Skip to content

How DSP Brand Suitability Beta Transforms Ad Campaigns

Jacob Heinz
Jacob Heinz |

There’s a not-so-hidden battle going on in digital ads right now. Just keeping your brand safe? Not enough anymore. Meet brand suitability. Now it’s not just about dodging drama—your ads gotta hit the right vibe, every single time.

Used to be, ad rules were just about dodging disasters. Like, making sure your ad doesn’t play next to a wild news story you’d never support. That’s regular brand safety. Still matters, but it’s not all anymore. Platforms want you to think bigger now. It’s about precision: does your ad feel right here? Are you making people fans—or turning them off?

Here’s the big news: Amazon DSP and Adobe DSP just gave you, in open beta, new tools to steer your ad campaigns wherever you want—and avoid what you dread. Ever wonder where your ad budget actually goes? Or how to keep a nice ad from landing right after something super sketchy on Twitch? This is your playbook.

Now you get sharp tools, smart filters, even tweaks at the API level. Less "block all the bad stuff," more "make sure my ad fits in." It’s about context, brand style, and your real voice. Sounds a little sci-fi, right? But it’s happening now in open beta. The controls of tomorrow’s ad world—being built live, right now, by people like you.

In ad tech, you only get what you want if you tell the system what you DON’T want first.


TL;DR

  • New DSP brand suitability controls are now live in open beta for Amazon & Adobe DSPs.
  • Advertisers can pick exactly where ads go, by advertiser or ad group, right in the API.
  • This isn’t just safety: new features cover context, tone, audience fit, and 3rd party checks.
  • The beta is only for Twitch and Display/Video inventory so far.
  • Reporting is better—you see your ad’s performance by suitability score, but big-picture data is still growing.
  • Real world: Max ROI, less risk, and you get to help build out these tools.


The Big Shift

From Damage Control to Context

You probably know brand safety: block violence, block fake news, call it done. Not anymore. Now, you gotta make sure your funny food ad doesn’t pop up next to a really dark doc. Or that your luxury brand stays far from wild Twitch memes…unless you actually want that.

Brand suitability is like brand safety’s older, wiser cousin. It’s more about making you look smart and on-purpose—not just “not embarrassing.”

In 2024, people see where your ad shows up. Health drink ad after horror movie? Wrong vibe. Eco soap on a fight forum? Trust lost in seconds.

Suitability is a tighter filter: more than just “don’t embarrass me.” Now you want every ad to feel smart and right. That means tuning your campaigns on factors like:

  • Content’s tone and style
  • How the audience is feeling
  • Is your brand’s voice matched?
  • Does the channel fit?

“Suitability is about the details—making your ad land not just safe, but in the perfect spot,” says Adweek analyst Jordan Cohen.

Why Suitability Wins

Open beta tools mean you get new controls. You can set your own filters, buddy up with experts like DoubleVerify, IAS, Comscore, and finally make your ads work for you instead of just playing defense.

What’s that mean for your ad campaigns? No more just reacting to bad placements. Now you call the shots. You decide where ads show, what topics or moods they land beside, and which places really fit your brand. You’re not just tiptoeing around risks. You’re picking what feels right.

Open beta is like real-time testing and tweaking. You get tomorrow’s features now, but you help make them better. Stop reacting later—set the rules before things go wrong. The sharper your rules, the less mess and the better your ad clicks with people.


Inside the Toolbox

Test Drive: Controls That Matter

Forget old “one-click to safety” stuff. 2016 is done. Modern tools have real dials, toggles, and API spots so you run the show, not just watch.

1. Pre-Bid Filtering

No more crossing fingers. Set hard rules before your ad even touches any content. You can get picky by publisher, topic, overall mood, or content type like “education” or “gaming.” Instead of hiding from “the bad stuff,” you hunt down the perfect match for your brand.

Say you’re a sneaker brand. Maybe you skip political podcasts, but double up on sports highlights. Or, if you want family-friendly, you block anything spicy or sarcastic—keeping every ad wholesome. This gets huge for brands with rules, like in CPG, healthcare, or finance.

