Unilever will prioritise its ad spend with “trusted” publishers as it continues with its “clean-up” of online advertising.
The new policy, Unilever Trusted Publishers, developed by the consumer goods company sees it advertise with a select network of global, regional and local online publishers and platforms.
The aim of the strategty is to gain more control and visibility over where its ads are placed, and ensure its ads are viewed by people not bots.
The London and Rotterdam-based business says the vetting criteria for selecting these trusted publishers will include more than its 3Vs; viewability, verification and value.
It will also include more stringent checks around ad fraud, online brand safety, ad experience, traffic quality, ad formatting and data access.
Outgoing chief marketing and communications officer Keith Weed spoke about the issue during the World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Marketer Week in Lisbon, saying companies must help solve global challenges, not just sell products.
“We’ve been clear for years about what we want to see online – more consumer trust through greater publisher transparency, more effective use of time and money, and better online experiences for everyone,” Weed says.
“Online advertising credibility is still a global, industry-wide problem and as the world’s second largest advertiser, we have a responsibility to use our scale and influence to address this issue.
“The Unilever Trusted Publishers will add more rigour to how Unilever advertises online. We want to know that real people, not robots, are enjoying our ads – bots don’t eat a lot of Ben & Jerry’s. We will champion the good actors that help us in this while diminishing the roles of the bad.”
Unilever, which is one of the world's largest advertisers, has brands including Dove, Vaseline, Lipton and Cornetto and aims to have a majority of its online ad spend made through this protocol, working closely with media agency partners.
Online ad fraud has been a long-running issue in the industry, with estimates that click-fraud generates more than $20 million per month of profit, according to MIT Technology Review.
The move from Unilever adds to its efforts to improve online advertising. Last month the business revealed it’s working closely with Facebook, Google and Kantar Media to develop a cross-media measurement tool.
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