TAG's First Impact and Compliance Report: A Milestone in Digital Advertising Safety

TAG Releases Its First Impact and Compliance Report

TAG (Trustworthy Accountability Group) has set a significant milestone in the digital advertising realm by unveiling its inaugural Impact and Compliance Report. This comprehensive report serves as a first-of-its-kind analysis aimed at illustrating the effectiveness of TAG programs and their overall impact on fortifying the digital advertising supply chain. It primarily focuses on the benefits realized by advertisers, agencies, publishers, and adtech providers.

For nearly a decade, TAG has been dedicated to fostering a safer, more transparent digital advertising environment. Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG, emphasized that this report quantifies TAG's tangible achievements across four primary mission areas. This is crucial for not only safeguarding companies and consumers from malign actors but also enhancing the quality and transparency across the advertising ecosystem.

Key Highlights from the Report

1. Global Reach of TAG:
- TAG members span across 43 nations globally, indicating its extensive influence.
- By the end of 2024, a total of 226 companies had acquired at least one TAG certification seal.

2. Certified Against Fraud Program:
- A financial impact analysis conducted in collaboration with 4A's, ANA, and IAB revealed that anti-fraud initiatives led to a staggering $10.8 billion in savings for U.S. advertisers in 2023.
- TAG Certified Channels intended to tackle invalid traffic maintained a sub-1% score for four consecutive years in the U.S. and six years in Europe.

3. Brand Safety Certified Program:
- TAG launched a comprehensive “Pirate Domain Exclusion List (PDEL)” designed to assist advertisers in avoiding exposure to piracy-related websites.
- The introduction of the Keyword Exclusion List Toolset (KELT) established standardized best practices for brands, enabling agencies to broaden their potential content reach while minimizing unnecessary ad revenue losses.

4. Certified Against Malware Program:
- TAG augmented the baseline for vendors aiming for the TAG Certified Against Malware Seal, enhancing the anti-malvertising services’ criteria.
- The latest version of TAG’s Malvertising Taxonomy, released in April 2024, included vital updates and new subcategories addressing various malvertising techniques.

5. Certified for Transparency:
- With TAG TrustNet, over 40 brands now have access to valuable campaign data insights thanks to increased log-level data accessibility.
- According to the ANA’s recent benchmark report, there was a notable 22% rise in ad spend productivity, translating to an additional $8.2 billion in efficiency within a $104 billion open web programmatic marketplace.

6. Threat-Sharing Initiatives:
- TAG’s AdSec Threat Exchange saw a 40% enhancement in threat-sharing activity in 2024, strengthening its community of combatants against malvertising attacks across 11 countries and 7 time zones.

Compliance Framework Update

Along with an enlightening retrospective on TAG’s success, the report provides an important update concerning its compliance framework and processes. This entails streamlined non-compliance investigations and the subsequent response enforcement mechanisms, which allow companies a chance for remediation and appeal should they not meet the TAG certification requirements.

In essence, for the first time in its history, TAG has produced a detailed, data-informed analysis that evidences how its various programs serve to safeguard the interests of advertisers, publishers, and consumers in the face of fraud, malvertising, and brand safety challenges.

Rachel Nyswander Thomas, TAG's COO, noted that this report not only highlights the efficacy of TAG’s tools but also serves as a blueprint for future improvements aimed at bolstering industry accountability. The full report is accessible on TAG’s website, showcasing the pivotal role it plays in enhancing safety and transparency in digital advertising.

About TAG

TAG is the leading global certification program aimed at augmenting safety and transparency in digital advertising. With its extensive member network consisting of some of the world’s foremost brands, agencies, and ad tech providers, TAG’s initiatives have made a significant impact in curtailing fraudulent activities, enriching brand safety, and promoting transparency across the digital landscape.

For those interested in more information, please visit tagtoday.net to delve deeper into TAG's commitments and successes.