The Brand Safety Industry Needs to be More “Fit” for Purpose

Brand safety has seemingly become a sometimes loaded, and often misunderstood term. Moreover, it appears to rarely be implemented in ways that meaningfully serve both brands and audiences. Social platforms, fueled by AI-generated trends and rapid content cycles, have made it easier than ever to chase viral moments without fully considering how the nature of content can shift over time - therefore giving rise to long-term brand implications. Yet, as noted in a recent Fortune article, there’s growing appetite for what social media guru Rachel Karten   calls “proof of reality.” What is it? A return to emphasizing human creativity, craft, and authenticity in branded content. In an age of AI-generated possibilities, the most affirming thing a brand can do is remind audiences that real people, with real skills, made the work they’re seeing.

On the subject of being misunderstood, there’s a growing recognition within the industry that the way we talk about and implement brand safety has drifted from its original focus - preventing fraud and harmful adjacencies. Jay Friedman, former CEO of Goodway Group, recently spoke with AdExchanger, where he argued that while the idea of brand safety is sound - its practical application in the age of programmatic pathways often falls short. Most verification tools are more like “a security system that rarely works,” flagging issues after the damage is done rather than preventing them. This reactive model, says Friedman, leaves marketers paying for a sense of protection that doesn't consistently deliver. Alternatively, marketers can employ several types of “pre-bid filters” as well - but those are only as good as your filtering strategies and add up in cost quickly.  It’s a sharp reminder that without reliable, proactive safeguards - or significant brand safety budgets, brand safety devolves into a box-checking exercise - and one that fails to truly protect a brand’s reputation.

Recognizing this gap, agencies like Horizon Media are taking a more transparent and pragmatic route. Rather than piling on more proprietary tech or opaque partnerships, Horizon is building a curated, vetted partner network for its Blu marketing platform through a clear RFI/RFP process. The goal? To declutter the ad tech supply chain, eliminate unnecessary or harmful vendors, and offer clients solutions that are: open, measurable, & accountable. For clarity, RFI/RFP refers to requests for information and proposals in regard to vendors.

The connective thread through these shifts is a mindful, healthy, and progressive industry recalibration. Whether through valuing human output, demanding functional (pre & post) brand safety solutions, or stripping away the bloat in ad tech partnerships - brands and agencies alike are prioritizing substance over shortcuts. Positive consumer connections are the bedrock of brand building. The future of brand safety won’t hinge on buzzwords or broken systems - it will belong to those willing to build transparent, reliable frameworks that reflect not just where audiences are, but where brands want to thrive, and the industry ought to be heading.