#brand-safety

#brand-safety

The Onion doesn't do brand safety. In fact, the less brand safe, the better. Working for The Onion is like "leaning into all of my worst habits," quips CMO Leila Brillson on this week's episode of AdExchanger Talks. There aren't many topics that The Onion shies away from, instead embracing jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and proposing deeply unappetizing RFK Jr.-approved alternatives to Halloween candy.

It's been accepted wisdom that traditional publishers play a pivotal role in the digital media landscape, with standout editorial content serving as a rich source of premium inventory for advertisers. But that view is increasingly being challenged by the growing impact of AI search, whether it's Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Google AI Overviews. Only last month, Google expanded AI mode to more than 40 new countries and 35 new languages.

"Marketers have spent $50bn on generative AI and 95% of it has delivered zero return," the group CEO of Inspired Thinking Group (ITG), Andrew Swinand, tells The Drum, citing an MIT study.

"Our Meta Business Partners each offer AI-enabled solutions to report the context in which ads appear, giving advertisers the transparency they need to drive results on Threads feed with confidence. These partners independently score the adjacent content, aligned with the brand safety floor and suitability framework, providing reporting that may include safety and suitability scores, content examples and associated risk levels, and impression-level data."

Is programmatic really broken-or just in need of a reset? In this episode of Inside the Stack, Yieldmo founder and CEO Mike Yavonditte joins AdExchanger head of communities Lynne d Johnson to unpack the misalignments between DSPs, agencies, and buyers that fuel inefficiency across the chain. He makes the case for "radical control and radical transparency," giving advertisers page-level insight before they place a bid.

One AI agent manages automated campaign setup, turning a brand's brief into a contextual media plan ready to activate across platforms like YouTube, CTV, TikTok, Meta, and programmatic channels. A second agent ensures ads are delivered in brand-safe and contextually relevant environments. A third agent actively optimises campaigns in real time, adjusting targeting and placements to improve metrics such as engagement, viewability, and conversions. A fourth continuously analyses performance data to generate deeper insights and actionable recommendations.

"Grok is good enough that you should be able to upload an ad and do nothing else. Grok will figure out everything from there. You don't need to do anything at all."