Brand safety is a major concern for marketers, but the majority are struggling to implement effective strategies to ensure that ads are not run next to harmful videos or on unsafe websites.
A new study on brand safety conducted by Sizmek for The Drum surveyed over 500 brand marketers. The message appears to be that safety is a priority, but the fragmented nature of digital media is making it difficult to come up with solutions that actually work.
Almost two-thirds said that they are finding it challenging to implement effective solutions for brand safety, while a similar number admitted that hitting brand safety targets can crimp the effectiveness of their content and ad campaigns. Third-party solutions don’t appear to be a viable long-term solution either, as 57% said that they are too expensive.
In the short term, marketers want to prioritise the relationship with partners to ensure that they are transparent and efficient. Minimising risks seems to be the way to go in the absence of a complete overhaul.
Sizmek’s VP Product Management for Real-Time Decision Services Hardeep Bindra added: “These survey results confirm what we’ve been hearing from our clients about simplifying supply chain and the challenges they face with brand safety and a complicated vendor landscape.”
The arrival of GDPR is another factor for brands to consider moving forward, and three quarters said that the stringent regulations could limit their ability to target audiences effectively. Meanwhile, Google and Facebook have been attempting to entice brands back to their platforms with a raft of brand safety initiatives.
