From Brand Safety to Suitability with Michael Bishop and Rich Raddon
Apr 23, 2025
30:19
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Quick takeaways
The shift from brand safety to suitability emphasizes the importance of contextually relevant ad placements for optimal performance.
Advancements in AI and machine learning are crucial for refining content understanding and improving targeted advertising efficacy.
Deep dives
Understanding Brand Safety and Suitability
Brand safety is often conflated with brand suitability, leading to confusion within the advertising industry. It is crucial to recognize that brand safety focuses on avoiding adjacent content that could harm a brand's image, while brand suitability seeks to match ads with contextually relevant content. Examples include advertisers wanting to avoid ads appearing next to content about airplane crashes. This nuanced understanding shifts the conversation towards what constitutes acceptable content and the efficacy of current measurements in assessing safety.
The Role of Technology in Brand Safety
The technology underlying brand safety has evolved but still encounters significant challenges, especially in distinguishing context. Early systems relied heavily on keyword lists, which often led to misinterpretations, such as flagging relevant news articles as inappropriate due to their wording. The broader implication is that existing methodologies may not adequately address the real-world complexities of content, suggesting a need for advancements that incorporate AI and machine learning. Modern approaches should focus on harnessing these technologies to refine understanding and categorization of content.
The Debate Over Free Speech and Advertising
The balance between free speech and advertising concerns is increasingly debated as platforms loosen content moderation policies. While some advocate for fewer restrictions to foster open discourse, brands remain cautious about their associations with controversial content. The dialogue raises important questions regarding whether advertisers should prioritize proximity to potentially harmful content when measuring brand safety. This scenario highlights the need for brands to be empowered to control their advertising context through sophisticated targeting technologies.
Shifting Focus to Performance and Contextual Relevance
Moving from fear-based advertising strategies to performance-driven models can provide a fresh perspective on brand safety and suitability. Advertisers are recognizing the value of contextual relevance in content placements, which can enhance engagement and effectiveness. The ongoing developments in AI offer promising avenues for improving content understanding and matching ads with suitable environments. Ultimately, fostering robust conversations around transparency in measuring and assessing brand safety will be vital to evolving the industry.
OpenAds CTO (and former Moat engineer) Michael Bishop and Zefr CEO Rich Raddon join Eric and Joe to discuss the evidence-based case (or lack thereof) for brand safety, why we should shift our mindset from safety to suitability and contextual targeting, the link between suitability and performance, and how AI is changing the space. Plus, Michael drops the term "poststructuralist" on the pod, a philosophical allusion for the ages.
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