If you run programmatic ads, you probably trust your data more than luck. But here’s the tough truth: one bad ad placement and your brand’s image can crash—fast. eMarketer says 60% of marketers lost faith in a platform after their ad showed up by nasty content.
The whole "brand safety first" thing is kinda outdated now. Today, it’s all about "brand suitability."
Playing it safe keeps you out of trouble, sure. But it won’t get your fans cheering. And it won’t stop your “vegan” ad from ending up between steak grill-offs. Suitability is the new normal. Still using simple checklists and basic filters? Time to level up.
Here’s the good part: Places like Amazon DSP and Adobe are rolling out new beta features with real control. We’re talking real-time guardrails, smarter context tools, different “tiers” for placements, and checks from outside partners. Now you can tweak your brand’s voice with laser focus—instead of hoping nobody screenshots your ad in the wrong spot. These aren’t just fancy switches—they’re real control tools.
Want to nail your next programmatic campaign and skip the brand nightmare? You’ll need more than the usual blocklist. Check out our DSP Services to see how smart tools give you total control right from the start.
Ready to control every single impression your budget buys? Let’s look at what these new betas do. And why your next "brand lift" study won’t mean much if your suitability isn’t locked in.
Key Takeaways
Brand safety was the basics. Don’t stick your ad next to violence, hate, or spam. Pretty easy, right? But now the internet is way more wild. If you don’t set your own rules, your ad might show up somewhere totally off—even if it’s not outright “dangerous.”
Brand suitability takes a step further. It lets you choose what really fits your brand vibe, not just what avoids a mess. The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) said it best: "Suitability respects the letter and the spirit of your brand." Picture dropping a kids’ toy ad before a true-crime murder podcast. Safe? Maybe. Good for your image? Yikes, no. Suitability helps you dodge those moments.
Pepsi’s been here. Their programmatic lead, Sarah Y., said, “Brand safety keeps us out of hot water, but suitability keeps us on point, especially on Twitch.” So, staying out of drama is nice, but being right where your brand belongs? Way better. Pepsi used open beta to tweak their placements—so their fun, youth-friendly ads stuck with the right crowd in wild spots like livestream gaming.
They’re not the only ones. More brands are learning that context matters. A car ad on YouTube might be fine, but not for a luxury watch. Suitability gives you sharper control.
Forget fighting with old settings that only block big categories. Open beta is about custom fit. Now, on Amazon DSP, you can set rules for your whole account or slice it down to just one ad group. Need wide reach for a summer sale, but super tight control for a flagship launch? Done.
brandSafetyTierInheritedSettingDetails, you set base rules for the whole account—so every campaign starts with your defaults. No more guessing or mistakes.brandSafetyTierTarget lets you adjust settings for each campaign. Go strict when you launch something big, loosen up for basic retargeting.Picture one simple dashboard where you dial settings for risk. Tweak for back-to-school, switch it up for Black Friday, and go wide for retargeting. No more clunky, one-size-fits-all controls.
Early numbers tell the story. Adobe DSP’s open beta saw brands cut blocked impressions by 22%—without ditching their brand standards. That’s less wasted spend, no more surprise screenshots, and fewer panic texts from your boss. More savings, more good placements.
"The brand suitability tier system in open beta has been a total lifesaver. Now we mix caution with ambition, not play whack-a-mole." — Ankit Shah, Digital Boss, Fortune 500 retail brand
And because these controls update live, you can move fast. Your safety net shifts with you.
Want every impression to drive actual results—and stay on-brand? Now you can. Both Amazon and Adobe let you make goal-driven campaigns. Just start with “ADSP_” and the system sorts it all out for you.
Here’s what’s cool: The algorithm doesn’t just find "safe" places. It also aims for your top goals (like visits, video watches, or signups) while skipping stuff that won’t fit. Less work, more outcomes.
Not all "brand safety" checkers are created equal, but now you can use who you like best. Choose trusted firms like DoubleVerify or Integral Ad Science (IAS). You can even check placements at the line-item level.
How? Assign a DoubleVerify Authentic Brand Safety (ABS) segment ID right at the campaign. It acts like a digital bouncer, blocking bad fits before your ad ever appears.
Smart tip: Big events or launches? Go Limited. Everyday reach? Moderate usually works fine.
