Many marketers contend that the “brand” concept goes beyond the name of a company and the products or services they sell; it also includes the way customers perceive the organizational identity. Now “brand safety” is a catch-phrase that has come to the forefront in the past few weeks since Google and YouTube have come under fire for ad boycott started by high-dollar UK-US brands’. Companies are seeking new ways to ensure their ads are not placed close to extremist or offensive content (bad-ads), according to a Marketing Land article.
Marketers should investigate what assurances their online publisher(s) can give that their brand’s ads will not appear in the same context as a “bad-ad.” Essentially, context would include all ads or other content appearing on the same page. Put the responsibility for a safe context onto the shoulders of your publisher, and commit them to a plan in case something negative happens.
Marketers should employ a clear “context strategy” in their advertising campaigns that reflects their brand’s values and messages. Putting your ads onto a site that attract a multitude of viewers, sounds like good business from a conversion and revenue point of view. However, ask yourself what how it will affect brand identity, perceived value, and the overall message transmission. What will be the long-term effects?
Marketers should consider the media outlets that run their ads.For instance, in the physical publications, many brands tend to avoid placing ads in the checkout line tabloids because they do not want to associate their brands with the context of that type of outlet.
