# TAG OUTREACH PROMPTED REDUCTION IN AD SPEND BY MOST BRANDS ADVERTISING ON EUROPEAN PIRATE SITES Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-04-26 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: 79% of European Advertisers Reduce Ads on Pirate Sites Meta Description: Discover how TAG's initiative reduced ad impressions on pirate sites by 79% in Europe. Take action to protect your brand's reputation today! URL: https://financedigest.com/tag-outreach-prompted-reduction-in-ad-spend-by-most-brands-advertising-on-european-pirate-siteshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/image-1736815829800-compressed.jpg) **79% of European Advertisers Reduced Ad Impressions on Pirate Sites Following Communication by TAG’s Project Brand Integrity** Washington, DC & London, UK – 26 April 2022  – The [Trustworthy Accountability Group](https://www.tagtoday.net/)(TAG), an advertising industry self-regulatory organisation aimed at fighting criminal activity and strengthening brand safety in the digital advertising supply chain, today released the [first annual report](https://www.tagtoday.net/insights/pbireport2022) for TAG’s Project Brand Integrity (PBI), an initiative established to protect advertisers from negative brand association by alerting them when their ads run on pirate sites in Europe. The report found that direct outreach by PBI prompted a large majority of advertisers (79%) to reduce their ad impressions on pirate sites, with nearly half of that group (43%) ending nearly all ads on such sites. Among the brands that reduced their ads, there was an overall reduction of advertising on pirate sites by nearly two-thirds (66%). “Sometimes the most powerful tool for change is actionable information,” said Nick Stringer, VP for Global Engagement & Operations at TAG. “In today’s complicated [supply chain](https://www.financedigest.com/ge-shares-slump-as-supply-chain-inflationary-woes-threaten-profit-outlook.html "GE shares slump as supply chain, inflationary woes threaten profit outlook"), advertisers and their agencies can be unaware that some of their inventory is ending up on pirate sites, thus driving illegal activity and enriching criminals. This [report found that the vast majority](https://www.financedigest.com/lyocell-fibers-market-overview-highlighting-major-drivers-trends-growth-and-demand-report-2019-2027.html "Lyocell Fibers Market Overview Highlighting Major Drivers, Trends, Growth and Demand Report 2019- 2027") of advertisers that TAG contacted took action to protect their ad budgets and their brands when they were alerted to such misplacements.” TAG [established](https://www.tagtoday.net/pressreleases/project_brand_integrity) PBI in February 2019 as a partnership with UK-based anti-piracy and brand safety specialist [White Bullet](https://www.white-bullet.com/). The initiative seeks to protect [brands from unwanted association with digital](https://www.financedigest.com/3-top-digital-asset-threats-facing-your-brand-in-2017.html "3 top digital asset threats facing your brand in 2017") content theft by alerting advertisers or their agencies to ads running on high-risk websites and those that infringe intellectual property (IP) in Europe. Through the partnership, White Bullet monitors high-risk websites that infringe on iIP in the [European digital ad markets](https://www.financedigest.com/gumgum-appoints-harmen-tjaarda-as-managing-director-for-four-european-markets.html "GumGum appoints Harmen Tjaarda as Managing Director for four European markets") and provides information to TAG about display ads on those sites. TAG then notifies advertisers (or their agencies) privately and confidentially when a substantial number of their ads run on these [sites and provides the advertiser with actionable information and tools to reduce its risk](https://www.financedigest.com/france-seeks-strategy-as-nuclear-waste-site-risks-saturation-point.html "France seeks strategy as nuclear waste site risks saturation point"), including participation in TAG’s Brand Safety Certified programme. “Ad-supported piracy is an ongoing challenge for the [digital advertising](https://www.financedigest.com/seenthis-launches-creative-platform-to-boost-performance-and-reduce-co2-emissions-in-digital-advertising.html "SeenThis launches Creative Platform to boost performance and reduce CO2 emissions in digital advertising") industry, and it’s critical that we continue to work proactively and collaboratively to fight it,” said Peter Szyszko, Founder and CEO, White Bullet. “This first annual report from Project Brand Integrity shows the progress we’ve made and the areas where we [must](https://www.financedigest.com/the-rise-of-finfluencers-presents-unique-opportunities-but-brands-must-proceed-with-caution.html "The rise of “Finfluencers” presents unique opportunities but brands must proceed with caution") focus our efforts as we seek to protect brands from unwanted association with digital content theft. Alerting advertisers to ads running on high-risk websites has had a huge impact already, but the fight is not yet over, so we look forward to continuing to work with TAG to increase the efficacy of PBI.” In 2022, TAG [plans to extend PBI’s efforts and further increase its effectiveness through new steps including a robust process to engage with advertisers](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-microsofts-bing-plans-ai-ads-in-early-pitch-to-advertisers.html "Exclusive-Microsoft’s Bing plans AI ads in early pitch to advertisers") that have – to date – been unresponsive to outreach. As part of that process, repeat offenders will be mentioned in future reports as well as be referred to the European Commission for recommendation to be included in its Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. Allie