British Gas, O2, Marks & Spencer, Cillit Bang, Asda and Center Parcs are among the brands advertising on “paedeo and incest websites”, according to a report in The Sun, leading to questions about the efficacy of the media monitoring and targeting technology they are using.
Read more for official UK online industry comment from JICWEBS (Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards).
Yesterday The Sun published a report headlined, “Sun Investigates Sleaze Blunder: Why are adverts for these brands up on paedo and incest websites?”
The paper named British Gas, O2, Royal Ascot and Accessorize as “among more than a dozen top names” that have appeared against content on sites “devoted to paedophilia, incest, bestiality and racism”.
Niall Hogan, the UK managing director of @Integralads Integral Ad Science, which provides brands and agencies with media evaluation intelligence and technology, said the article posed the question: “Is the brand working with a CV (content verification) vendor?”
He said: “If they are, did the brand or their representatives have the blocking capabilities turned on or were they simply monitoring?”
How do advertisers still get caught out on brand safety online? Niall Hogan, UK MD, explains here: http://t.co/P5jczUEVmN via @videoadnews
— Integral Ad Science (@Integralads) April 15, 2015
The Sun piece suggests ads for brands are being placed by software on the basis of keywords – so Royal Ascot, as a brand focused on horse-racing, has had ads positioned on sites dedicated to bestiality, while the latter half of the brand name Cillit Bang “probably” led to the brand appearing against content focused on rape and incest.
Official UK online industry comment from JICWEBS (Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards)
Richard Foan, JICWEBS Chairman
This is precisely why JICWEBS, through the work of the Digital Trading Standards Group (DTSG), started awarding brand safety seals to companies who declare and independently verify how their processes significantly minimise the chances of ads appearing next to inappropriate content.
JICWEBS publishes an up to date list of these companies to help support advertisers in choosing a supplier who’s compliant. As of today, 41 co’s have signed-up and 33 have been verified. JICWEBS’ work is based on ISBA’s call for advertisers to check with their suppliers that they’re compliant.
Nigel Gwilliam, IPA’s Consultant Head of Digital and Emerging Technologies, said: “The IPA Digital Media Group estimated DTSG signatories represented over two thirds of the applicable digital display ad market by the end of 2014, growing to around 80%-90% this year.”
In February, JICWEBS published a report revealing the progress that’s been made in minimising the risk of ad misplacement, thus improving brand safety online, since the launch of the DTSG Good Practice Principles just over one year ago.
