What is the Gold Standard?
The Gold Standard is an industry initiative which was launched by IAB UK in 2017. IAB Ireland adopted the Gold Standard in 2021 and the compliance requirements in Ireland mirror the UK requirements.
The Gold Standard aims to reduce ad fraud, uphold brand safety, improve the user experience, and help compliance with GDPR e-privacy law.
It does this by combining existing industry initiatives and tools from TAG, IAB Tech Lab, the Coalition for Better Ads and IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework.
How long has the Gold Standard been around?
The Gold Standard launched in Ireland in 2021. The core aims of the Gold Standard in Ireland were:
- to address ad fraud via the implementation of IAB Tech Labs’ ads.txt
- to improve brand safety via TAG’s Brand Safety Certification
- to improve the user experience by adhering to The Coalition for Better Ads’ advertising standards.
- to help compliance with GDPR law via IAB Europe’s Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF)
Other IAB Tech Lab tools designed to strengthen end to end transparency in the digital advertising supply chain such as sellers.json and
OpenRTB SupplyChain Object into the criteria, as well as more recently demandchainobject and buyers.json.
What are the benefits to being Gold Standard certified?
Being Gold Standard certified demonstrates to advertisers that you are committed to upholding industry best practice and creating a sustainable future for digital advertising. Many media agencies make it a condition that the partners they work with are Gold Standard certified, while our cohort of Gold Standard advertiser supporters – including An Post, Diageo and Vodafone – pledge to work with Gold Standard certified digital ad suppliers wherever possible.
How much does it cost to be a part of the Gold Standard?
The only costs associated with the Gold Standard are the TAG Brand Safety certification and the audit conducted by ABC.
You must be a member of IAB Ireland to be Gold Standard certified in Ireland. If you would like to enquire about membership, please email maeve@iabireland.ie.
What is TAG & how much does the Brand Safety Certification cost?
The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is “the leading global initiative fighting criminal activity and increasing trust in the digital advertising industry.” TAG was created by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). It has merged with the UK’s cross-industry, independent body (previously known as JICWEBS) to work collaboratively with companies throughout the digital ad supply chain. TAG advances its mission of eliminating fraudulent traffic, facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, and promoting brand safety by connecting industry leaders, analysing threats, and sharing best practices worldwide.
Part of the IAB Gold Standard criteria is to obtain a TAG Brand Safety certification. TAG’s Brand Safety Certification programme aims to significantly reduce the risk of the misplacement of advertising on digital media of all types, thereby upholding brand safety and protecting the integrity of digital advertising.
The cost of getting TAG brand safety certified is dependent on your company income, so it varies from company to company, but prices start from €4,000 a year. As part of TAG certification, your company will have to get audited by ABC, which will come at an additional cost. Similar to TAG, the cost is dependent on company income.
How do Gold Standard renewals work?
The Gold Standard is assessed on an annual basis. We ask certified companies to submit the required evidence to stay up to date with the latest iteration of the Gold Standard.
What is the process for becoming Gold Standard certified?
You must be an IAB Ireland member to become Gold Standard registered and certified in Ireland.
Stage 1 You apply to IAB Ireland to become Gold Standard registered, and commit to working towards Gold Standard certification.
Stage 2 You will be required to provide evidence that you are meeting the criteria across all four pillars – members have six months to complete this.
Stage 3 After your evidence has been reviewed and accepted, you will then become Gold Standard certified.
Please note: there is no cost to IAB Ireland members for participation in the Gold Standard itself. However, certification for the TAG Brand Safety Certified Guidelines does carry financial costs.
To view the criteria, and to check which category your company belongs to, please email: maeve@iabireland.ie
How long does the process take?
We give each company six months from their registration date to complete certification – the amount of time it takes to complete the Gold Standard certification is subjective and varies from company to company depending on the resource you have available.
What category does my company fall into?
The following types of company can be Gold Standard certified:
Direct seller = Publisher
Buy Side Support = DSP
Sell Side Support = SSP
Full-Service Support: Companies that offer a managed service to facilitate the buying of inventory using their own proprietary technology
Buyer Activation = Companies that offer a managed service to facilitate the buying of inventory using external self-serve buying platform(s)
Buyer Planner = Companies who plan the media strategy on behalf of a brand or agency
What does it mean to be a Gold Standard advertiser supporter?
While brands can’t become Gold Standard certified, we do have a cohort of Gold Standard advertiser supporters that pledge to work with Gold Standard certified digital ad suppliers wherever possible.
Our Gold Standard advertiser supporters include: Aer Lingus, AIB, An Post, Diageo, Laya Healthcare, Nissan and Vodafone.
Contact Maeve O’Meara and Suzanne McElligottto find out more about becoming a Gold Standard advertiser supporter in Ireland.