Wootton, Anti-Piracy Group Lead, Advertising & Payment Strategy, Sky said, “As both a content creator and an advertiser, Sky fully [supports Project Brand Integrity](https://www.financedigest.com/supporting-apple-pay-integration-in-japan.html "Supporting Apple Pay Integration in Japan") and the broader work by both TAG and White Bullet to tackle the issue of ad-funded piracy. This is a major [step forward in the bid to stop](https://www.financedigest.com/10-steps-to-stop-lateral-movement-in-data-breaches.html "10 Steps to Stop Lateral Movement in Data Breaches") the flow of advertising revenue to criminal organisations looking to monetise stolen content, and it is something that the entire advertising industry can get behind.” The PBI annual [report also outlined issues and trends](https://www.financedigest.com/e-commerce-report-the-latest-trends-and-forecasts.html "e-Commerce Report: The latest trends and forecasts") in the fight against ad-supported piracy. In particular, the report found that piracy domains are rapidly changing, with 73% of all domains monitored since the [programme’s launch](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-to-launch-new-billion-pound-home-insulation-programme.html "UK to launch new billion-pound home insulation programme") now redirecting traffic, using mirrors or proxy websites, or becoming inactive. It also found a significant shift toward [programmatic advertising](https://www.financedigest.com/cavai-and-mediamath-announce-global-partnership-to-deliver-conversational-advertising-programmatically.html "Cavai and MediaMath announce global partnership to deliver conversational advertising programmatically") on pirate websites, as 64% of the advertisers appearing on such sites last year were delivered via programmatic channels vs. [24% via affiliate marketing](https://www.financedigest.com/microfluidic-devices-market-is-anticipated-to-expand-at-a-healthy-cagr-of-24-during-the-forecast-period-2021-to-2031.html "Microfluidic Devices Market Is Anticipated To Expand At A Healthy CAGR Of 24% During The Forecast Period 2021 to 2031") channels and 11% via sponsored content. “We commend TAG for their conception and execution of the Project Brand Integrity programme,” said David Green, VP Public Policy, NBCUniversal. “By alerting brands that are inadvertently placing their ads adjacent to stolen content, TAG provides a vital [brand safety](https://www.financedigest.com/gumgum-granted-first-mrc-accreditation-for-brand-safety-and-contextual-targeting-for-ctv.html "GumGum Granted First MRC Accreditation for Brand Safety and Contextual Targeting For CTV") service to advertisers and agencies. And by diminishing the profitability of ad-supported piracy, the [programme benefits the creative community and the millions](https://www.financedigest.com/board-of-russias-avtovaz-approves-585-million-in-2023-investment-programme-ria-agency.html "Board of Russia’s AvtoVAZ approves 5 million in 2023 investment programme – RIA agency") of jobs it sustains.” PBI [builds upon TAG’s Brand Safety Certified programme](https://www.financedigest.com/reckon-one-builds-momentum-with-strong-backing-from-accountants-joining-the-cloud-advisor-programme.html "Reckon One builds momentum with strong backing from accountants joining the Cloud Advisor Programme"), which includes robust anti-piracy requirements for companies. As of 19 April 2022, 128 companies have obtained TAG;s Brand Safety Certified Seal, with 47% of them (57) applying the standard to their global operations. PBI’s direct engagement with advertisers and their agencies also includes other industry and public policy efforts, such as the [Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Online Advertising and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)](https://www.tagtoday.net/pressreleases/tag-welcomes-european-commission-mou-on-intellectual-property-rights) facilitated by the European Commission in 2018. Additional information about TAG’s Brand Safety Certified Programme and how companies from across the advertising ecosystem can work to reduce ad-supported piracy and theft be found at [https://www.tagtoday.net/brand-safety](https://www.tagtoday.net/brand-safety). The annual [report for Project](https://www.financedigest.com/harmonic-generators-market-projected-to-discern-stable-expansion-during-2021-2031-fact-mr-report.html "Harmonic Generators Market Projected to Discern Stable Expansion during 2021-2031: Fact.MR Report") Brand Integrity can be found at [https://www.tagtoday.net/insights/pbireport2022](https://www.tagtoday.net/insights/pbireport2022). **About the Trustworthy Accountability Group** The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is the global certification programme designed to [fight against criminal activity and protect brand](https://www.financedigest.com/2016-the-fight-back-of-the-established-brand.html "2016 – THE FIGHT BACK OF THE ESTABLISHED BRAND") safety in the digital advertising industry. TAG advances its mission of eliminating fraudulent traffic, facilitating the sharing of threat intelligence, and promoting [brand safety by connecting industry](https://www.financedigest.com/gumgum-announces-industrys-first-100-brand-safe-ad-exchange.html "GumGum Announces Industry’s First 100% Brand Safe Ad Exchange") leaders, analyzing threats, and sharing best practices worldwide. The 700+ member TAG community includes the [world’s largest and most influential brands](https://www.financedigest.com/top-luxury-car-brands-in-the-world.html "Top luxury car brands in the world"), agencies, publishers, and ad tech providers. For more information on TAG, please visit [tagtoday.net](http://tagtoday.net/). **This is a Sponsored Feature.** --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---