Dive Brief:
- The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is taking another step toward combating ad fraud with its “Verified by TAG” system.
- The new system includes a payment ID system that requires vetting by TAG, and a white list of advertisers and publishers that have been approved by the group.
- Google, AOL and Omnicom are among many industry supporters of the “Verified by TAG” program.
Dive Insight:
Ad fraud is an issue facing the marketing industry, and it’s been getting a lot of ink of late. TAG, with the support of major industry players, has introduced a new initiative, “Verified by TAG,” that includes two entwined elements – a payment ID system that requires a background check and review process with those making the grade going onto a registry of TAG-approved publishers and advertisers. The digital ad industry companies and agencies behind the program include Google, AOL, Omnicom, AppNexus, Index Exchange, WPP, Publicis and Interpublic.
Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG, told The Wall Street Journal, “In order to create a trustworthy market you need to make sure only legitimate companies get in. That means creating a registration program to make sure they’re legitimate, and that they’re not just some fly-by-night Ukrainian company with a PO box in the U.S.. so they can get checks.”
In a separate interview with Ad Age, Scott Spencer, product management director at Google, said, "Ad fraud is a solvable problem. If the industry continues to work together on projects like this, we can prevent illegitimate sites and traffic providers from taking spend from the ecosystem and help legitimate publishers earn the revenue to support their businesses."