But don’t just pick one tier. With beta, you mix and match tiers, settings, and segments. Build the best plan for your brand.
Amazon’s open beta brings universal video placements to Twitch. Basically, your ad shows across lots of video feeds, but always filtered by your top settings.
Early brands saw up to 16% more engagement—as long as their suitability settings were on point. For example, your snack ad only pops up in food streams, not first-person shooter games. Smart, right?
Don’t want vegan snack ads by BBQ cook-offs or survivalist videos? Now you can use real third-party partners (like IAS and Oracle Data Cloud) to add or block specific lists or keywords. Set segment IDs to tell the system exactly what fits.
Some brands go even further—custom keyword lists that get updated as campaigns run. With IAS or Oracle, these blocks happen live, so you’re not always playing catch-up.
Here’s the best part: Content gets checked before and after your ad joins the mix. Suitability settings update on the fly if anything changes—so your “once and done” mistakes from the past, gone.
"You can’t fix a bad ad placement with a Twitter apology. It’s better not to end up there at all."
That’s the heart of this whole approach. Stop problems before they ever start.
Let’s be real: tighter controls always shrink your reach. Amazon says using "Limited" tier can cut your ad views by 25–35%. That’s less audience and usually higher cost—but you never risk your reputation. Marketers have to balance reach and resonance, always.
Don’t just lock everything down, though. Sometimes strict rules kill your results. Instead, try, test, and tweak your settings. Find what content types work for your brand and drop what doesn’t.
Sometimes your DSP will change suitability as things run. If you love spreadsheets, letting the machines handle it feels strange. But these algorithms are always learning and updating—flagging problems before you even know about them. Watch your dashboard, make small fixes often.
Good habit: Set up regular reviews. Compare your settings to where your ads actually showed up. Most tools provide full reports so you can adjust for your own rules, not generic ones.
Big powers need big compliance. Every suitability feature depends on smart data—context, placement, and more. Check if your DSP partner follows privacy laws (like GDPR, CCPA, and the rest). Don’t risk a lawsuit just to run an ad.
Read compliance notes, study consent policies, and make sure even your partners care about privacy. “Suitable” should never mean “see you in court.”
These aren’t bragging points, they’re the toolkit you need to win more value from every dollar.
Suitability isn’t a once-a-year fix. It’s an ongoing thing. Make it part of how you regularly fine-tune campaigns, and you’ll see fewer wasted ads and fewer PR disasters.
Brand safety vs. brand suitability?
Brand safety says “no” to offensive or risky stuff—like hate, violence, or adult content. Suitability goes further. It makes sure every ad lines up with your brand vibe and your audience. No weird matchups.
Can I control suitability for each campaign?
Totally. Modern DSPs let you set default rules, then get more specific for each campaign or group. New launches, promos, or wild ideas? Adjust as you need.
Will stronger controls hurt my campaign reach?
Most times, yes. Tighter controls = fewer spots, and higher price per ad. But you make sure your brand only shows up where it should.
How do these new third-party checks work?
DSPs team up with companies like DoubleVerify and IAS to scan, block, or approve spots before and after your ad goes live. So issues are stopped immediately—not weeks later.
Who has these beta features?
As of summer 2024: Amazon DSP (with Twitch), Adobe DSP, and any DSP serious about suitability. Keep watching—this race is heating up.
What about privacy?
All these checks and filters must respect global privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc). Always review legal stuff, consent, and flow of any new data you use.
Think of these steps as your forever playbook. New tools and rules will come—but sharp brands stay ahead by always updating.
If DSPs used to give you a seatbelt, open beta features hand you the wheel. No matter if you’re scaling Twitch ads, using universal video, or building the smart context campaign, one thing’s clear: owning suitability gives you a real edge.
The marketers who blend strong brand guardrails with bold reach—the ones who care about privacy and stay flexible—are the real winners as digital ads get smarter.
Want to see how top brands get the most mileage out of DSP suitability? Check out AMC Cloud for next-level analytics and reporting.
Looking for even more insights on Amazon Ads strategy? Try the Brand Lift Study, or check the Meta brand safety and suitability center, or upgrade with DSP optimization tools.
Make every ad count—your next campaign (and your brand) depend on it.