If you spend big on online ads, you know the nightmare. You wake up and boom—your campaign is sitting next to a trash-fire meme or, yep, something even worse. Your boss sees it, trust tanks, and your CFO comes by like, “Who thought that was a good idea?”
Thing is, you don’t have to live like this. No more praying to the ad gods. Enter Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs). You can finally control where your ads show up in real time now. Your brand is safe. Your team actually sleeps at night. And maybe—just maybe—your CFO stops glaring your way.
Stuck on how DSP controls work? Not sure about targeting or brand protection? Check out our DSP Services for Amazon advertisers. We explain the tough stuff and set you up with solid tools.
Plot twist: Amazon, Adobe, and Facebook dropped open beta brand safety controls. These aren’t just bells and whistles. They’re super detailed, automated, and pretty much the closest you get to putting your cash exactly where you want it.
“Nine out of ten digital advertisers rate brand safety as their top concern—because all it takes is a single misplacement to go viral, for all the wrong reasons.” — eMarketer
TL;DR
It’s not just about clicks and views. Place one ad by a shady conspiracy blog or, yikes, NSFW stuff, and suddenly you’re a meme in someone’s group chat. Not scaremongering—the Trustworthy Accountability Group says 80% of people judge brands badly if their ad's next to gross or offensive stuff. Worse, their urge to buy drops by half. That’s way more than a little bruise.
It’s about trust, not embarrassment. You might work years to build it—one screenshot tears it all down. This isn’t just trolls; numbers show that bad ad spots can wreck your rep, get you boycotted, and freak out investors.
DSPs used to dump your ad everywhere, kinda like that friend who crashes every party—good or bad. “Spray and pray” worked in the early days. Now? Nope. As advertisers got louder, DSPs like Facebook, Adobe, and Amazon had to change fast. Enter: brand suitability dashboards. These let you avoid crazy inventory—fake news, clickbait, hate, or just weird off-brand stuff.
"Brand suitability went from a checkmark to a boardroom talk," says Kelly McKnight at Integral Ad Science. “It’s not just can you run ads—it’s should you?”
Filters by tone, topic, mood—makes less drama, fewer all-hands meltdowns. These also let you grow ad plans without fear.
With the new beta features, picture two big dials:
For example, Amazon’s beta for Twitch lets you do this by API, with rules like brandSafetyTierInheritedSettingDetails for account-wide stuff, and brandSafetyTierTarget for ad-group changes. Not a coder? No problem—your DSP partner helps in their easy dashboards.
This is where the tech wizards jump in—DoubleVerify, IAS, Comscore:
Example: Adobe DSP and DoubleVerify scan placements before you spend. If your rule is "no violence ever," it’s locked down. No money lost, more peace of mind.
Brand safety is your wall. No exceptions. No hate, no crime, no wild conspiracies—nobody wants their ad there. Ever.
Brand suitability is about being picky—by your rules. Red Bull likes wild stuff, but The North Face might hate it. Suitability lets you:
Eric Wheeler at 33Across says it best: “Suitability grows your reach and trust—you decide what fits.”
These controls keep your brand’s voice clear and, hopefully, not weird.
Old controls were like locked boxes—you threw in money, hoped for the best. Now, top DSPs show you everything:
The best part? Open beta means you help make the rules. Turn on a feature, spot a bug, give feedback. Platforms update stuff fast. These tools become what you need—not just what the tech folks think you want.
No more fuzzy reports. Now you get:
This is how pros do it:
Lauren Fisher at Advertiser Perceptions sums it up: “Advertisers want a way to block bad stuff and green-light the good. Open beta lets you do both.”
With DSP dashboards and partners like Peer39, you can:
Result? Budgets go further. No more wasting cash on the junk. You actually learn what works for your own brand.
Stuff is rolling out fast. Not every feature is everywhere. Check your own setup before making promises.
Heads up: extras cost extra. Third-party checks like DoubleVerify, advanced keyword blocks—those can add fees. Charges might come per impression, segment, or as a paid feature. Best bet: check your bills and set budgets to cover these tools.
Remember, open beta means not every ad channel works yet. Twitch audio, for example, isn’t there yet. Why? DSPs want you to test, break things, and suggest fixes. The tools get better each round.
"Advertiser feedback during beta is huge—it shapes what DSPs launch," says Maya Holmes at Amazon Ads. Don’t be shy. Speak up and drive improvements.
Let’s sum it up:
What’s the difference between brand safety and suitability?
Brand safety blocks anything illegal or wild (hate, violence, drugs). Suitability is about what your brand wants, even if others are okay with it.
How do DSPs automate suitability?
By teaming up with tools like DoubleVerify. You set the rules. Automation shields you until you say otherwise. Want to loosen rules for something special? Just do it.
Are these only for video ads?
With Amazon DSP, controls work on Display and Video for Twitch. Adobe and Facebook are adding more: native, mobile, in-stream. More is coming soon.
Do third-party checks raise the price?
Mostly yes. Premium filters, special keyword rules—they cost extra. You’ll see these on your invoices. Adjust budgets to match.
Can I see exactly where my ads go?
Yes. New reports tell you which sites, apps, and channels delivered. Spot risky places, add to the blocklist, and keep growing safe spots.
How do I give feedback on beta features?
API and dashboards have feedback forms. Use them. Tell your DSP what’s not working or missing—more feedback means faster fixes.
Look, digital trust is money now. If you’re not controlling your ad placements, someone else is—and it could cost you. One bad placement can go viral for all the wrong reasons. Custom, automated suitability controls aren’t a bonus—they’re your brand insurance plan.
Ready to boost your DSP skills? Dive into Amazon Attribution, try a live Brand Lift study, or grab our DSP optimization guide for your next campaign.
Want easier brand safety, clearer reports, and better placement tools? See our exclusive Features built just for online advertisers like you.