Mindshare Australia has created a private network to tackle the issue of advertisers using inclusion and exclusion lists as brand-safety tool, but at the same time alienating smaller, underrepresented and diverse audiences.
These exclusion lists mean programmatic advertising is served to a homogeneous, but brand safe, group online.
“Unfortunately it’s the nature of programmatic,” Chris Solomon, managing director of Mindshare Melbourne told AdNews.
“Programmatic is essentially bought audiences. As the platform starts to target, the audiences get narrower and narrower.
“So sometimes that can exclude communities, and it isn't by anyone's fault.
“Because [programmatic] is a piece of tech that is not conscious and just targets towards performance, instead sometimes algorithms need a bit of human intervention to help steer it in a way of being more inclusive.
“We find that with exclusion lists, content can be excluded because certain terminologies, when used outside certain communities in the wrong way, could be seen as too sensitive so it, therefore, falls into the [banned] exclusion list.”
For example, keywords like rap, queer, or pregnant are terms commonly listed on these exclusion blacklists in order to more directly target a campaign’s audience, but at the same time, those communities who identify with such terms are excluded since they are less ad-friendly.
But when used by those communities, that terminology is absolutely fine, as a result of the exclusion lists that content will not have ads served across it.
“Therefore, those communities and content creators are not getting their fair market share and are not being socially included,” Solomon says.
So, to cultivate a more inclusive and diverse programmatic interface, Mindshare Australia is launching an Australian first inclusion private marketplace.
“What we want to do is have that human intervention to make sure there’s still a human angle to programmatic,” Solomon says.
Usually, ads would be targeted based on an audience. However, the inclusion private marketplace doesn’t apply data to target an audience, tagging is based on the content, and who it’s created by.
This ensures media dollars are being distributed towards supporting diverse content and the creators, in turn helping those communities to grow and incentivising balanced journalism.
Mindshare's inclusion private marketplace consists of various digital partners curated to support communities that are often underrepresented in Australian media, including media partners, content creators and content from communities such as First Nations, LGBTQI+, New Australians, Women, and more that have guaranteed brand safety standards for advertisers.
“It's the first of its kind in Australia - a private marketplace for digital inventory that can be ad served on and obviously that's not new, but the difference is that instead of targeting via just audiences, and using inclusion and exclusion lists, we are targeting based on content tags,” Solomon says.
“It works on the same approach as a private marketplace where we pick premium inventory across key publishers and organise it into an invitation-only centralised hub used to serve ads to our clients programmatically.
“Some of the publishers we intend to work with down the track will be smaller, but at the moment we're starting with the bigger ones - namely SBS, NITV, Acast and Guardian Australia - because they've got the setup already.
“Content tags are being set up by our partners to identify any content either created by First Nations people or is for First Nations people, or LGBTQIA+ communities so it can be served on.”
The first client to adopt the inclusion private marketplace is NAB, as part of its current brand campaign.
Suzana Ristevski, executive, group marketing (CMO), NAB, says: “When Mindshare approached us about their inclusion private marketplace, we knew it was the right platform and opportunity for NAB.
“This platform means we can tangibly support underrepresented communities, as well as build on our commitment to developing a more inclusive culture.
“We’re excited to be leading the way in this space and encourage other businesses to get involved.”
More diverse and inclusive media has a societal benefit, but also improves brand metrics. SKYY Vodka was a launch partner for Mindshare US and has already seen great success from the inclusion private marketplace as a strong LGBTQI+ ally.
Brett Islaub, national digital sales manager at SBS: “Mindshare’s inclusion private marketplace is a progressive step forward in supporting diversified and inclusive digital content within Australia, and SBS is proud to be involved in the initiative.”
Mason Rook, commercial director, Guardian Australia, says: "Over the last few years there has been a consolidation of Australian media and concentration of ad spend to big tech, and that's why we are so excited to be working with Mindshare and their clients as they actively work to support communities who are underrepresented in the Australian media landscape."
“Once we launch Mindshare will then extend the inclusion private marketplace to other clients and partners,” Solomon told AdNews their goal is to ensure content tagging is normalised and inclusion will be at the forefront of all programmatic stacks.
“We will make sure that we are measuring impact for our clients as well across their marketing metrics, and that'll mainly sit at the top of the funnel around reach and awareness right now.
“But I'm sure it will have an impact on the bottom of the funnel as we move forward as well.
“We spend a lot of money with our clients, so our voices are extremely loud, and we should be doing more good with that, where we can being more purposeful with how we are using that voice and those dollars.
“Because just have a look around the world right now, society needs a bit more positivity, a bit more of that direction towards good.”
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