Online Advertising Has a Piracy Problem to Fix, Too!!

The marketing world has lately been consumed by a debate over fraud – ensuring online ads are shown to real people instead of computerized “bots.” But there’s another issue threatening the industry: piracy.

Marketers frequently find their ads alongside unlicensed content from major content owners, or on sites promoting counterfeit goods. Now, the Trustworthy Accountability Group, an ad industry self-regulatory body, plans to fix that problem with a new program designed to identify high-risk websites and ensure marketers’ ads aren’t placed on them.

“Fraud, malware and piracy—marketers are really paying attention to this stuff now, and they’re are hopping mad”, said Linda Woolley, president and chief executive of the Trustworthy Accountability Group, who spoke to CMO Today at the annual leadership meeting of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in Phoenix. “I think marketers are extremely concerned about these issues, and they’re now willing to take a stance.”

Under the new initiative, called Brand Integrity Program Against Piracy, TAG will certify certain advertising technology companies as Digital Advertising Assurance Providers (DAAP). They will be tasked with identifying high-risk sites or “ad risk entities” and preventing marketers’ ads from appearing on them. TAG will work with a small number of independent third-party firms, including Ernst & Young and Stroz Friedberg, to validate ad tech companies for the monitoring job.

TAG’s initiative has the support of its founding ad industry groups, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Association of National Advertisers, and Interactive Advertising Bureau. It also has the backing of copyright groups including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and Copyright Alliance.

“Billions of dollars that belong to marketers have been stolen or misdirected for unscrupulous purposes,” said ANA President Bob Liodice. “It’s time we reclaim what is ours and put an end to these devious and criminal activities.”

Applications to qualify as DAAP providers are now being accepted, and the first companies to receive such validation will be announced over the coming months, TAG said.

Meanwhile, TAG continues its push to stamp out fraudulent traffic that continues to plague the industry. On that front, the group plans to launch a cross-industry accountability program by June.

http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/02/10/...em-to-fix-too/