• by Alex Weprin , July 10, 2018

The Media Rating Council on Tuesday released a draft version of a Supplement to existing Guidelines for Brand Safety Ad Verification.

Developed in concert with the Association of National Advertisers, Interactive Advertising Bureau and the  American Association of Advertising Agencies, the updates in the supplement modernize the IAB Guidelines for the Conduct of Ad Verification, first released by MRC and IAB in 2012.

Specifically, the supplement attempts to address concerns that have developed around user-generated content (UGC). Many of the most popular video platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, now feature UGC alongside professionally produced programming. So rather than examining a domain, site or page, the guidelines now consider discrete pieces of content.

“This additional granularity requirement equips the guidelines to more fully address Contextual Classification and Brand Safety considerations,” the MRC says.

The supplement also creates the opportunity to establish brand safety "floors," such as "a consistent set of categories on which advertisers might choose to adopt a 'never appropriate' position for their ad buys."

The draft supplement is available for public review and comment for 30 days, after which the working group will release a final version, expected sometime in the third quarter.