An ad agency is trying to 'standardize the Wild West of social media' after a year of brand safety blow-ups

pulse

December 18, 2017 6:21 PM

An ad agency is trying to 'standardize the Wild West of social media' after a year of brand safety blow-ups.

The ad-buying firm OMD has partnered with the data tech firm Influential to develop a way to grade social-media influencers.
The idea behind I-Score is to help prospective advertisers figure out which digital creators will best represent them — and not put them in a compromising position.
The partnership is the latest move by ad agencies looking to get out in front of the ongoing digital brand safety issue.

Advertisers now have a new way to screen social-media stars.

The ad buying giant OMD has teamed up with the social influencer tech startup Influential to develop

After a series of embarrassing incidents this year, including multiple ads ending up next to objectionable videos, advertisers are scrutinizing every dollar they spend in digital media.

At the same time, advertisers increasingly find it hard to reach young consumers without using digital talent. Yet that can be a minefield as was shown earlier this year when several brands found themselves tied to videos produced by PewDiePie.

One of the most popular YouTube stars, was discovered making a series of Nazi-related jokes. Many YouTube stars regularly use rough language or humor that some marketers may not be so comfortable with.

Theoretically, using I-Score, OMD's clients will be able to reach out only to influencers who avoid swear words, for example.

Kerry Perse, head of social media for OMD.

Beyond helping ensure brand safety, I-Score's big selling point, according to Perse, is that it can help brands find influencers who are good at making content featuring advertisers' messages that people also actually want to consume.

For example, a game-loving influencer may have devoted fans watching every clip of him breaking down the latest "Call of Duty" game. But that same creator may make a video on behalf of a paying advertiser like Pepsi, and it falls flat.

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