IASH to detect brand misplacement as it happens

Existing prevention methods principally hinge on best practice, with ad houses accredited and endorsed by IASH, following stringent six-monthly procedure-based audits.

The ad network regulatory body is investigating how to pull together the range of existing technologies that pick up brand misplacement as it occurs, and block the placement of ads within inappropriate content.

Such technologies, which pick up “tagging errors” and other oversights that procedure-based best practice audits cannot prevent, will bolster the ad network body’s existing code of conduct.

According to IASH chairman Matt Whaley, the aim is to create an overarching system that would work with both outsourced and inhouse-developed technologies. Many of IASH’s members are already using such technologies to prevent brand misplacement online, he explained.

“It wouldn’t be fair for IASH to dictate to its members what technology to use, especially if they are already developing something inhouse – some members already have certain elements of this type of tool built in to their operation. What IASH is doing is very much based around agreeing functionality and drawing up a key list of parameters,” said Whaley.

The ad network regulatory body is working with eight suppliers – AdSafe, AdSovo, Advert Angel, Adxpose, DoubleVerify, Project Sunblock, SafeServe and SiteScreen – to sketch out such a system, and is expected to reveal intentions on industry-wide implementation in the autumn.

Ad network eSpot Digital was suspended after it failed an IASH audit round in April this year.

IASH’s next audit round – for January to June 2010 – is expected within the next two to three months, Whaley said.

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk