Brand Safety and Trust in Live-Stream - A Balancing Act

In the quest to stay “on-brand,” marketers must not only know their audiences, but also be brand safe, consistent with doing what is right for the business, without being hypocritical with audiences. Recently, brands and their creators hit a temporary stumbling block when Twitch announced new branded content guidelines which they quickly retracted. This situation highlights a clear conundrum in the live-stream space. Without tools to quickly monitor and address brand safety concerns in live-stream environments, live-stream environments may try to impose guidelines that restrict creator capabilities and potential mistakes/brand safety risks. 

Striking the right balance of creator ingenuity and platform guidelines will continue to be a challenge for live-stream environments. The response to Twitch’s action was quick and loud as it impacted creators' livelihoods, Twitch acknowledging the new branded content guidelines were bad for both creators and Twitch. Twitch has actually been historically good about recognizing the value of long-term partnerships between streamers and brands. Embracing brand safety measures and understanding the needs of the streamer community are vital for building trust on live-stream platforms and with advertisers, to protect everyone's reputation. By prioritizing these aspects, streaming platforms can build a future competitive market and continue to revolutionize the way content is consumed in the digital age. 

To learn more about developments in brand safety as it relates to gaming and live entertainment, visit the BSI blog. To read more on brand suitability, and to hear more from industry professionals, check out all that Brand Safety Institute has to offer. From Brand Safety Officer, Brand Safe Workforce, and Brand Safe Business Partner certifications, to industry events and updated research, BSI has a wealth of knowledge to share. Don’t forget, we’re only a few months away from Brand Safety Week and the Brand Safety Summit, founded in partnership by BSI and GARM.