January 2026

• TAG's Strategic Priorities
• Mike AAM Reflections
• Compliance Leaders chat to V
• ADvocacy Day: Save the Date!
• Where in the world is TAG
  
• One More Thing

TAG 2026 Strategic Priorities: Adapting Standards for AI, Tackling AI Transparency, and Strengthening AdSec Threat Exchange

Every January, TAG shares its key strategic priorities for the year, enabling members and partners to align with emerging industry needs, anticipate new initiatives, and work together to strengthen trust and transparency across the digital advertising ecosystem.

This year, TAG’s strategic focus has three pillars: adapting foundational industry standards to a rapidly evolving AI landscape, reinforcing the importance of transparency in measurement and reporting, and extending the reach and impact of collaborative threat-sharing efforts. These priorities reflect how TAG is continuing to evolve its mission as key technologies and risks shift across the broader digital advertising ecosystem.

Evolving TAG Standards and Definitions to Reflect AI Advances

The integration of artificial intelligence into the digital advertising supply chain continues to accelerate, presenting both opportunities and risks for forward-thinking marketers. This year, TAG will consider how its existing standards and definitions, such as quality and efficiency, should be adjusted to reflect AI advances. TAG’s standards have always been continuously updated to address new technologies and industry changes, and this effort will ensure TAG’s standards keep pace through the AI transformation.

Advancing Thought Leadership on AI Transparency

The “black box” nature of most AI systems presents unique challenges around transparency for digital advertising, particularly as those systems are more deeply integrated across the supply chain. The limited visibility that marketers have into their log-level transactions may disappear completely if AI systems for advertising are not built around “transparency by design.” Over coming months, TAG will drive thought leadership on the need for AI transparency across the industry, while conceptualizing a framework that increases both transparency and trust.

Shifting and Strengthening the AdSec Threat Exchange

Another priority for the coming year is the work of the AdSec Threat Exchange. Building on the success of TAG’s collaborative intelligence efforts against malvertising, TAG will build new threat intel sharing partnerships across other industries to stop ad-supported piracy. These expanded efforts will help TAG’s community stay ahead of emerging criminal activity across various threat realms, fight criminal activity, and protect both brands and consumers.

It’s “Auld Lang Syne” Time: TAG CEO Mike Zaneis Shares His 2025 Reflections with AAM

Every year, the Alliance for Audited Media surveys industry association leaders for their reflections on the year past and predictions for the year ahead, and TAG CEO Mike Zaneis shared his thoughts with the AAM team on 2025. An excerpt from the piece follow:

Trust, transparency and accountability are requirements

Across the industry, leaders agreed that 2025 marked a turning point. With most companies implementing AI in some way, the concept of trust shifted from an abstract value to a measurable data point. …

That shift toward greater trust and transparency is delivering measurable results, according to Mike Zaneis, president and CEO of the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG).

“The advertising industry has made tremendous strides over the last two years in improving supply chain transparency,” Zaneis said. He cited the recent ANA Programmatic Transparency Benchmark that found advertisers have reclaimed more than $13 billion in misdirected, misappropriated and misspent advertising investment. “This increased transparency is paying big dividends for advertisers and publishers with the share of ad spend that reaches publishers rising to 47.1 percent — an 11-point increase since 2023.”

…and more from Mike on LinkedIn!

TAG’s Vanessa Goff-Yu Chats With Compliance Leaders

Nobody loves a good interview like TAG’s Director of Marketing and Comms Vanessa Goff-Yu, so she was all-in when Wult asked her to lead a webinar on compliance issues and challenges with industry leaders from OMD, Publicis Media, Multilocal, and Privacy Tracker. Find out why compliance is a competitive advantage, how regulatory change is inevitable, and how leaders drive innovation through compliance.

Save the Date for TAG ADvocacy Day in Washington, DC on 12th-13th May!

Mark your calendars for TAG’s annual policy-fest in Washington, DC on 12th-13th May 2026! For the second year in a row, TAG is joining with our public policy peers at the ANA and 4As in a united front of key advertising associations on Capitol Hill.

Like last year, Team TAG will lead off this year’s activities with its member-focused ADvocacy Day before joining with other trade organizations and their constituent companies for in-depth policy briefings meetings with members of Congress and their staff to discuss the digital advertising industry and timely policy issues. For more information or to RSVP for this year’s event, please email info@tagtoday.net.

Team TAG are always looking to connect with the TAG Community wherever they are! In 2026, are planning to be at the below listed events:

LEAD
February 5th
London, UK

4As' Decisions
February 11th
Washington D.C, US

IACC Annual Conference
April 28th - 29th
Orlando, FL

INTA London
May 2nd - 6th
London, UK

ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference
May 3rd - 6th
Orlando, FL

ADvocacy Day/Advertising on the Hill Day
May 12th - 13th
Washington, DC

Cannes Lion
June 22nd - 26th
Cannes, France

Keep Up-To-Date With The Working Group Brief

TAG's working groups are a crucial source point of conversation and collaboration for digital advertising. Make sure you stay up to date with the latest progress and developments with the Workin Group Brief. 

Read the latest Working Group Brief 👉 tagtoday.net/working-groups

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.