2. Fine-Grained API Controls

Need more control? These betas let you tune suitability at campaign or ad group level right from the API. On Amazon DSP, you can tweak brandSafetyTierInheritedSettingDetails to set rules across a campaign or get micro, giving certain ad groups their own “safe zones” using brandSafetyTierTarget.

So you’re never stuck with just one setting. Run a super-safe brand campaign while testing a wilder launch—all side by side, all in your DSP.

3. Plug in Third-Party Tools

Worried your brand rules won’t stick across the whole internet? That’s covered. Both DSPs let you add top verification pros like DoubleVerify or IAS straight into your controls. Zap their ID straight into the API, so every ad spot—Twitch, news, weird blogs—gets checked.

“Pre-bid blocking, audience filters, custom rules—brands can finally get picky,” says Mike Farrell, VP at Peer39.

4. Reporting—But Don’t Expect Magic Yet

Early access means some rough edges. Reports give you publisher data, impression types, and suitability scores, but hey, it’s beta. You usually get just seven days of deep detail, but that’s enough to spot what’s working or not—and fix things fast.

If your ad ends up somewhere iffy, you’ll see it, and can block or filter better next week. Real-time tweaks work now. Want months or years of data? Not quite yet—still gotta wait for that stuff to grow up.

Example: Amazon DSP on Twitch

During beta, it’s just for Twitch and Display/Video ads. Twitch is wild—chat flips from games to culture talk in seconds, so it’s a great testing lab. Early users get to shape how their brands appear—double down on gaming streams, or swerve from drama. Supported by API, monitored each week.

Say you’re selling energy drinks. Stick to “Family Friendly” or “Sports” streams. With these controls, you avoid hot takes or heated debates—every ad stays hyped and on message.


Suitability In Action

Real Value: Why It Makes Sense

Every off-target ad wastes money. With tight brand suitability, you:

  • Dodge close calls: Block “almost safe but off-brand” ad spots. Save cash and headaches.
  • Keep your style: Set your campaign tone to casual, serious, or whatever. The right people notice.
  • Balance goals: Mix suitability and campaign goals in, like, Adobe DSP. Let AI push video views—but never trash your brand context. (Ex: "Get views, but not on cringe stuff.")

So, you’re not just playing defense. You’re making your brand shine. Your ads feel right, so people connect. Less time wasted. Every buck does more.

Attribution: Measure the Good Stuff

Smart suitability also fixes how you read your results. Use Amazon Brand Lift Study and Amazon Attribution to see what actually works. Early users see:

  • Fewer haters yelling about bad ad matches.
  • More clicks, more on-brand actions.
  • Fewer disasters from safety misses on Twitch or display.

A big CPG advertiser using Adobe DSP’s beta cut wasted ads by 20% vs. old-school rules. That’s more clicks short-term, more loyal fans long-term—they trust your ad shows up in the right places.

“Tighter suitability cuts wasted ads by over 20% already,” says a major CPG brand in Adobe DSP’s beta.

And if you’re in riskier stuff—kids’ toys, banking, health—sentiment jumps up even faster, early surveys say.


The Catch: Beta Limits

No Magic Wand Yet

Let’s be honest: beta means it’s not perfect. Some stuff you gotta watch:

  • AI Filters Miss Things: Jokes, sarcasm, weird humor—sometimes the tools get fooled.
  • Updates & Reporting Lag: Some settings update daily or weekly. Big news can slip through before filters notice.
  • Just Twitch For Now: Controls only cover Twitch and Display/Video. Other platforms are coming, but not yet.
  • Short Reports: You mostly get seven days’ worth. Want long-term data? You’ll have to track it yourself for now.
  • Platforms All Speak Differently: Amazon, Adobe, Meta—they all use different rules and words. Getting harmony is still tough.

“Suitability rules keep moving. Today’s drama is tomorrow’s normal. That’s why beta grows quick,” says one DSP product lead.

For now, if you want to go big or run cross-platform, you’ll need in-house checks and partner help. Update your rules a lot, cuz tomorrow’s content is always different.


