The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) has unveiled an advertising campaign that urges marketers to only work with digital advertising suppliers that adhere to the organisation’s ‘Gold Standard’ – its multifaceted initiative to improve the digital advertising ecosystem.
In a tongue-in-cheek reference to the awards culture within the advertising industry, the six-week-long campaign asks advertisers to ‘shelve the silverware’ and instead demand the best from their media partners.
Created by TMW Unlimited and powered by its Human Understanding Lab, the promotion draws light to the fact that all IAB UK members that buy and sell digital media can gain ‘Gold Standard’ certification.
The ‘Gold Standard’ scheme reportedly requires certified companies to implement tools to tackle ad fraud, as well as uphold brand safety, improve the online experience for consumers, help businesses comply with GDPR and eprivacy laws, and strengthen supply chain transparency.
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“The Gold Standard has the potential to be the most important driver of positive change in digital advertising, if it’s adopted across the supply chain. With three quarters of advertisers’ spend going into digital channels, it’s imperative that marketers are aware of what the Gold Standard is, why it matters and how to support it,” IAB UK chief marketing officer James Chandler said.
“With this campaign, we want to get the Gold Standard on the radar of all major brands in the UK and encourage them to prioritise the companies that are adhering to it. Our industry creates brilliant, boundary pushing creative work – and that should be celebrated – but an obsession with awards is ultimately meaningless if we’re not getting the fundamentals right and jointly upholding core standards. All digital advertisers need to be demanding the Gold Standard as a necessity from their partners.”
