TAG standards are already applied in several markets – 34 countries and counting – and by leading advertisers, more than 700 companies to date. “The standards won’t be imposed by the IAB or ABG, but advertisers and agencies may well include it in their decision-making process when selecting ad placements, as many do in other parts of the world. world,” a spokesperson said.
This way, businesses will be able to minimize the risk of advertisements getting misplaced with TAG’s brand safety certification. From January 1, the TAG measures will include specific requirements to combat digital piracy and tackle head-on the threat of “malvertising”, which is the introduction of malicious software into online advertising.
Elda Choucair, CEO of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) MENA and Vice President of ABG, said: “As digital investments continue to grow, so does the need for heightened vigilance in ad fraud, brand safety risk and malware. By supporting this initiative to encourage adoption of TAG certifications, we hope to drive a more sustainable, transparent and trustworthy industry where advertisers and agencies can be confident in the investments they make.
Similar self-regulatory efforts have existed for years for other traditional advertising practices. But trying to tame the exponential growth of digital advertising – and all of the consequent downsides – has proven elusive.
This newly developed triple alliance represents the first serious attempt to try and bring digital advertising up to certain standards in the Gulf. “TAG’s standards establish requirements for all companies involved in digital advertising – advertiser, agency, intermediary and publisher,” the spokesperson said. “For example, using Invalid Traffic Detection and Removal (IVT). The Brand Safety Standard specifically requires all companies to ensure that all digital advertising agreements adhere to the Brand Safety Principles and in the fight against piracy.
TAG’s Certified Against Fraud standard has led to a decline in digital advertising fraud in the United States, key markets in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Fraud cases are over 90% lower when advertisers use TAG-certified distribution channels compared to industry averages.
Ian Manning, CEO of IAB GCC, said: “Not only will this support the existing approaches of many international companies, but it will also raise the benchmark for local approaches – reducing fraud, driving growth and building trust. in our industry.
These will help combat ad fraud as well as promote brand safety (such as minimizing the risk of misplaced ads) in digital advertising. The goal is to build trust and transparency, and protect brand investments in digital ad spend.
