The strict vetting criteria for selection to the Trusted Publishers will go beyond Unilever’s existing ‘3Vs’ – Viewability, Verification and Value standards – to satisfy additional, evolving and more stringent checks around ad fraud, online brand safety, ad experience, traffic quality, ad formatting and data access. Eventually most of Unilever’s online advertising spend will be made through this protocol, working closely with media agency partners.
It is estimated that click fraud generates more than $20m per month in profit for those involved[a], with further research suggesting that bots can account for up to 90% of ad campaign clicks[b]. Lack of transparency is an issue for both brands and consumers, as it undermines trust and distorts impact. The network of Trusted Publishers aims to address this.
Keith Weed, Chief Marketing Officer at Unilever, will be speaking today at WFA Global Marketer Week in Lisbon on the most important lessons he learnt as a marketer. One of these lessons is that companies must be purpose-led, helping to solve global challenges rather than just selling products. Another lesson focuses on the importance of rebuilding trust across the industry. It is in this line of thought that Unilever is tackling the global problem of click fraud.
Keith Weed, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Unilever, said:
“Now is the perfect time for Unilever to build on the efforts and progress we’ve made so far in the last twelve months in cleaning up the digital ecosystem. We’ve been clear for years about what we want to see online – more consumer trust through greater publisher transparency, more effective use of time and money, and better online experiences for everyone. Online advertising credibility is still a global, industry-wide problem and as the world’s second largest advertiser, we have a responsibility to use our scale and influence to address this issue.
“The Unilever Trusted Publishers will add more rigour to how Unilever advertises online. We want to know that real people, not robots, are enjoying our ads – bots don’t eat a lot of Ben & Jerry’s. We will champion the good actors that help us in this while diminishing the roles of the bad.”
This announcement marks the next phase in Unilever’s Responsibility Framework. In February 2018 Unilever announced the company’s push to improve the digital ecosystem through its Responsibility Framework, ensuring greater accountability among key partner platforms, more responsible brand content, and better infrastructure via a One Measurement system.
At Cannes Lions in 2018 Unilever further expanded its approach to address transparency issues in influencer marketing. In January 2019, Unilever announced the development of a Cross Media Measurement model, partnering with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Kantar Media and Nielsen. This model offers better transparency for brands in terms of their investment, and better online experiences for consumers who may face reduced bombardment from the same ads on multiple platforms.