Google furthers brand safety initiative (GOOGL, GOOG)

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Google is developing new safeguards that will help advertisers screen against objectionable content, according to The Times of London.

The new safeguards will grade videos and online content on measures including nudity, violence, and political satire. Advertisers can then block their ads from appearing next to such content. The new system could come into effect by the end of 2017. 

The new safeguards are a part of a broader push by Google to increase quality of ads and clean up its digital ad ecosystem. Google is developing its own Chrome ad-filtering tool to be released in 2018 and recently warned 700 publishers that their ads would be blocked under this new filter. YouTube also announced new steps it would take to fight objectionable content in June. Through machine learning, Google has doubled the number of videos it has removed due to extremism as of August, according to The Guardian.

This development has the following reflections regarding traditional and digital ad spend:

• The premium-ification of online ad inventory. Digital advertisers are demanding increased transparency and control to ensure that their ads appear next to high-quality content. Aside from the efforts mentioned above, Google isn’t alone in working to improve the online ad environment for brands. Facebook also introduced ad tools to provide increased transparency for metrics on ad campaigns. Ultimately, this contributes to turning the digital ad ecosystem to a place to a more premium environment.
• This could accelerate ad spend's shift into digital. Traditional media such as print, radio, television, and movies have typically provided "premium" environments in which brands can run campaigns. Now, companies like Google are working to ensure this same premium experience to digital advertisers. If these efforts are successful, it could accelerate the ad spend into digital. Digital ad spend as a whole already surpassed TV ad spend in 2016, and the trend should continue if brands start to see their ads placed alongside more favorable content.

Trust is timely. In an era in which fake news is trending, and brands are pulling advertising from large publishers because they don’t want their messaging associated with offensive content, trust is a critical factor that brands consider when re-evaluating digital ad strategies.

Digital trust is the confidence people have in a platform’s ability to protect and promote the interests of its users. 

The Digital Trust Report, a brand new report from BI Intelligence, examines consumers’ perception of major social platforms. It rates Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn on security, community, user experience, and content authenticity and shareability. These insights help brands and marketers make informed decisions about where to spend their marketing and branding dollars.

All of the information in this survey comes from our proprietary BI Insiders panel, made up of more than 15,000 specially selected and recruited Business Insider readers. This panel is designed to be a leading indicator of what’s next in digital. The panelists are business and tech savvy, they have buying power, and they’re highly engaged. The survey revealed some fascinating insights into how millennials and decision makers view today’s most popular social media platforms.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Digital trust has been shaken by a proliferation of malicious content and data breaches, which has significant consequences for brands that use these platforms.
• The top platform won by a huge margin on most attributes. Content on this platform is more likely to be viewed as forthright and honest, which increases the persuasiveness of ads and marketing messages that appear alongside it. This also creates ideal conditions for thought leadership and branded and sponsored content to flourish.
• The second-ranked platform was bolstered by users' confidence sharing content they find there. Users were most apt to share content they found there, which, together with its massive audience and high engagement, makes it the right platform to maximize reach.
• The social platform that finished dead last did so because of its abusive comments section and extremely annoying ads. Still, this hasn’t dissuaded people from visiting, as evidenced by the time spent monthly and massive user base. This platform also resonates more with older generations.

The Digital Trust Report is only available with a subscription to BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To access this report, plus hundreds of other deep dives into the future of digital, click here.