to make it clear that disinformation presents a very real guilty-by-association threat to brands. But that doesn’t mean those brands should just give up and stop advertising. What it means is that those brands need to be diligent—and vigilant—when it comes to spending their ad dollars.

That’s the insight offered by Jay Pinho, senior manager of product management for Oracle Moat in a recent post on the Oracle Advertising Blog. Pinho, who’s also a Brand Safety Institute (BSI) Advisory Board member, did a Q-and-A under the title, “How disinformation is harming brand safety and straining ad budgets.”

The post cites data from the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and Edelman’s 2022 Trust Barometer that makes it clear what’s at stake. According to the GDI numbers, “at least $25 million in ad revenues” were generated for COVID-19 conspiracy content between 2019 and 2021, and “as much as 15 percent of a brand’s ad spend cannot be accounted for within programmatic ad networks.”

And that lost money has profound implications for the brands involved. Edelman’s data showed that more than half of millennial and Gen X consumers would be “less likely to buy products from a brand if they see the brand within an ad environment they deem unreliable.”

Pinho’s response to these challenges is to highlight the big picture of brand safety within the digital advertising ecosystem. He goes on to enumerate the specific dangers brands face when their ad campaigns appear in inappropriate settings, and highlights what publishers can do to make sure their content is a safe zone within which brands can feel good about advertising. Pinho also gives concrete suggestions on what advertisers can do to have immediate, positive results when it comes to brand safety.

In the end, Pinho says, brands have to be hands-on and proactive about brand safety. “Achieving brand safety and suitability is an important part of any digital strategy, but it’s important to recognize that technology is only one part—albeit an important one—of ensuring positive outcomes.”

To help brands learn more about advertising safety and what steps they can take to protect themselves, Oracle Advertising is hosting a webinar with Forrester on April 13 that will cover:
• Key trends in maintaining and enhancing brand reputation
• How customers view responsible media and ways to proactively amplify brand values
• Best practices used by leading brands and agencies for developing an effective brand safety strategy
• Financial implications associated with brand safety through Forrester’s Total Economic Impact (TEI) analysis
To find out more about the webinar and register, click here .

The BSI also has a host of resources to help individuals and brands learn more about how to protect themselves, including tools, best practice guides, and links to research. And in support of its mission to professionalize the practice of brand safety throughout the advertising world, the BSI offers certifications for Brand Safety Officer and Brand Safe Workforces.