Picture this: you drop a pile of cash on a Super Bowl ad. Your team’s buzzing, new kitchen gadgets are about to hit stores, and you’re ready to crush it. But, bam—your ad ends up right beside headlines about exploding toasters.
Now everyone’s roasting your brand, and you’re stuck with memes and bad reviews. Ouch.
That’s why “brand suitability” isn’t just another fluffy word. Think of it as a seatbelt for your digital ads. Brand safety keeps your promos off bad websites. Suitability goes further. It makes sure your ads pop up where the vibe matches your brand. Because, honestly, would a vegan company want their ad on a hunting site? No way.
Here’s a stat to wake you up: 87% of people care where they see your ad.^1 If your ad lands in the wrong spot, you’ll wish you saved your money. Lucky for you, today’s DSPs (those nerdy Demand-Side Platforms) come with easy-to-use suitability features. No advanced degree needed—just click around and you’re in control.
No matter if you’re a fast-growth marketer or just starting out, these tools aren’t just for giant agencies. They’re built for you, too. Let’s break down why suitability is your sneaky weapon, how open beta DSP goodies (think Meta, Adobe, and Amazon’s Twitch) are shaking things up, and what you can do next to get smarter (and safer) with your ads.
TL;DR
- Suitability is more than safety—it’s about where ads show and why it matters.
- Open beta DSP stuff (Adobe, Amazon, Meta, etc.) means on-the-spot, super-precise ad placements—no boring blocklists.
- Mix in third-party help (DoubleVerify, Comscore) to block scams, keep the right “vibe,” and hit your goals.
- Placement-level budgets let you spend only where it really counts.
- Suitability-driven campaigns gain trust, stop wasted spend, and pump up your KPIs.
Beyond Safety: Why Suitability Is a Must-Have
Old School: Block Everything
Brand safety used to be simple: slap a giant blocklist on, avoid drama, and hope for the best. But that’s a blunt tool. Say you sell plant-based snacks. Sure, you don’t want ads on conspiracy forums. But what if your ad runs on a BBQ hunting blog? It’s not “unsafe” technically, but still off-brand. And that’s where you lose both money and cred.
Suitability: Context Rules
People notice more than just what you’re selling—they notice where you’re showing up and how. That’s where suitability kicks in. Instead of just blocking trouble spots, you decide what’s your perfect ad match—including mood, topic, audience, even the energy of the page. Lisa Utzschneider from Integral Ad Science said it best: “Context is the next frontier. Suitability is about finding your perfect match, not just avoiding scandals.”
When you control context, you guard your brand and create those small “meant-to-be” moments. The audience feels like your ad actually belongs there. Might seem tiny, but it matters.
From Facebook to DSPs: Pinpoint Control
Back then, you just crossed your fingers and hoped your ad landed somewhere decent. Now? Tools like Meta’s Sensitivity Controls and Adobe’s DSP let you pick exactly where your ad lands. Want your fun snack ad off scary news? No sweat. Want to skip sketchy YouTube streams? Just uncheck a box. These platforms now give honest, layered controls. You’re not stuck using filters that fit everyone else. You set the rules.
Brand Win: Pepsi Gets Playful
Proof? When Pepsi used Meta’s suitability tools, they filtered out pages with bad vibes. Result? Positive buzz on their posts up 21%—with zero extra spend. Not an accident, it’s owning your message.
How DSP Beta Features Boost Your Campaigns
Get Granular: Fine Controls
Back in the day, you put in one rule for your whole brand—then hoped it worked everywhere. Now, open beta DSPs (Adobe, Amazon’s Twitch, Meta) let you make rules for each product, campaign, even each ad spot.
Say you’re a sportswear company. You want super-sharp controls for your kids’ line (no rough stuff). But you’re fine loosening up for adult gear. Now you can adjust the levels for each instead of blocking everything.
Want to know how Amazon DSP handles this? Check our DSP Services for expert help and options.
Real-Time Checks with Partners
Today, it’s all about speed and accuracy. Plug in partners like DoubleVerify, Peer39, or Comscore, and your DSP checks each impression in split seconds. That means it’s blocking junk, checking content, filtering keywords, and making sure everything shows up right—fast, at the moment the ad is shown and even after.
Mark Zagorski at DoubleVerify nailed it: “Advertisers can customize where and how ads show up—pre-bid and post-bid. It’s a game-changer.” In plain terms: your ads display only in places you actually want.
Budget Smart, Spend Smart
Money matters. With new DSP suitability tools, you can give bigger budgets to the best ad placements. If a page fits your brand, you invest more. If something feels sketchy, move those dollars elsewhere—or block it fully.
Adidas: Avoiding Oops Moments
When Adidas added suitability controls, they blocked ads from pages about sports injuries or messy controversies. Their money went to happy, up-beat, performance-driven content. They saw 15% more engagement—proof that care pays off.
Make Context Work: Smart Targeting Isn’t Luck
Use Segments, Not Blanket Rules
Don’t settle for one rule for all. New features let you use custom segments—like DoubleVerify’s Authentic Brand Suitability—for each campaign. You can go deep: keywords, mood, country, even how people feel about a topic. Want to skip rough news but land in feel-good stories? You got it.
