Two of the world’s biggest digital advertising platforms, Google and The Trade Desk, have chosen not to renew their accreditations with the Trusted Accountability Group (TAG) at a time when confidence in the certification firm is waning, advertising leaders say.
Founded in 2015, the trade group is dedicated to combating digital ad fraud and advancing brand safety online. It quickly gained the support of brands and ad agencies, from Mondelez and Colgate-Palmolive to Publicis and IPG Mediabrands (since folded into Omnicom). Many of the world’s biggest publishers and adtech suppliers sought out TAG certifications to endorse their company in effective ad fraud and malvertising mitigation, brand safety standards, and transparency practices.
TAG members pay dues to support the group’s mission and participate in collective initiatives. Some members, generally media owners and adtech companies, go a step further to obtain specific TAG certifications.
One of TAG’s most prominent cheerleaders historically was Procter & Gamble, who confirmed to ADWEEK that it no longer upholds a mandate that its digital ad partners maintain TAG certification against fraud. “P&G encourages TAG certification, but we do not contractually require it,” a spokesperson told ADWEEK, adding P&G “has high standards for all media partners to prevent ad fraud and protect brand safety.”
In 2017, P&G’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard said the consumer packaged goods giant would not work with any digital advertising partners who did not hold TAG’s Certified Against Fraud seal. TAG’s website still includes a mention of this commitment.
Today, P&G is a major client of both Google and The Trade Desk, despite both organizations ending their TAG certifications. According to CEO Mike Zaneis, TAG maintains a good relationship with P&G and “they continue to drive a lot of companies to TAG to be compliant.”
The decision from two of the world’s biggest advertising platforms to let their certifications lapse, however, suggest that TAG’s influence is diminishing.
Google previously held three of TAG’s four certifications, but chose not to renew them this year, the company confirmed. Google said it conducted a strategic review of its third-party certification coverage and chose to let its TAG certifications lapse while upholding its accreditations from Media Rating Council, another industry group that sets standards for brand safety and media measurement.
