Ads appearing next to inappropriate content can be damaging for the brand, with a new survey revealing that 75% of people would be put off, while 50% would blame the brand (rather than the ad serving company) for the mistake.
The survey, by Broadband Genie with polling specialist OnePoll, comes as brands such as Marks & Spencer, RBS and Audi pulled adverts earlier this year after they appeared alongside inappropriate content on YouTube.
Key findings:
– 3 in 4 discouraged from brands advertising next to inappropriate content
– Ads appearing next to sexual, racist, violent and extremist content most commonly cited as ‘inappropriate’
The research also found what people defined as inappropriate content varied. Sexually explicit was most agreed upon (70%) as being inappropriate, while racist (69%), violent (66%) and extremist (65%) content was also high up on the list. Only 9% said they did not believe any content was inappropriate.
Rob Hilborn, Head of Strategy at Broadband Genie, said: “This research shows brands were right to pull their ads as quickly as they did. The way many of these advertising networks work, it can be hard for companies to know exactly where their product or service will be featured. For this reason, it’s incredibly important for the networks to put in as many safety measures as possible to mitigate the problem and give brands back their confidence.
“The response from Google and other networks has been positive, with them quick to put in measures to raise the standards for channels and sites displaying ads. However, with any system that relies on automation, it’s going to be hard to create something completely foolproof.
Methodology
This research was commissioned by Broadband Genie with specialist polling company OnePoll between 2 May – 5 May 2017. 2,000 adults were surveyed from across the UK.