Publicis Integrates 'Disinformation' Ratings Into Programmatic Buys, To Power Public Health Campaign


In a major endorsement of news veracity rating system NewsGuard, Publicis Groupe has agreed to incorporate its ratings into two aspects of its organization: blacklisting fake news sites programmatically; and launching a new “HealthGuard” browser plug-in to power a public service campaign for Publicis Health Media.

“We’ve moved beyond brand safety and suitability to help our clients champion brand integrity across everything they do— ensuring their brand values are reflected across all of their advertising efforts,” Yale Cohen, executive vice president-global digital standards of Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), said in a statement announcing the programmatic media-buying unit’s use of NewsGuard’s “inclusion” and “exclusion” lists to avoid placing its clients’ ads in “misinformation and disinformation” news content.

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On the upside, will also enable PMX to avoid overusing keyword blocking, by utilizing an inclusion feature that “restores advertising to quality news sites” that otherwise might be flagged programmatically for brand safety issues.

“Today, misinformation in the healthcare sector means life or death," Publicis Health Media President Andrea Palmer, noted, adding, "Being able to leverage NewsGuard’s suite of tools has been critical to ensure consumers better understand COVID-19 and are able to find reliable health information as they browse online. We have an obligation to restore the accuracy and trustworthiness of content in all aspects of our industry."

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