According to an infographic on Adobe’s CMO.com discussing digital ad crimes, nearly one in three advertisers admit concerns about brand safety. In other words, they worry that their video ads may appear on sites that are not safe or brand-appropriate. While some sites are better than others for certain brands and messages, namely based on traffic, audience and content, advertiser’s fears are well-placed as some sites can actually be toxic for a brand.

Consider a mobile video ad for a new dietary supplement on the market. In the video, a young woman is fretting over the phone about her weight to a friend, who suggests this new dietary supplement. The woman fretting over her weight is a typical ad model, so she is already thinner than the average person. What if that ad were to appear on a site dedicated to helping people overcome eating disorders? There could be a huge backlash against both the brand advertiser and the publisher, all because brand safety and target audience weren’t kept at the forefront of the campaign.

When brand safety is built into a programmatic ad exchange, the brand advertiser and media agency can rest easier knowing that the brand message will appear on sites that are optimized for the right viewer. Make certain that your next video ad campaign includes proper brand safety controls – so your brand message doesn’t wind up surrounded by inappropriate content or offend your intended target audience.