• by Tanya Gazdik , November 21, 2017

More than 93% of chief marketing officers have overhauled their digital strategy amid brand safety concerns, according to a study from Teads.

In response to concerns around brand safety, transparency and ad fraud, 48% are reviewing relationships with suppliers and 55% are reviewing their agency relationships.

Research also reveals brands are demanding increased industry regulation and  better measurement and more transparency to clean up digital advertising.

In the last 12 months, more than three-fourths (78%) of marketing heads say they have become more concerned about brand safety, with 77% more worried about ad fraud than before. 

In the future, 98% will choose agencies or suppliers based on their ability to prove brand safety and transparency. Almost a third (30%) have boycotted or reduced spend on channels that can’t guarantee brand safety and 60% of CMOs say they are now directly involved in the execution of digital strategy. Over a third (34%) now book campaigns direct with suppliers rather than relying on agencies, and half of CMOs (50%) are even considering taking ad-buying in-house.

Despite this action, brand safety concerns persist for CMOs. Over a third (38%) want reassurance from publishers that they’re controlling risky content on their sites. Over half (51%) want agencies to address their questions on transparency and 37% are worried how users could react to ads appearing next to unsafe content. 

For these concerns to be overcome there are three main areas where CMOs want to see change. First, over half (51%) believe there needs to be tighter industry self-regulation and better industry-wide standards for fraud and brand safety. Second, 48% believe there should be more focus on reporting the quality of ad placements and environments, rather than just reach, driven by third-party measurement. Finally, 54% of brands want greater transparency from suppliers and agencies about where ads appear and what their definitions of success are, for example, what a viewable ad is (50%).