Brand Reputation Protection & Programmatic Advertising: What Does the Data Say?

Brand Reputation Protection & Programmatic Advertising: What Does the Data Say?

This article offers an insight into the risks of programmatic advertising. 
Based on a study by CMO Council and Dow Jones of 300+ senior marketing decision makers, the report Brand protection from digital content infection: Safeguarding brand reputation through diligent ad channel selection questions the up and downsides of a $40 billion programmatic advertising market.

Who is concerned?
72% of brand advertisers are worried about brand integrity and digital display placement

What are the challenges with programmatic location? 
Risk of ads appearing alongside conflicting or hosted on disreputable websites.
The large call to action is 25% of the marketers have examples of their ads appearing alongside and compromising content. This is not the only concern as less extreme challenges such as appearing alongside conflicting and off-brand/off-message content impacts the efficacy of such ads.

What does the audience think? 

63% of consumers respond more favorably to ads which are hosted on trusted and well-established media environments.

Why does this matter?

Brand reputation and image can be damaged by incidental association with content, in a reactionary digital world, this can harm a brand despite the lack of endorsement or affiliation with the content or website the ad appears on- Reputation is key.

5 Key Response Actions of Brand Decision Makers 
(% of CMO Council Survey Respondents Focused on Key Action)

1. 48% Developing digital advertising guidelines for their agency and ad buying networks
2. 37% Relying on their media buying firm to better manage and control placements
3. 32% Tracking and monitoring digital advertising placements internally
4. 27% Moving to programmatic direct buys and private exchanges rather than bidding in open exchanges
5. 24% Developing whitelists of pre-approved publishing channels and reputable content/editorial channels

"Our member research shows clients are going to be putting more pressure on their advertising and media-buying partners to provide greater due diligence, control and monitoring when it comes to ensuring ad placement efficacy through automated platforms," Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council

What's the end result? 
Marketers will likely shift their ad spend toward the most trusted and proven digital channels and websites, moving towards pre-approving channels to host their ads content.