A leader at a different sell-side adtech company, also speaking anonymously, told ADWEEK that they view TAG certifications as “a farce.”
“The way that the requirements are set up, if you were really a bad guy, you could totally finagle your way in.” They added that TAG’s audit process is not particularly thorough, forgoing internal access for cursory reviews of materials like screenshots, the person said.
Not everyone agrees. Richard Murphy, CEO, president, and managing director of the Alliance for Audited Media, said he stands by all of the results produced in the audits. The firm employs a team of engineers, product managers, and project managers with a deep knowledge of both TAG’s guidelines and the nuances of adtech to “conduct a very thorough review,” including of documentation of policies and integrations.
“It’s not a paperwork audit,” he said. “These are all live engagements.”
Zaneis, however, admitted that TAG’s audit isn’t as thorough as some financial-style audits. “It is not an EY audit, but it also doesn’t cost $250,000,” he said. Neither the MRC nor EY responded to ADWEEK’s requests for comment, but previous reporting has indicated that MRC audits generally range around $100,000 to $200,000.
He noted that some companies demand or require more rigorous audits, which can be completed by EY through the MRC’s process, streamlining the path to TAG certification. “But there are only a couple handfuls of companies that can afford to pay that and need to go through that type of rigor,” he argued, noting that media measurement companies, for example, might require a more intensive audit than an SSP.
The P&G of it all
The sell-side leader said their company has waffled on the decision to keep up its TAG certifications, as it is arduous and expensive.
TAG membership runs the organization around $35,000 annually, before the $20,000 to $30,000 it pays for audits. TAG offers bundled rates for stacking certifications, with standalone certifications costing roughly $12,000 annually, according to Zaneis. TAG wants more companies to come into compliance, “so we try to keep the cost as low as possible,” he said.
The sell-side company has chosen to reapply each year largely to appease clients, the source said, including P&G. “I’ve brought up the thought of not doing TAG certifications, probably starting two or three years ago, and the response that always came back is that P&G requires it, and if P&G requires it, everyone must follow along.”
When the source learned that P&G relaxed its requirement, they said they hoped this would lead their company to reconsider their TAG certification next year. They added: “We won’t be the only ones considering such a move, I imagine.”
Exacerbating TAG’s reputational issue have been various scandals over the last few years that have illuminated ongoing brand safety and ad fraud failures.
