AdSafe launched an ad verification platform for ad networks and publishers called the AdSafe Network Monitor®. Read the press release. We asked Kent Wakeford of AdSafe a few questions about the new product.
To date “Ad-Verification” services have primarily been used by Agencies and Brands. How do you foresee this product benefiting networks and publishers?
The AdSafe Network Monitor is designed to give Networks and Publishers a holistic inventory management platform with which to view, manage and segment their inventory in order address advertiser’s increasing demands for brand safety and ad-verification. It is a significant challenge to manage the sheer volume of ad impressions that are transacted on a daily basis and until now, many networks and publishers did not have the right tool set to address their clients’ quality and placement issues. We designed our Network Monitor to provide networks and publishers with the information necessary to take preemptive steps to control and improve the quality of their traffic.
Ultimately whose responsibility is it to manage brand safety and to verify ad placements? The Brand? Agency? Network? Publisher?
There is no single party responsible for managing brand safety or verifying ad placements. Addressing these concerns should be a collaborative exercise, with each member of the ad ecosystem doing their part. For networks and publishers, this means arming themselves with the ability to stay in control of their ad inventory rather than simply reacting to brand or agency demands. With more advertising dollars flowing into digital, the stakes are growing for all parties and, networks and publishers are now able to stay ahead of brand safety and ad verification concerns with a proactive inventory management tool.
Is this a product that you see primarily utilized by long-tail networks and publishers or “premium” content providers?
Both long-tail and premium publishers can benefit from this product. While content brand safety can be more varied across long-tail publishers, “premium” publishers face their own challenges. For instance, UGC, social tools, comments, forums and highly sensitive editorial content can be viewed as problematic for advertisers. We see the Network Monitor as a tool that can be utilized equally effectively by both premium and long-tail networks and publishers.
Who is the ultimate end user of your new Network Monitor platform?
Our Network Monitor is currently used by publisher development groups, compliance teams, and ad operations professionals at leading networks and publishers. Many of our clients were previously using an often laborious and manual inventory quality assurance process and AdSafe partnered with them to develop a tool to radically simplify their inventory management workflow.
Kent Wakeford is the President and Co-founder of the AdSafe Media, the industry leader in online brand protection. Kent has over 12 year’s leadership experience in digital and social media. Most recently Kent served as a senior executive at Clearspring Technologies helping to grow the company to the largest social content sharing platform. Prior, Kent spent over five years at AOL as a Vice President facilitating relationships with more than 250 brand marketers across AOL web properties as well as integrated marketing partnerships across Time Inc., Turner, and Warner Bros. with revenue in excess of $1.25 Billion. Kent represented AOL on the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) task force to publish the AAAA’s industry standard terms and conditions, and currently participates in the IAB Networks & Exchanges Committee. Kent began his career as an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers representing record labels, media and entertainment companies.