Programmatic Campaign Viewability and Brand Safety
A consumer packaged goods brand launched a programmatic display campaign with a $500,000 budget over 3 months. The campaign aimed to increase brand awareness among women aged 25-54. After 1 month, the agency reports 50 million impressions, 0.1% CTR, and 30% viewability. A brand safety audit found that 15% of impressions were served on sites with objectionable content (hate speech, misinformation). The agency used an open exchange with minimal brand safety controls. The brand's target CPA is $50, but current CPA is $200. The agency suggests increasing budget to improve performance. The brand's legal team is concerned about reputational risk. The brand has a strict brand safety policy.
1. What are the immediate actions the brand should take to address brand safety and performance issues?
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Immediate actions: (1) Pause the campaign on open exchanges until brand safety controls are in place. (2) Implement a pre-bid brand safety solution (e.g., IAS, DoubleVerify) to block objectionable content and ensure viewability standards. (3) Use private marketplaces (PMPs) with vetted publishers or allowlists. (4) Review the agency's contract for brand safety guarantees and hold them accountable. (5) Reallocate budget to higher-performing placements; the current CPA of $200 is four times the target, indicating poor targeting or low-quality inventory. (6) Demand transparency: get site-level reporting and block underperforming sites. (7) Consider shifting budget to channels with better control, such as paid social with strict brand safety controls. (8) Conduct a post-campaign analysis to identify waste and negotiate make-goods with the agency.
2. How should the brand restructure the campaign to meet awareness and performance goals while ensuring brand safety?
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Restructure: (1) Use a whitelist of premium publishers relevant to women 25-54. (2) Implement viewability targeting at 70%+ and fraud detection. (3) Use contextual targeting to align with brand-safe content. (4) Set up a PMP with direct deals. (5) Use first-party data for targeting via customer match or lookalikes on platforms with brand safety controls. (6) Allocate budget: 70% to PMP, 30% to open exchange with strict controls. (7) Set clear KPIs: viewability >70%, brand safety >99%, CPA <$50. (8) Run a brand lift study to measure awareness. (9) Use frequency capping to avoid ad fatigue. (10) Monitor daily and optimize weekly. (11) Consider using a managed service from a DSP with brand safety expertise. (12) Ensure contract includes right to audit and penalties for brand safety violations.