Scroll your feed and it’s chaos out there. Wild memes. Hot takes on politics. Some stuff you’d never want your boss to see. Then, right in the mix? Your brand’s ad, looking lost. All it takes is a screenshot. Boom—your hashtag blows up, and not in a good way.
Here’s the wild part: 80% of people say they care about a brand’s rep before buying. But 70% of ad buyers aren’t really sure their ads avoid messes (IAB, 2023). So yeah, marketing teams want those big numbers, but no one dreams of going viral for a brand fail.
Good news: ad platforms like Amazon and Adobe are rolling out real controls to block your ads from bad neighborhoods. Now, you control where you pop up—and where you definitely never show your face.
Deeper peace of mind. Less finger crossing. This blog gives you the scoop on how those new controls really work, which features actually help more sales (cheers, Amazon Brand Lift), and the tips to keep your ads safe, seen, and scandal-proof.
TL;DR
Running ads online is like ordering pizza blindfolded. Brand safety is like a buddy checking for mold. Suitability? That’s making sure there’s no fish sauce or weird toppings. These days, where your ad shows up matters as much as what it says. People watch everything, and they scroll fast. Get stuck to a cringy post, and that’s all anyone sees.
Here’s a stat to make your eye twitch: 49% of brands had some ad end up next to bad stuff last year (GARM, 2023). Suitability control spending jumped 27%, with Amazon and Adobe leading the charge. John Osborn at Ad Council said it best: "Suitability isn’t extra—it’s armor for your rep." So yeah, it’s the moat and the guard dog for your brand in internet land.
Old-school brand safety dodged the obvious—adult stuff, hate speech, crime. But now? Suitability asks, does your wild-energy drink really belong next to sad news? Should a banking ad show up by crypto clickbait? It’s never one-size-fits-all.
Amazon DSP’s open beta lets you pencil in clear boundaries by brand, campaign, or even ad group. It’s like choose-your-own safety—in detail.
[Dig deeper: Check out the newest Amazon DSP safety and targeting features in our guide to DSP Services.]
Trust is cool, but checking is better. That’s why DSPs join up with firms like DoubleVerify (DV), Integral Ad Science (IAS), Comscore, Peer39, and Scope3. They help make ads safer by:
Running a campaign on Adobe DSP? Connect DV’s brand safety tool. You want to block hate, avoid fraud, maybe take a risk on violence, but never allow explicit stuff. Set your rules once—called segment IDs—and they follow your ad everywhere. No cross-your-fingers. Even if your ad runs on a thousand different videos or sites. It’s real control.
DSPs let you block risky topics fast. Just a couple clicks or a toggle switch and you’re set.
The usual risk groups (per GARM):
Family snack brand? You’d hate to see your ad next to fighting or graphic news. Tequila brand? Maybe that wild music video fits, but not fake news.
You get to pick the vibe—by audience, time of year, or channel. That’s key.
Customization is where this all gets fun. Amazon DSP’s open beta lets you control it all—go broad or drill down deep. You can set safety rules for the whole brand, or just specific ad groups with settings like brandSafetyTierInheritedSettingDetails and brandSafetyTierTarget. Weird names, but basically they mean: “put this rule everywhere or just on these two ads.”
So if you’re pushing a workout brand, keep everything squeaky clean. Running something edgier? You can open things up—on your own terms.
Amazon DSP’s new controls just launched for Twitch, and it’s a real-world test drive. Twitch means way more than games now. You can catch concerts, sports, or people just eating snacks and talking. Big brands want in—without drama or a logo caught near a streamer meltdown. One mistake? Everyone’s talking about you (in a bad way).
So what’s new?
And the proof? Amazon Brand Lift studies. Run tests to see if your new safety rules are still driving sales or getting skipped by everyone. No guessing. Real results—fast.
Adobe DSP does things its own way. For one, it uses “objective-weighted recommendations” (watch for codes with ADSP_ in settings). So it’ll suggest the best spots based on your goals. Push sports gear? You’ll get more youth-focused, energetic spots, while still blocking explicit or hateful stuff.
Videos placements? Filtered already—only show your ad before stuff that makes sense. With DoubleVerify plugged in, you get both pre-bid and post-bid controls.
Handy hint from Isabella Sanchez at DigitalX: "Having controls before and after the bid saves us money—and our sanity."
Think safety is just skipping sketchy forums? Nope. DSPs work hard blocking millions of fake views each day. Bots. Click farms. "Ad stacking" (where five ads pile up, only the top gets seen). Endless app and web fakes. All of it steals your budget and messes with your data.
Amazon and Adobe (with DV, IAS, etc.) are great at:
And the numbers are nuts. ANA’s 2024 report says $13 billion in ad spend is set to just poof away to fraud this year unless these filters get better (ANA, 2024). Suitability controls = brand AND budget protection.
Suitability controls aren’t just about dodging drama—they help stretch every dollar. With DSPs, you can now set viewability targets. That way, your ad should only count if seen by real folks, not bots or background tabs. More eyeballs usually means better clicks, more sales.
If no one sees your ad, you don’t pay. Sounds fair, right?
Want to do this for your next campaign? Try this quick plan—no geek talk, just steps:
Treat these safety controls like a living thing. Update them often. If you’re running betas or trying new features, check more often. Risk never sleeps.
Pro tip: Review safety settings every three months. There’s always new sketchy content out there. Don’t wait for trouble.
Q1: What’s the difference between brand safety and brand suitability?
A: Brand safety is hard “no” to dangerous/sticky content (adult, illegal, hate, fraud). Suitability shapes your comfort zone. Some brands block all news, some just block violent or scandalous stuff. Suitability matches the ad vibe to your brand.
Q2: How do I use suitability settings in Amazon DSP’s beta?
A: Find settings for the brand or ad group in the Amazon DSP API. Use brandSafetyTierInheritedSettingDetails for rules everywhere, brandSafetyTierTarget to tweak for one group. Twitch is the first to get these for display and video.
Q3: Can I use third-party verification with Adobe or Amazon DSP?
A: Big yes! Adobe DSP works with DoubleVerify for checks before/after your ad runs. Amazon DSP supports DoubleVerify, Comscore, Peer39, Scope3. These help keep blocklists fresh and filter on the fly.
Q4: What kind of content can I block?
A: Major blocks: adult/"soft adult", fraud, violence/weapons, hate, drugs/alcohol, controversy. GARM sets the standards so the rules stay steady from platform to platform.
Q5: Do brand suitability settings affect my results?
A: Yes, in a good way. Brand Lift, Adobe analytics, and reporting from partners show if your rules make results better. You can see where money goes further, fast.
One bad ad placement can lead to weeks of fixing your brand’s image. Stay on it and you’ll avoid drama while moving quick.
You’ve got the tools to keep your brand safe, your reach wide, and your ads working hard—not vanishing to fraud or scandal.
Online ads move fast. Use these new safety tools now—fine-tune all the time—and you’ll stay ahead of the madness.
True story: In 2016, top brands found their YouTube ads running by hate speech. Bad press everywhere. Whole marketing teams freaked. Fast forward to 2024: set up DSP suitability, sleep at night, and let the internet do its thing. That’s progress.
Want to stretch your ad budget and never worry about brand mess-ups? Try our how-to guides for Adobe DSP optimization. Learn Amazon attribution. Run real-deal Brand Lift studies.
Ready to see how Requery can lock-in automation and protection for Amazon DSP? Take a peek.