How Controls Work

Getting Detailed—What Can You Do?

Smart brands get specific. With the new DSP tools you can:

  • Adjust Inventory: Use "Expanded," "Moderate," or "Limited" filters for your own risk levels.
  • Block Topics/Keywords: Cut out topics or words with crazy precision. No true crime, no politics, etc. Tighten up your ad’s playground fast.
  • Block Sites/Publishers: Manually toss out publishers or websites that never fit your brand. Watch for new ones popping up and keep your blocklist fresh.
  • Plug in Third Party Segments: Use those partners’ IDs at the API level for the same brand rules everywhere.
  • Mix Goals: Let DSP optimize both suitability and performance: split your snack campaign, say, 60% fit, 40% video views. The smart computer helps, but your guardrails come first.

Custom Weighting: Pick What Matters

Adobe DSP shines at this. Campaign managers can nudge things toward "brand suitability first," or instead, "performance first." Running a strict brand drive? Dial it up. Launching something edgy? Loosen rules, but watch real close.

This is a lifesaver for brands running lots of styles or seasonal campaigns with changing vibes.


Suitability Beta Recap

  • Suitability isn’t just blocking junk—it’s matching your brand’s voice to the right scene.
  • Amazon DSP and Adobe DSP open betas let you filter at ad and group level, block topics or sites, and plug in third-party checks.
  • These tools are new, but already slashing wasted ads and pumping relevant ones.
  • Results: Brands see more lift, less bad feedback, and spend smarter—all in the noisy mess of Twitch.
  • Caveats: Only Twitch & Display/Video right now, short reports, and classifiers still learning.

Suitability Checklist

  • Pick your inventory risk (Expanded/Moderate/Limited).
  • Add your “never” topics and publishers.
  • Work with your DSP team to attach third-party checks.
  • Tweak suitability goals in campaign settings (good example: Adobe DSP).
  • Pull weekly reports—see what ran, where, and if it worked.
  • Give feedback: Beta tools change based on what users need.

FAQs

1. How’s brand safety different from suitability in DSPs?
Brand safety dodges obvious bad stuff like violence. Suitability finds exact spots where your ad really fits—based on audience, vibe, and context.

2. Which DSPs have suitability controls right now?
Amazon and Adobe DSP lead, with ad and ad group level controls, mainly for Twitch and Display/Video.

3. Do I need to code to use these settings?
API means dev skills help, but most let you do basics from the UI. For the deep end, your ad ops or dev team can sort the API magic.

4. How do these new controls change ad results?
Early days, but results are lower waste, better fit, more ROI. You’ll dodge angry viewers and get better matches.

5. Why use third-party checks for suitability?
Stuff like DoubleVerify or IAS gives you the same guardrails on every platform at once—less guesswork.

6. Any major beta limits?
Yup. Reports are short, it’s Twitch only, and AI is still learning. Good for testers right now, not set-and-forget.


Get Started Like a Pro

  • Review your “never” topics and domains. Know what’s off-limits for your brand.
  • Set your safety level. Don’t just pick “safe.” Tune to “suitable.”
  • Use the API (if you can)—set up tiers by ad or group.
  • Plug in third-party tools. Set the same rules everywhere.
  • Check reporting each week. Spot off-brand junk and update quick.
  • Work with your DSP team. Betas change fast—your notes matter.

Brand suitability tools are the future for running better ads. Not just to dodge PR headaches, but to make sure you show up in the right places, every single time. Right now, you’re both testing and building these rules—you’re setting the new normal.

The benefit? No more gambling. You set the rules, watch as your campaigns get sharper, safer, and truer to your brand. Jump in now, share feedback, help build the tools others will use later.

Want expert help making Amazon DSP suitability settings work? Or want to run ad campaigns at scale, with less hassle? Our DSP Services are made for this.

Want more key updates on DSP changes, or want to dive deeper on Amazon attribution and brand lift? Hit up our full guide to Amazon DSP optimization. And get the details on tracking performance with Amazon Attribution.


References

Share this post