May 2024

• TAG TrustNet in Cannes
• Keyword Exclusion List Toolset
• Malvertising Taxonomy Update
• Advertising Week Europe
• Working Group Brief
• State of the Fight - SAVE THE DATE
• Where in the world is TAG? 🌍
• One More Thing

Cannes Preview: ANA/TAG TrustNet Programmatic Transparency Benchmark Release

On June 17 and 18, TAG TrustNet will set sail at Cannes with sessions on board the SS New Star at which the latest transparency ANA/TAG TrustNet tool, the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark, will be released. This new tool is designed to help advertisers measure the transparency of their supply chain partners. To explore the implications and opportunities of this issue, TAG TrustNetwill host an all-star panel series with ANA CEO Bob Liodice,  AdExchanger’s Alison Schiff,  AJL’s Lou Paskalis, and guests from GARM, Fiducia, The Trade Desk, and more!    Panels include:

• ANA Study - What next? AdExchanger’s Alison Schiff and ANA’s Bob Liodice discuss the implications of the ANA Study and the launch of the Programmatic Transparency Benchmark.
•  Is the industry "Data Symmetry Ready"? AJL’s Lou Paskalis moderates a panel on the implications of the ANA Programmatic Transparency Study to the advertising ecosystem with  FxM’s Joe Zawadski; Adform’s  John Piccone; GumGum’s Michelle Hulst and The Trade Desk’s Ian Colley. 
• Why is the Benchmark a major step? AdExchanger’s Alison Schiff discusses the ANA/TAG Trustnet Programmatic Transparency Benchmark tool with a panel including former P&G, Mondelez, Sky executive Gerry d'Angelo, Ad Net Zero’s John Osborne and Fiducia’s Tim Brown.
• Benchmark: How to take action?  AJL’s Lou Paskalis joins ANA’s Bill Duggan, Good-Loop’s Amy Williams, FxM’s Jeff Hirsch and Fidcuia’s Tim Brown to help the audience understand how they can use the Benchmark to strengthen transparency in their supply chains.

To register for this incredible event, please click here: fiducia.eco/ana-tag-trustnet-invite-cannes-2024

Keyword Exclusion List Toolset - Ready, Set... BLOCK!

Digital advertising has long needed a best practices playbook and tools for creating and maintaining an effective keyword exclusion list. Earlier this year, TAG released the Keyword Exclusion List Toolset to help advertisers transition from traditional, static blocklists to a holistic set of dynamic, useful, and easy-to-maintain tools, which can help publishers of all shapes and sizes thrive. Part of the Be Bold for Publishers initiative, the toolset  comes in three parts: 

• Always Block Keywords List
• Keywords Maintenance Tool 
• Best Practices Guide

Speaking about the new toolset, NBCU’s Senior Director, Brand Safety and Brand Safety Working Group Co-Chair, Abe Farraj said “The TAG Keyword Exclusion Toolset brings one of the oldest tools in brand safety – keyword lists - into the modern age… This much-needed product created by TAG and the TAG Community makes keyword lists far more useful for marketers worldwide, and gives agencies new options to ensure brand safety.”

GroupM’s Brand Safety and Responsible Investment and Brand Safety Working Group Co-Chair, Alex Thomas said “creating a consistent understanding and best practice across the use of keyword exclusion is key to maintaining a responsible media environment.” He went on further to say that by the industry working together we can use our collective responsibility to shape the next era of media.

TAG’s Keyword Exclusion List Toolset is available today for members participating in the Brand Safety program in the Member Portal, with the Best Practices Guide available on the Brand Safety Page.

For more information about the Keyword Exclusion List Toolset, click here: tagtoday.net/brandsafety#KeywordExclusionListToolset.

Malvertising Taxonomy Gets an Update

The Anti-Malware Working Group has released the latest Malvertising Taxonomy, which was informed by insights and intelligence gathered from the TAG x Mercyhurst University research and the Malvertising Super-User Group. The updated taxonomyV2 includes new definitions and characterisations of terms such as steganography, browser extension/hijackers, click-jacking and more. 

The Malvertising Taxonomy was first released in 2022, and has become a key tool for digital advertisers to strengthen their defenses against malvertising attacks. 

For more information and the latest version of the taxonomy, click here: tagtoday.net/threat-sharing#threatinteltools

Team TAG Joins Advertising Week Europe in Its New Home!

Advertising Week Europe at its new home at 180 Studio in London. Celebrating DEI, sustainability, creativity, and innovation, this year's event brought together industry influencers for captivating keynotes, engaging panels, and hands-on workshops. In particular, it was great to see a growing appreciation for the importance of brand safety in emerging channels like gaming, podcasting, and audio, as well as the validation of TAG’s Brand Safety Certified Program in safeguarding brands against threats across existing and new channels.

Other takeaways include:

• Stay active in your sustainability objectives. 
• Go outside your creative comfort zone. 
• Prepare for the third-party cookie deprecation.

To watch our 38-second recap of this year's event, click here

Highlights from May’s TAG Working Group Brief

In the last edition of the Working Group Brief: 

• The Anti-Fraud Working Group has been preparing for the release of June’s DCIP list, which includes improvements based on the latest findings and feedback to the list. 
• Allie Wootten, Group Lead for Sky’s Anti-Piracy Advertising and Payment Strategy Group and Co-Chair of the Brand Safety Working Group, shared her client-side insight on the piracy fight.
• The Anti-Malware Working Group discussed the latest developments in the AdSec Threat Exchange, including progress on PBI 2.0, Spectral Note, and the upcoming rollout of the AdSec Wire. 
• The Transparency Working Group explored the importance of benchmarking and the upcoming ANA benchmarking launch, which will involve close collaboration with a range of ANA member brands. 

For the lite version of the Working Group Brief, click here:

tagtoday.net/working-groups#TheWorkingGroupBrief.

To read the full version, check your inbox!

SAVE THE DATE: State of the Fight - October 16th 2024, NYC

We’re thrilled to announce that State of the Fight will be coming back to New York City this year on October 16th 2024. Mark your calendars and get ready to save your seat! 

Team TAG are always looking to connect with the TAG Community wherever they are! 

In the coming months, you can find us at:

		Adzine Connect (June 6th) Berlin Germany
		Cannes Lions (June 17th-21st 2024) Cannes France
		Mad//Fest (July 2nd-4th 2024) London UK
		Westminster Media Forum (July 17th 2024) London UK

If you're not going to be there and want to connect with us over a beverage, then reach out to us below!

Leverage TAG Research into Your Everyday!

From APAC Fraud Snapshot reports, to UK Brand Safety Consumer reports, to Best Practices whitepapers, TAG's research is here to support our member's day-to-day compliance as well as strategic planning. 

Visit our Data and Insight page 👉 tagtoday.net/insights

Let's Make Some Noise Together 🤝

We love it when TAG members highlight our work together to fight digital ad crime and improve transparency. Please send any TAG-related press releases, blogs, or other announcements to Andrew Weinstein at andrewwstn@gmail.com for review before release.