Google has made some of the biggest changes to ad rules on YouTube since its inception as it looks to protect the reputation of brand advertising. We took a closer look at what’s been happening on YouTube ads and what has compelled YouTube to act.
These sweeping changes follow on from the growing concern from big advertisers like Proctor & Gamble and Marks & Spencer’s about where their ads appear on the site. Who would have predicted that digital media placement and buying would become such a contentious and critical consideration? An investigation by The Times almost a year ago highlighted how ads were appearing next to racist, violent or incendiary content, causing hundreds of brands to pull advertising from the site. These two brands only gravitated back to YouTube recently.
Unilever, one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, threatened to pull advertising earlier this year from Google, YouTube, and Facebook if the tech giants don’t rid their platforms of extremism, hate speech, and fake news. Unilever is particularly disturbed by its ads showing up in videos that sexualize and exploit children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs
Unilever owns everything from food brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Hellman’s, Bertolli, and Lipton to personal hygiene brands like Dove, Vaseline, Axe, and St. Ives. The company spent $9 billion globally on advertising last year. And with more of those dollars moving to the digital space, Big Tech depends on those billions if it wants to keep growing.
What Google has to say:
“While we took several steps last year to protect advertisers from inappropriate content, we know we need to do more to ensure that their ads run alongside content that reflects their values. We needed a fresh approach to advertising on YouTube.” Said Paul Muret, VP of display, video, and analytics.
Here are some of the key changes:
- YouTube will impose stricter criteria on the types of videos that can generate ad revenue. Channels will not purely be judged on views, but also channel size, audience engagement and creator behaviour. That means channels will need to have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time within the last 12 hours to be eligible for ads.
- They are introducing a new review process for ‘Google Preferred’, its premium content. It also claims it will offer greater transparency around where brands’ ads are appearing and simpler controls.
- Google Preferred channels will be manually reviewed and only videos that have been verified will have ads.
- YouTube is introducing a three-tier suitability system that will allow advertisers to decide appropriate placements for their brand and the level of brand safety they need.
YouTube expects that process to take until mid-February in the US and the end of March in all other markets, including the UK.
What the Industry has to say:
Marketing manager for Marks & Spencer’s, Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne says: “Google has invested behind brand safety and brand security. It is deploying substantial efforts in terms of the screening and modifying some of their algorithms as well. We clearly are probably one of the most conservative brands in terms of what we are buying in programmatic, you have to be very careful.”
Generally, it is being seen as a positive step in the right direction by Google. However, there are still concerns about the type of content shown to children on YouTube and predatory comments on the site. This type of commentary has led to brands including Lidl and Mars pulling ads that appear beside this content.
What Creative Imagineering says:
Making Google more accountable for ensuring ads are featured in a ‘safer’ environment that reflects brand values is all good and well. However, brand custodians also need to share in the responsibility. Companies need to ensure they work with agencies that are fully versed in all these moving parts. Agencies that know how to take tighter media briefs and take media placement seriously. Prominent brands in South Africa that use YouTube as an advertising vehicle include South African Tourism, Brand South Africa, Koo, MTN and the Spur – all of whom have a reputation to uphold.
Our Agency remains focussed on helping SA brands ensure their advertising doesn’t fall in with the ‘wrong crowd’ and that their brand reputation is protected. www.creativeimagineering.co.za
Original article published in Marketing Week.