Dynamic Weighting
DSPs—even Adobe—now suggest updates to your suitability settings as your campaign rolls on. If you switch focus (like going green for Earth Day), they give you nudges in real time. These can change daily, even hourly. So you change fast, without going off-track.
Expert Take: Automation Wins
“Suitability filtering and dynamic weighting are the closest thing to autopilot for brand safety,” says Tom Triscari, programmatic economist. The robots finally help you, not make things harder.
Pop Culture Check: United’s Epic Fail
Remember when United got slammed for that passenger fiasco? If they’d had deep suitability filters, their ads wouldn’t have run next to news blasting them. They could’ve saved millions in bad PR. Suitability isn’t just a money thing—it protects your brand from chaos.
Quickstart: DSP Suitability for Non-Nerds
Define, Don’t Default
Before you touch a setting, know what “suitable” means for your brand. Want to block certain topics? Is attitude everything? Maybe you care about where or what country?
- List big NO topics (violence, adult stuff, trashy news).
- Map your “ideal” places (upbeat news, DIY videos, fitness, local community stories).
- Set these up in your DSP or with DoubleVerify and Peer39.
Tune Every Placement
Different campaigns deserve different rules. Start with your default settings. For special launches (a teen line, a charity project), tweak rules for each placement or ad group.
Run A/B tests, compare results, adjust as needed. This flexibility is your secret weapon.
Weekly Checkups
Set-and-forget? Nope. Check reports every week—Amazon DSP, Meta’s tools, and DoubleVerify all offer great dashboards. If reach or clicks drop, adjust your settings. Spot a trend (like a viral TikTok)? Update and keep moving.
Fees Aren’t the Enemy
Suitability tools cost a little extra—maybe a few cents per thousand views. But hey, you’re saving way more by dodging PR disasters or low-quality hits. Think of it as insurance.
Suitability Blunders: What to Avoid
Don’t Go Overboard
It’s tempting to block everything, but too much filtering kills your audience. Keep it just tight enough.
Keep Customizing
Brands change, and so should your filters. Update every few months. If you don’t, you’re running old rules in a new world.
Every DSP Is Different
Meta, Amazon, Adobe—each one has its own way of filtering. Amazon even mixes with Twitch in its own style. Read their docs or reach out for help so you use each platform right.
Real-Life Win: Skincare Brand
A DTC skincare company ran two ad batches—one with simple safety, the other with DSP suitability. Suitability slashed their cost-per-acquisition by 30%, grew engagement, and boosted trust. Just by showing ads in the right places.
Suitability Moves: What Smart Brands Are Doing
- Going way beyond safety—adding filters for mood, words, context, and fit.
- Using DoubleVerify, Peer39, and more for real-time checks and solid reporting.
- Using budgets at the placement level—so money only goes to best-fit spots.
- Updating performance and filters each quarter or big campaign.
- Keeping settings lined up across all programmatic and social platforms.
Top 5 Suitability Hacks (Fast Recap)
- Suitability means context and control—brand safety’s cool sibling.
- Open beta DSP features put your ads in places they belong.
- Real-time filtering tools (DoubleVerify, Peer39) help dodge disaster.
- Smart budget use = more money on winners, less on boring sites.
- Suitability builds trust, saves damage control money, and drives ROI—plain and simple.
Suitability FAQ: Real Answers
Brand safety vs. brand suitability—what’s the difference?
Brand safety keeps you away from awful stuff. Suitability finds the perfect spots for your unique goals and vibe.If I use brand safety, do I still need suitability?
Yes. Brand safety keeps you out of danger; suitability helps you win.How do DoubleVerify and others fit in?
They plug right into your DSP, adding filters, fraud checks, and reports—so you stay in control everywhere.Do these features slow things down?
Nope! Most DSPs make suitability as easy as clicking a few boxes. AI and presets speed it up even more.Does my budget change with suitability?
Definitely. You spend more on the best placements—less on the just-okay ones.Any downsides or costs?
Third-party tools charge fees. And if your filters are too tight, you’ll reach fewer people. The fix: check your results, update often, and always think fit + performance.
Your Suitability Checklist: Step-by-Step
- List Your Rules: Blocklist and must-haves—topics, tone, place, audience.
- Set Defaults: Put core rules at the DSP level.
- Layer Up: Edit rules for special teams, products, placements.
- Add Partners: DoubleVerify, Peer39, or others for deeper controls.
- Check Weekly: Study reports, check results, adjust fast.
- Budget Smarter: Push more spend to what works—cut what doesn’t.
Put these in play. Your campaigns will be safe, on-brand, and run at scale.
At the end of the day, every ad should make a good first impression. Suitability lets you breathe easy while your brand always shows up in the right light. The internet’s busier and weirder than ever, so standing out here matters. Next time you launch, don’t just block the bad stuff—make sure you’re shining in the best spots.
Ready to up your game? Check out our DSP Services for smart help, or Case Studies and see how others win with suitability. Make your next campaign your boldest—and your safest—ever.
References
- https://advertising.amazon.com/help/GJFLKW8CEWSWPY2B
- https://www.doubleverify.com/solutions/ad-verification/brand-safety-suitability
- https://www.integralads.com/insider/context-is-the-new-currency/
- https://business.adobe.com/resources/guides/advertising-dsp-brand-safety.html
- https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1179110765548006
