If we sign up to support the Gold Standard, do all the companies we work with have to be Gold Standard certified?
We ask supporters to prioritise working with digital advertising suppliers who are Gold Standard certified. However, we recognise that since companies need to be members of IAB Ireland in order to certify, some players in the industry may not hold a certificate. We also recognise that brands may work with some smaller publishers who may not be big enough to manage the certification requirements.
We therefore ask supporters to encourage all their partners to register, or to follow the criteria as closely as possible. That way, advertisers can be confident that their media spend is being used to raise standards in digital advertising. In the future, we hope to ask advertisers to commit to only work with Gold Standard certified companies.
We “in-house” some of our digital advertising activity, so what do we need to do to ensure we are still supporting the Gold Standard?
If you become a supporter of the Gold Standard, it is your responsibility to understand the core ambitions of the initiative and the criteria that sits behind it to raise standards in digital advertising.
The first step is for you and your team to join a virtual meeting with Suzanne and Maeve to understand the Gold Standard and the requirements to become a Brand Supporter.
Then your team must complete the IAB Gold Standard eLearning exercise which will help them put the principles they have learnt into practice.
And finally, you should prioritise working with partners who are Gold Standard certified.
We run digital advertising in markets outside of Ireland, but does the Gold Standard cover global markets?
IAB Ireland adopted the Gold Standard, which was originally developed by IAB UK, in 2021. Gold Standard certification in Ireland is market specific, however the individual initiatives that make up the Gold Standard are globally recognised, so we would encourage you to ask your partners to adopt these globally.
For other markets where you operate, we would encourage you to get in touch with local IABs to let them know you support the Gold Standard, and to ask them to adopt this in their market.
You say the Gold Standard is evolving and you are adding more stringent criteria over time. How can we keep on top of these changes and ensure we continue to support them?
If you become a supporter of the Gold Standard, we will send email updates to keep you informed of industry progress and how we plan to continue evolving the criteria over time.
You can also visit the following relevant websites for latest updates on the specific initiatives that the Gold Standard draws together.
The Coalition for Better Ads https://www.betterads.org/
TAG Brand Safety https://www.tagtoday.net/brand-safety
IAB Tech Lab on ads.txt https://iabtechlab.com/ads-txt/
IAB Tech Lab on sellers.json and SupplyChain Object https://iabtechlab.com/sellers-json/
IAB Europe on Transparency and Consent Framework https://iabeurope.eu/transparency-consent-framework/
I’m putting together the case for my company to sign up as a Gold Standard supporter. Can you give me some reasons why we should?
The Gold Standard has been created to directly address key issues that understandably concern advertisers. We know that no brand ever wants to support illegitimate activity or appear in inappropriate environments. By choosing to work with companies that are Gold Standard certified, you can actively raise standards within the digital ecosystem and make it a better place for your ads to be.
The Gold Standard provides you with a shortlist from which you can select partners who are committed to raising standards, giving you confidence in how and where your money is being spent. If your creative and media agencies are Gold Standard certified, you can be reassured that they have the processes in place to ensure that your company can become a Gold Standard supporter.
Finally, there is no cost for you to support the IAB Gold Standard, it is just about making the decision to commit. As an advertiser, you have a critical role to play in upholding the core value of the Gold Standard and driving lasting change within the digital advertising industry – making it safer, more user-orientated and more efficient. By getting behind the initiative, you are purposefully directing spend towards improving the whole industry.
Who else is a Brand Supporter in Ireland?
Gold Standard supporters in Ireland include Aer Lingus, AIB, An Post, Diageo, Laya Healthcare, Nissan and Vodafone.